Chapter 68 - Entrance Ceremony of Blood (3)

Liria remembered Luna. It was because she had stayed one night at Luna's mansion in Rigbed.

However, the noble and dignified beauty that Liria had seen then had somewhat faded.

Though still beautiful like a doll, her once snow-white skin now seemed pale, and her once silk-soft golden hair had lost its vitality and become dry.

It wasn't just her face that had changed.

Her feet had dried blood scabs as if she had run barefoot on gravel, and her entire left arm was bandaged, with blood staining through in several places, showing how severe the bleeding had been.

Her condition was as poor as a refugee fleeing from war.

Though she was a guest about to leave, Liria couldn't just serve her herb tea and send her away.

Silveryn's mansion storehouse was piled high with herbs and potions. Though they were all prepared for Damian, there wouldn't be any problem using them to treat Silveryn's guest.

"Please wait a moment."

Before confirming Luna's business, Liria seated her in the reception room and gathered healing potions and herbs.

Then, she carefully asked Luna,

"May I look at your wounds?"

Luna hesitated briefly but soon dropped her guard and nodded.

Liria slowly cut away the bandages bound around Luna's arm.

Upon seeing the wounds directly, Liria silently felt heartbroken.

It was a mess as if slashed repeatedly with a knife.

What could have happened?

Though the scars could be removed, it would take a long time.

She seemed almost the same age as Liria. Girls that age would typically cry all night wetting their pillows over even a single scar on their body. They would worry about it ruining the look of pretty clothes and being an obstacle when getting married.

But Luna seemed detached as if she had let everything go. Seeing how many scars would remain on this beautiful body made Liria's heart ache instead.

Liria disinfected Luna's wounds and carefully applied the potion.

Unable to bear the silence, Luna reluctantly spoke, "I want to see Professor Silveryn."

"I know that. But... the professor isn't here."

At that moment, Luna's hand trembled.

Liria asked with a concerned expression, "Are... you alright?"

"When will she return?"

"She left for the Holy City recently. It will take several months."

"..."

Damian was currently in charge of this mansion. But since Damian often had to be away for studies, Silveryn had created a manual for Liria about handling visitors.

"Still, Silveryn left me instructions for when visitors come. Excuse me, but could you tell me your name again?"

"Luna. Luna Reilis."

Liria briefly set down the potion and went to the reception room bookshelf. She laid several densely packed books forward.

Soon there was a sound of locks releasing, and Liria pushed the bookshelf sideways with effort.

Behind the moved bookshelf, there was a small safe in the wall.

Liria opened the safe and spread out the bundle of letters inside like a fan.

After rolling her eyes briefly, she pulled out one letter and said,

"Here it is. Luna Reilis. A letter Silveryn left."

***

Luna squeezed her eyes shut.

In Luna's memory, Silveryn's mansion was the quietest place. A fortress always protected by powerful ancient magic where even spirits that freely roamed the human world ignoring its rules dared not approach.

Yet she could see black figures even in Silveryn's mansion reception room. Something strange she had never experienced before was consuming Luna's mind and occasionally even took control of her body.

She could see black figures even on the way out of Silveryn's mansion. It stood in shadows where light couldn't reach, watching Luna. As time passed, the black silhouette's form was becoming more like Luna.

There was nowhere to escape.

Luna bit her lip hard.

Even Silveryn couldn't know everything. The black figures were unaffected even at the Guardian Tree with its strong divine power, or in Silveryn's mansion protected by ancient magic.

Luna opened Silveryn's letter. There was only one line of message written:

[Find peace at Eternia's Guardian Tree.]

Her steps became heavy. After what happened, only fear remained regarding Eternia's Guardian Tree. Even if everything was cleanly resolved later, she would never be able to visit the Guardian Tree again, yet she had to find peace there.

What had Silveryn seen? Had she predicted this would happen?

And as if reading the cracks in Luna's heart, the black figure whispered to her.

[No one can save you.]

***

Most rooms in the Thorn Garden dormitory were empty and lacked even basic furniture. I took a room closest to the front door on the first floor and rested there briefly. The room I settled in was spacious with just a single bookshelf.

The bookshelf held about fifteen books, all cookbooks like “The Empire's Breakfast” and “Meals That Turned Country Youth Gagamel into a Legendary Mercenary”.

Some books had Trisha's fingerprints in soot and flour.

With time to spare, I flipped through the books and copied down recipes I could use. I also wrote a letter to Silveryn while at it.

Unlike Witdruff Hall which provided side dishes with meals, Thorn Garden was different. Though Plantera would bring any ingredients requested, there were no maids, so we had to cook our own meals.

To stay here, I needed to improve my cooking skills. Trisha's cooking skills were too terrible to take turns sharing meal duty. I worried about how she had survived here with such cooking skills.

Being of noble birth, she must have lived her whole life eating only what others served her.

It seemed I'd be busy again. With Plantera bringing ingredients, cooking wouldn't be a problem for me, and I could make the furniture myself.

I left the room. As I opened the dormitory door to leave, Trisha heard the sound and rushed out from the second floor.

"Where are you going!"

"Going to Witdruff Hall."

"At this hour? I'll give you my blanket!"

I sleep fine even on bare ground. I wasn't going because I lacked bedding. Since the stitch wouldn't work in the labyrinth, I had to go outside to send the letter.

"That's not why."

"Preparing for the entrance ceremony? You know tomorrow's Masters Class entrance ceremony is held in the Forbidden Forest, right?"

"...What?"

"Didn't you see the letter at Witdruff Hall? I mean the Forbidden Forest in the labyrinth."

Welcome news. I had been worried about what commotion the entrance ceremony would cause, given the fuss over dormitory move-in.

"Right. I'll remember that. See you tomorrow."

Trisha shouted at my departing back.

"I'm bored so come back quickly!"

***

Her memory was gone again.

Luna looked around. She was standing alone in Witdruff Hall's corridor.

She barely suppressed the creeping terror.

From the circumstances, it seemed she had been moving somewhere. She had stopped at the end of the third-floor corridor.

Faint moonlight entered through the window at the corridor's end. And in her hand, she held a dagger again.

All strength left her body and the dagger slipped from her grasp.

"Stop. Please... stop."

Now she was afraid of herself. She couldn't know what she might do at this rate. Unknown terror pressed down on her.

Luna took out Silveryn's letter from her chest. But the letter was stained with blood and no words could be read.

She couldn't bear it anymore. She gathered all her strength to come down the stairs and fled the dormitory.

Then, she ran toward Eternia's Guardian Tree. Even when she was out of breath, she didn't stop.

Reaching the Guardian Tree, Luna collapsed at its base, pressing her head against it.

There was still no peace there. The black figures surrounded the Guardian Tree and welcomed her as if they had been waiting.

They gained strength and rejoiced the more Luna grieved and suffered.

"What should I... how..."

[Do you think there's peace for you?]

[Remember your childhood. Your life is cursed.]

[Even the professor abandoned you and left.]

[This is your fate. Accept it.]

The black figures mocked, ridiculed, and cursed Luna. They dredged up memories she wanted to erase, amplifying her feelings of frustration and helplessness, urging her to give up everything.

Tears fell drop by drop. Her mind couldn't bear all this pain. It was so painful that death seemed better.

Luna laid there sobbing for a long time. Then, she desperately prayed to the Guardian Tree.

"Please, please give me peace."

The clouds parted and moonlight shone on the Guardian Tree. Luna slowly raised her head. For a very brief moment, it seemed the Guardian Tree had heard her request and made the world quiet.

She doubted herself, wondering if it was just an illusion. But it wasn't.

The voices of the black figures began fading one by one. Like being washed away by gentle waves, something was coming in and erasing them. She couldn't understand what was happening.

The world around Luna became completely quiet. When the world fell completely silent, senses that had been sleeping awakened.

The Guardian Tree looked beautiful in the moonlight. The sound of trees rustling in the wind was cheerful.

The sound of insects. The cold, clear night air. The smell of earth. Things that had been close enough to touch but long forgotten began flooding back. A pleasant sensation like electricity coursing through her body washed over her.

Then, footsteps were heard from the deep darkness of the forest. Startled, Luna turned her head in that direction and became alert.

Someone was watching Luna. But she felt no hostility.

The owner of those footsteps also cautiously approached the Guardian Tree while watching Luna.

Soon, a masked man appeared in the moonlit area.