"..."
Presepe, having regained consciousness, stared blankly into the distance.
Blackened, half-burnt trees. A burnt smell that still seems faint. A terrain that feels somehow familiar.
'The Forbidden Forest...?'
Presepe, looking around with a dazed expression, finally realized that she had been lying in a strange nest-like place. Flustered, she stumbled to her feet and looked down at her disheveled dress.
...How did I get here?
[We're just returning to our original places. You and I, too.]
It felt as if Vidar's voice, which had suddenly settled low, was brushing past her ears.
That dreadful tower crumbles; Siegfried, half-dead, screams her name, and the blood of a knight whose identity is unknown splatters on his face...
The last sight Presepe saw was hell itself.
However, when she opened her eyes again, she never expected to be in a forbidden forest like this.
'It's probably Vidar's....'
Then, would Vidar be around here? Presepe scanned her surroundings nervously.
And then she wore a slightly flustered expression.
"...Uh?"
The place where Presepe bent over and reached out her hand was grass that had begun to sprout greenly, pushing through the pitch-black ground.
As she raised her head to look around, a landscape different from what she had seen in the distance came into view.
Different from what she saw back then, before leaving the Forbidden Forest.
The forest was gradually coming back to life.
'You think something like this is possible...?'
It was hard to believe. Although quite some time had passed since the Forbidden Forest burned down, it was not long enough for the forest to come back to life like this.
However, the forest was clearly coming back to life, as if mocking Presepe.
Is this also because of the system?
Is it because it wasn't originally a forest meant to burn down like that?
...Or is it Vidar's doing?
But he says it has that kind of power?
Presepe, who had been lost in thought with her hands hanging down on the floor, flinched violently.
“Wow. I’m surprised.”
What surprised Presepe was a small bird.
How many days had it been since it was born? The small bird, whose feathers had not yet fully grown, had a large, sturdy beak and sharp talons that were disproportionate to its size.
In addition, small horns were growing next to its ears.
Presepe quickly realized that this bird was not an ordinary animal.
"You are a monster."
Regardless of what Presepe was muttering, the bird seemed to be very fond of her. As if wanting to play together, it gently pecked at her hand without hurting her and rubbed its body against her palm.
“You have to go to mom.”
Presepe stroked the bird's head and muttered softly to herself. Then, without realizing it, she let out a heavy sigh.
'To the imperial palace...'
She had to go back.
However, that thought did not last long.
It was because she couldn't make any judgment about what to do or how to do it.
'Grand Duke Fenrir...'
Nothing came to mind regarding the safety of Siegfried or Dietrich, or the actions they might take if they returned to the Imperial Palace.
The only thing filling Presepe's mind was thoughts of Fenrir.
...Is it really true?
Did the Grand Duke really kill them?
Did he kill them like that to bind me, just as they had done?
Were all the sincere words he said to me nothing more than lies meant to deceive me?
Presepe's face crumbled miserably.
And it was that moment.
"Griffin."
At the sudden sound of a voice, Presepe hurriedly turned around. Then she saw Vidar staring down at her intently.
“It’s a griffin.”
“Ah. Yes.”
Only then did Presepe understand the meaning of Vidar's words and answered quietly as if to say, "Is that so?"
It seemed that the true identity of this small bird was the Griffin.
...But that’s not what’s important right now.
Vidar said nothing. Instead, he strode over, bent his legs, and came close to Presepe. Presepe hesitated slightly with a frightened look on her face, but Vidar did not seem to notice.
... Or maybe. Maybe he simply couldn't understand such subtle emotional changes at all.
"It's small now, but it will grow big. Very much."
"..."
"Because time flows differently for humans and monsters."
But hadn't all the monsters died back then? The memory of seeing the monster's umbilical cord, from which they were born, bubbling and boiling like lava was still vivid.
"It's easy to ruin, and it's easy to restore."
"Yes...?"
"Because I'm the one who made it"
"Are you talking about monsters...?"
Vidar nodded.
"If you made it yourself, why did you let the whole forest burn down last time?"
“I was annoyed.”
"Then why did you bring them back to life this time?"
"I thought this would be better."
The answer came out surprisingly straightforward, but the problem was that it wasn't particularly helpful.
"I told you. It's just returning to the original place."
At Bidar's extremely ambiguous words, Presepe stared at him without saying a word.
It doesn't seem like he intends to harm me...
"It's exactly the same. So I thought I had to make these come back, too."
"..."
"Because that is what I want now."
As if recognizing the being who created it, the little bird constantly showered Vidar with affection, just as it had done to Presepe.
However, Vidar neither spoke to the bird nor stroked its soft feathers, as Presepe had done.
Instead, the bloodline was like a large hand gripping a bird in one. As if about to kill it on the spot.
"Why, what's wrong? Just a moment!"
The bird trapped in Vidar's hand squeaked and let out a mournful groan.
Tiny blood vessels were seen popping up above its pupils, and its hard, sturdy beak parted weakly. It was clear that if it exerted force like that, it would burst and die right then and there.
"I thought it was being a nuisance."
"Yes?"
"No?"
"It’s not a hassle! I’m fine, so please leave it alone. No, please give it back to me."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Vidar released his grip. The bird coughed and cleared its throat a few times, then scurried toward Presepe with a terrified look.
Presepe instinctively picked up the small bird.
'There's no way we can communicate.'
She had absolutely no intention of staying in the Forbidden Forest with that Vidar, who was acting so stubbornly.
Of course, returning to the capital didn't exactly solve the problem.
However, nothing could be done here.
But what should I say? Will he even listen to me? Will I be able to persuade him? Will I be able to reason with him?
Presepe felt as though she had just clearly seen the answer to that question with her own eyes.
It seemed like there couldn't be a more certain answer anywhere than this.
What should I do now?
As Presepe, feeling awkward, slightly bowed her head; the small bird in her arms sang softly.
She suddenly felt annoyed for no reason.
"If you were going to kill it so casually... why did you make this?"
"What."
"You told me earlier that you were the one who created the monster."
"Ah. That."
Vidar answered, looking at Presepe with an expressionless face.
“Because I’m lonely.”
"... Yes?"
"Because I'm too lonely by myself."
At Vidar's completely unexpected answer, Presepe looked at him, forgetting even to react.
“That’s it.”
"..."
"But now, I don't need fakes."
The key to this loneliness, solitude, and suffering that has chased him like a curse for thousands of years was already right before his eyes.
So, there was no longer any need for things like monsters. They were merely used. Just as they had done when bringing Presepe from the Imperial Tower.
It was for the same reason. As he burned down the Forbidden Forest, Vidar felt no guilt even as he listened to the monsters' agonizing screams.
Actually, he didn't need anything from the beginning.
As long as she stayed by his side.
Vidar looked at Presepe and thought to himself.
"I think you should wash up. You screamed earlier, too."
Vidar slowly parted his lips from Presepe, who was staring at him in a daze.
"If it doesn't matter, you can stay as you are."
Only then did Presepe instinctively touch her face. She saw something sticky and dried up, turned into powder, sticking to her hand. It was blood.
For some reason, it seemed like it had been trying to hit her face for a while, so Presepe looked down at the bird fluttering toward her face while held in her arms.
“Go that way.”
Vidar pointed beyond with his long, white finger and said.
"You'll be able to wash properly."
Presepe nodded briefly and stood up from her seat. Then, she began to walk in the direction Vidar had pointed.
'If I run away like this, will I get caught?'
...While thinking the same thing.
"..."
Vidar, left alone, also rose from his seat, following Presepe. Standing tall like that, he quietly watched Presepe's retreating figure as she walked further and further away, then suddenly turned to look to his side.
In the place where the unconscious Presepe had been lying just moments ago, it was seen slammed into the ground, emitting a faint light.
It was the book of memories she had brought with her when she left the tower.
Vidar stared intently at the Book of Memories like that, then began to walk, following Presepe.
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