The Branded Female Fencer

"Oh, I went to see him. It may be premature, but I may not have time to tell you this for a while. Most importantly, if not now, Alphilis would not have enough time to think. From now on, we're going to have more turbulent times than we have time to think about anything else."

"(It's certainly precious to have time for reckless thinking when you're young, but what are you thinking?

Notice raised a question. Normally, Notice knew that Yugdrasil would never answer her questions, but she wondered if Yugdrasil would answer them now. This is not a certainty, it is just a conjecture.

After all, is Notice's account excellent, or is Yugdrasil even aware of it? Hard and Yugdrasil began to express his thoughts.

"... I wasn't meant to interfere by nature. I thought it would be better in this world as it is. But Oranzebul didn't let it go, and Meechatres tried to change his destiny again. That movement, which is inherently not enough to take, is certainly driving the fate of this continent crazy, albeit marginally. We both have a lot of power.

Besides, they're not the only ones who moved. The same goes for Lord Silver and you. Or maybe the demons who fought once did too. "

"(Are you trying to say that True Dragon is the bad guy?

"I didn't say that. It's just that, in the long run: the transformation of history, the demons' acts may have been innovative. Now the ancient dragons were just trying to watch, and Stelvese became it. It's only natural that you and Stelvese who asked for change don't feel right. She said it was a connection."

"(... we're talking about old times)"

I felt Notice pointed that way, which I shouldn't be able to move. But I don't have a hand in not questioning this opportunity. Regardless of his old tenacity, Notice keeps asking.

"(So why did you, the wizard, interfere?

"It's an alphilis. By nature, Alphilis was more of a different being. If she had grown well, I shouldn't have had to. Its existence was twisted and bent by Oranzeble, watched over by Meeshattress, and corrected by Aldrius. And now she's trying to sublime herself to further existence. This is something I didn't expect again either.

Wouldn't you like to see it? The moment man opens up a better future on his own. "

"(Isn't it you who decides that?

"Sure. So I'm keeping it to myself. Ordinarily, the future of making Orangeables is more realistic. The future Alphilis creates is founded on myriad miracles, no matter what they look like. It's like we're seeing a breakdown on the way."

"(but people call it hope)"

"Exactly. But nobody knows that form of hope yet. There are a few people, including you, who know the form of despair."

Notice nodded in her heart at Yugdrasil's words.

"(Despair... that's also the worst despair)"

"Exactly. But there are already signs. All you have to do is realize... it's the kind of thing you can't help but notice, but still humans won't sit back and accept despair. That's why the continent moved."

"(All you know about despair is Oranzebul, the ancient dragon people, Meeschatres, Stervese with me... and who's left?

"Puritanical White Fun, the center of the Orin Pass, Arshhuntra, plus Anomaly and Doom"

"(Do humans also notice!?

Notice's thoughts grew so loud that they echoed in Woe and Yugdrasil's head that he frowned slightly.

"It's not surprising, it's not strange to notice if you're crushing observing what's going on on on this continent. Signs are becoming particularly pronounced these days.

That's why you guys say you lick too many humans. Why don't you trust the humans more? I guess you guys have been giving wisdom for the past millennia or hundreds of years for that matter. The act shouldn't be in vain. I wonder if the people who named the last of them are human. "

"(Does that mean we're not needed already)"

"That's an extreme opinion. Times and times will decide who needs it. It is also a matter for the individual to decide more than that. So whether you're here or not, we just have to make sure things happen. Especially you, Alpha Reese doesn't need interference. It can be extra tricky."

"(Somehow I started to know what you were trying to say - but I can't handle this, I can't even reach the itch)"

"Nor am I foolish enough to abandon the most powerful true dragon that exists on this continent. Besides, I don't trust anyone. Except for one."

"(Is that Alphilis?

"... well."

Yugdrasil dashed the question and went into meditation. Notice learned that no matter what she talks about when this happens, it no longer makes sense. Meditation is deeper the more powerful magic is. Orangeables did, but that of this yugdrasil is incomparably profound. None of them will be able to speak to his deep consciousness.

But before his consciousness sinked, there was only one more thing that Notice questioned.

"(I just want to hear one last thing. Why are you on the side of the Orange Bull?

"... my only wish is one. My wish is the survival of people. I thought Oranzeble's actions would be most appropriate for that. At first, Oranzebul helped him gather some talent in his favor. I was the one who taught Hidun the existence of anomalies and silences, and I was the one who drew Hidun and Oranzebul together in the first place. It weakened the lifeless seal and made Erlich break it, revealing the presence of Dragreo and Titania, dragging Bradymaria and Calamity out of the southern continent. I was the one most involved with Lifeless and Dortmund, so only Lifeless had a little something to do with it before."

"(Dortmund? The first knight, that armored man?

"Now it's like that, but at first it was an interesting presence inside. As a result, Lifeless and Dortmund had such a relationship, but if their relationship were different, this continent would have been more prosperous and peaceful. Well, that's one of the turning points of an era that didn't work. There have been countless times in this history. Keep going when you wake up again. We still have time."

――

So the conversation between the two ended, and they slowly returned to the world of silence, to each other's thoughts. Notice had a hunch that the time was eternally equal, but very short to imagine the future of this continent.

Continued