episode_0002

The young man started the van’s engine with the key that was stuck in the ignition.

“Why is a noble like you heading to Libra?”

Pressing the clutch pedal, the young man gently stepped on the gas, and the van began to travel the ‘Great Road’ once again.

“It’s a pleasant place, but it’s not worth giving up the comfortable life of a noble.”

“Well… I’m actually no longer a noble.”

“What?”

Upon hearing Lisa’s surprised voice, the young man recalled painful memories.

“My family, the Rustas, were exterminated by the prince of the Amehain. I am the sole survivor of my lineage.”

“Exterminated… you say? Were you falsely accused?”

Even as the painful memories resurfaced amidst Lisa’s cautious and kind demeanor, the young man smiled.

“No. I was punished for the sins committed by the Rustas during our time in Libra.”

“I can’t imagine… a kind person from a noble family being exterminated for committing sins. May the blessings and grace of Prada be upon those who sacrificed themselves…”

Lisa clasped her hands together in a gesture that seemed to honor the spirits of the deceased.

It had only been two months, yet the memories were still vivid as if it were yesterday. The suffocating bodies, the sold-off possessions, the burning family tree.

“Be happy, Lady Eliza Rusta.”

The young man was grateful for Christina’s mercy.

Focusing back on driving, thanks to Manchester’s good maintenance, the roads were clean without any wreckage or debris. While the risk of collision was low due to the absence of oncoming traffic, caution was still necessary. After all, wild animals or Elenis could suddenly dart out onto the road and cause an accident.

A horrific incident resulting in the massacre of an entire family underground

‘???’

The young man was taken aback by the unexpected signboard message and almost turned the wheel in surprise, but he managed to keep his composure.

Located 100km away from the residential area, it was a common sight on the desolate road. A large signboard displaying advertisements showcasing the former prosperity before the days of hardship, still visible with images of abundance.

While obstructed by houses and fences, it was unbelievable that such large billboards couldn’t be seen from afar.

The message on the signboard remained vividly in the young man’s memory, as if each word had been meticulously engraved in his mind.

“Why are you like this? Is Elenis appearing again?”

Lisa worriedly watched the young man, who was breaking out in a cold sweat.

“It’s nothing. I just felt a bit nauseous.”

“Driving while feeling nauseous? Haha, that’s like a dark joke.”

Smiling as if enjoying the conversation, Lisa steered the topic elsewhere.

“By the way, are you an alchemist, noble sir?”

“Yes, I learned from my mother. I’m nothing compared to her, though.”

“That explains the scent of dried herbs. That sharp smell, you know?”

“You have a keen sense. I purchased it from a traveling merchant I met on the road. It’s an herb called Blue Laurel Leaf, known for its remarkable healing properties.”

“Blue Laurel Leaf? It sounds familiar… where have I heard that before?”

“It’s the main ingredient in healing ointments.”

Understanding now, Lisa clapped her hands.

“I know what that is! I saw alchemists selling it at a stall when I traveled up north. I bought a few along with a cream they said was good for skincare…”

The two conversed on various topics for an hour without running out of material. They discussed alchemy, the current situations of Amehain and Livre, and the extraordinary events happening at the Blue Gear Monastery (When I heard strange noises coming from the food storage room and opened the door, two senior nuns were engaging in scandalous behavior! It felt improper, yet my heart fluttered! Those two were as beautiful as Saint Karen). The conversation flowed seamlessly with no shortage of subjects.

The young man, who had never engaged in such lengthy conversations before, was thoroughly enjoying himself and grateful that he could be a Samaritan to Lisa.

And just as life was rolling along merrily, a hitch appeared.

“It’s my first time meeting such a kind alchemist! All the alchemists I’ve met before were all trying to kill me…”

“Trying to kill you?”

Lisa chuckled and playfully pinched her lips with her fingers.

“I can’t reveal it yet. If a noble’s mind has been completely consumed by madness, it might be bearable for ordinary folks, but this information is unbearable for weak minds. Besides, it’s top-secret, you know? If we put it elegantly in noble terms, we could call it a lady’s secret.”

‘Madness? Weak minds?’

Until now, the young man had thought Lisa was joking. He had mistaken her for someone kind but mischievous due to their conversations.

“A lady’s secret, understood. It’s driving me crazy with curiosity, but let’s try to hold back for now. I’m not sure how long I can resist.”

The young man responded playfully to Lisa.

“Hahaha, you’re amusing. I like that attitude towards secrets. ‘Do not seek to unveil mysteries beyond your understanding,’ as it says in the Bible. It seems like it was from Chapter 13, Verse 13 of the Gospel of Laza. Probably!”

As he turned to respond to Lisa, the young man momentarily saw multiple rows of sharp teeth inside Lisa’s small mouth.

Struggling to forget the sight he just witnessed, the young man noticed another sign’s message:

Beware the ageless stranger.

“…Noble sir? Noble sir? Respond, HMS Shangrila.”

As the young man was lost in thought after reading the sign, a clap near his ear brought him back to reality.

“…I’m sorry. What were you saying… huh?”

Rubbing his eyes, the young man looked outside and was surprised by the evening glow.

“So, I was proposing a collaboration between our monastery’s herb garden and you. With the alchemical skills of the nobleman, we could create high-quality medicines from the herbs grown in the monastery and become wealthy! Though there’s also the teaching of Saint Mirgal: ‘Do not yield to greed,’ but what good is that when faced with starvation? Throughout history, churches have often engaged in usury or operated large farms, so Saint Mirgal’s teachings were ultimately useless.

Well, what can you expect from someone who sold his wife and children just to watch Abigail’s performance?”

Ignoring the young man’s muttering, Lisa continued smoothly.

“…Sister. It wasn’t noon just a moment ago…”

As they passed by something lying on the road, causing a squelching sound, it seemed like a beast or an Ailene’s corpse. Of course, it could also have been a person.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Lisa smiled at the young man. It was not cheerful or cute but rather a charming smile, seemingly influenced by the magic of the evening sunset.

“About what…”

“Everything will be fine. There’s a verse in the Bible that goes, ‘To those who are troubled, the Lord will show the way.’ So, relax and focus on driving.”

The young man, following Lisa’s advice, closed his mouth and tried to focus on driving.

Figures resembling humans appeared in the corner of the young man’s vision and then disappeared. Something protruded its neck through what looked like eye sockets carved out of the window, peering at the van. A motorcycle passed by on the opposite lane, its driver possessing a head that was a fusion of machine and partially a mouse’s.

“Really, it seems the people of Libre have no interest in our monastery. Even if the donations were sufficient, I wouldn’t have proposed something that might trouble the noble family. Churches serving Prada receive ample donations, so why are there so few people willing to sponsor our monastery?

Struggling to survive by selling cheap herbs, oh, I wish they were all crucified on the cross. It would be quite a sight to see them hanging on the cross singing hymns, wouldn’t it?”

Lisa spat out insults towards the villagers of Libre as if nothing had happened.

“Do you know? Prada loves means that can slowly and painfully kill, like crosses or thorns. It seems like they want to make one drink their black holy blood before dying, turning them into eternal disciples. Wouldn’t it be better to torture with simpler tools like a stake or a whip before death? They’d probably die slower than on a cross or thorns. Well, I do prefer crosses and thorns myself.

Cruel yet boldly displayed by the roadside, right? The Bible even says, ‘Karen left a mark that shook the hearts of those who doubted the gospel.’”

It was a shocking statement. The name Prada, the Lazarus Gospel she had been quoting, and the Saint Mirgal were all unfamiliar to him.

A sharp sound, possibly resembling a child’s scream, pierced the young man’s ears as a bag filled with water seemed to burst from a high place. Black figures, hunched over in the overgrown garden, gazed at the van.

“Judging by your expression, maybe it’s best to stop this conversation. It’s not good for your mental health.”

The young man’s hands on the wheel began to tremble.

“Thank you… May you be blessed in your warm kindness.”

Satisfied with the forced response, Lisa kindly replied to the young man.

“May there be twice the blessings in your mercy.”

Sharp teeth. Intensely packed fierceness.

Unnaturally, the front door of a house, tightly closed until the van approached, slowly opened. Though the young man didn’t get a clear view of what crawled out of the door, he saw enough protruding arms to realize it wasn’t just one or two.

“Noble sir? Noble sir? Respond, Hangmo Shangrila.”

Lisa clapped her hands in front of the young man’s eyes.

“You should focus on driving. Accidents happen when you don’t.”

“…That was close. I’ll be careful.”

The young man, despite thinking it pointless to focus on driving in such a situation, felt the need for something to concentrate on, gripping the wheel with trembling hands.

The evening faded away. It was now a pitch-black night.

In the midst of the star-studded night sky, a giant, blue mechanical heart pulsed, while veins embedded in the night sky twisted, creating a grotesque and eerie spectacle.

The pulsating heart pumped blood through the veins, sending it to every corner of the night sky, where the bluish flow of blood could be seen through translucent vessels. Through tiny holes in the veins, the blood of the night sky trickled out, seeping into the ground.

Within this vast circulatory system of the night sky, there were fervent devotees. The machine Elenises, who prayed fiercely while howling eerily towards the heart, were those devotees.

Human-like beings, some so drastically altered that it was almost doubtful they had ever been human, were each praying for their sustenance to the heart that provided them with food through appendages resembling hands and arms.

While some were sucking up blood oozing from veins and falling to the ground, they discreetly prayed to the heart to prove that their faith was not enslaved by material desires.

And a new sign.

Sathla Manse

This sign was illuminated from the ground, visible even in the dark night.

The young man did not attempt to gaze at the night sky and its eerie beauty. He focused solely on the straight road ahead, as if denying the existence of such things.

“Raja wailed at the sight of the sea.”

Raja began memorizing a verse from a Bible he had never read before, one that was even questionable in its existence.

“All others but me are buried beneath the earth.”

“The sea creatures, burying them in the sandy seawater, preventing them from walking again.”

“They said their hearts were torn with anger and sorrow.”

“At this, the Almighty One spoke to Raja, borrowing the appearance of a seabird,”

“You, people of Amon Island, have committed blasphemy against me,”

“The sea creatures shall be your just punishment,”

“But even if I am a sinner, I will not forsake you; I will show mercy to them,”

“You shall become a witness to the dawn of a new era of hope.”

“As the Almighty One’s words came true, trees sprouted from the land buried in seawater,”

“The trees exuded the scent of fresh grass and bore luscious red fruits,”

“The birds chirped and gathered on the trees, while Raja knelt, calling upon the name of the Almighty One in worship,”

“And he thanked the Almighty One who had shown him miracles.”

Lisa, with a sharp toothy grin, stopped reciting the verses as she looked at the young man.

The young man remained silent.

“Oh, how about a tarot reading? I’m quite good at it.”

Lisa, without any context, threw the question at the young man, who was half-engrossed in driving, focusing on the road due to fear.

She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a bundle of tarot cards bound with a rubber band. Unlike the elegant patterns typical of tarot cards, these cards featured three pairs of wings and a blue heart with a halo floating above the head.

On the heart, an object resembling gears and chains was embedded, much like a heart suspended in the night sky.

‘No, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t.’

A completely different sound escaped the young man’s lips.

“It’s a tarot reading. There are many tarot readers among the Amehains. I’ve never visited one, but I’d like to try it this time.”

“My tarot readings are different from those used by Amehain swindlers or clueless fools. I’ve removed some of the black cards from the regular tarot deck and replaced them with original cards I created. Thanks to that, the accuracy of the readings has significantly increased!”

Lisa untied the rubber band, placed it on the seat, and began shuffling the tarot deck.

“Reading fortunes is a sacred duty that binds the fate of nobles! Now, the first card of destiny is…”

Lisa drew the top card from the tarot deck, examined it, and showed it to the young man.

Suddenly, the young man was no longer concerned about driving. With his hands on the wheel and feet on the pedals, he stared at Lisa in the passenger seat.

“The first card is ‘Judgment’! Excellent, a good omen.”

The card Lisa showed depicted a flood of punishment.

The young man didn’t know the meaning of Lisa’s version of the ‘Judgment’ card, but even if he did, he thought it wouldn’t be of any help.

The tarot reader was none other than Sister Lisa Plague. She had a name similar in pronunciation to the word “plague,” signifying an epidemic.

If Lisa had said it was just like an ordinary tarot reading, the young man would have collapsed from cardiac arrest.

“The second card is the ‘Hanged Man’! For a nobleman, it might be more accurate to call it the ‘Hanged Girl.’ Ahahaha…”

Lisa smiled as she showed the card depicting a man dying in agony. It was not a lively, cute, or charming smile.

The nun mocked the young man.

“The final card is the ‘Empress’! Ah… Ahahaha…. You are the embodiment of it.”

The drawing on this card was relatively ordinary. A girl with white skin wearing a white dress adorned with frills sat on a magnificent chair fit for a king, holding a scepter in one hand.

On top of the golden chair were decorations. Transparent crystals and metal wings adorned with suffering figures writhing in agony. Men and women, old and young, rich and poor, all struggling to escape their torment.

The girl’s skin was a sickly white color, akin to poisonous mushrooms. Her eyes were a deep crimson, darker than those of a vampire.

A pair of wings, resembling insect wings, spread out on her back. These wings shimmered with a beautiful rainbow hue, but instead of beauty, they only exuded eeriness and repulsiveness to the young man.

The decorations on the chair’s canopy were delicate. Clear crystals and metallic wings embellished with gold.

The young man somehow thought the canopy’s decoration resembled vials, and he felt that the girl staring straight ahead with a cold expression somehow resembled his mother.

“It’s intriguing, but the outcome didn’t turn out right. I guess I’ll have to draw one more card.”

“Don’t draw!”

The young man pulled out a gun and aimed it at Lisa.

He thought that if Lisa drew the final card, he could never return to the world he knew.

It was a world filled with death and suffering but still governed by the laws of normal reality.

However, it was too late.

“If you draw it, I’ll shoot! Stop right now!”

“Aren’t you curious?”

Even with the gun pointed at her, Lisa did not flinch at all.

“Whether you die for what you stand for, how many innocent lives you drag into that death.

It’s okay to give up. It’s okay to achieve a flawless victory. It’s okay to whine alone, to be scorned by your comrades! It’s okay if the whole world condemns you, from saints to sinners!

As long as your path is filled with death, it doesn’t matter!

Oh, I wonder how many innocent bodies will pile up behind you under the name of your veiled destiny!”

Lisa, or rather its yellow eyes, flickered with what seemed like madness and obsession that had accompanied it throughout its lifetime.

It was natural. It had long since rotted to the bone, spreading blood and entrails on the path of human history in the name of the Almighty, the Master of All Things, Satra, or its own name.

Or while chanting your name.

“Aaargh!”

Finally losing all reason, the young man pulled the trigger towards it.

….

….

….

“No… No….”

The gun did not fire.

The young man dropped the gun, trembling, where the handle was.

It casually drew another card and showed it to the young man.

“‘Rest.’”

With an incredibly gentle voice, it bestowed upon the young man.

There was nothing drawn on the card.

It was pure, untouched white. Easily dirtied but forever remaining pure on the other side where no contaminating presence existed.

That white side was paradise. The paradise promised by Saint Karen to everyone.

“And so, I will pause my task and seek rest. The paradise of peace belongs to you all.

Following a biblical verse, the words that came out of Lisa’s mouth were answers the youth had never expected.

“A new friend will come.”

“….”

“Yes, a new friend.”

“….”

“Lord Noble? Lord Noble? Respond, Hangmo Shangrila.”

Even though it wasn’t a situation where tension should ease, somehow the tension of the youth eased.

“Friend… a friend… is it?”

“Yes! Lord Noble will make good friends in Libra. Of course, I’m included in those friends!”

Lisa said with a smile. It was the same smile that Lisa used before the youth went mad uncontrollably.

“New friends are difficult to handle… to put it bluntly, they are quite eccentric individuals, but Lord Noble will like them. Trust me!

Doesn’t hardship bring wonderful encounters? But before welcoming friends, there is one thing that needs to be resolved…”

Lisa took off the gloves she had on both hands. The youth stared blankly at the sight.

Even when the youth saw Lisa’s blue fingers, a combination of flesh and machine, he wasn’t surprised.

“It won’t hurt much. It’s just restoring abnormalities to normal, so you can relax. It really doesn’t hurt, you know?”

Above Lisa’s head, a glowing halo emitted a blue light.

Along with wings on her back, it was the mark of Elenis, proving that she had reached a higher level.

“Really…?”

The youth struggled to speak. It was the last words the youth uttered.

“No, it’s a lie.”

Though he felt pain as Lisa’s right hand pierced his heart, the youth did not scream. Everything seemed to unfold as if it were happening on the other side.

Through eyes clouded by flowing blood from deep within his body, the last thing the youth saw was not the mechanical Elenis twitching in the van window housing ruins, nor Lisa laughing maniacally while rummaging through his insides.

What the youth last saw was a tall girl standing behind him, wearing a fluttering white dress.

“······.”

The youth reached out to the girl as if she alone could save him from this merciless madness.

In response to the youth’s struggling, the girl, with crimson hair cascading down to the middle of his back, turned towards him, gently walking closer.

“….”

Silently, the girl gazed into the youth’s face with red eyes, caressing his cheek. Despite being close to 190 cm tall, the girl, also quite tall for a female, could reach the youth’s cheek with just a slight extension of her arm.

The youth noticed how sharp the red nails attached to the girl’s hand that caressed his cheek were.

A weak, tearful word escaped the youth’s lips.

“Fairy… princess….”

As if the words were a signal, the girl stopped caressing and firmly grasped the youth’s head with both hands, pulling upward. With a chilling sound of flesh tearing and bones separating,

the girl swiftly pulled the youth’s head off. She looked at the severed head with a cold expression. A massive amount of blood spurted from the neck where the head had been.

“Will you go with me? Yes?”

The fairy princess spoke in a cold tone devoid of emotion to the now voiceless youth

(Youth? Isn’t she a girl?)

in a language he had never heard before.

“Will you go with me until the end? For the peace and harmony of all. For a beautiful and noble world.”

The voiceless youth couldn’t respond. He merely weakly moved his lips.

It didn’t seem to matter anymore.

Because the youth was no longer himself. His carefully constructed identity of twenty-three years was collapsing.”

Screaming in agony, the young man closed his eyes for the last time, facing the crimson gaze of the fairy princess who silently watched him.