Hakushaku to Yousei - Volume 6 - Chapter 6

P. 193
    In order to rescue a human who was exchanged by a fairy or taken away, there were numerous ways that were passed down from long ago.
    There was a precise method and methods that didn’t have that much effect. There were times when they would work, and times when they fail and you would lose that person for eternity.
    However, from the past, there were a number of instances where one would somehow manage to enter into the dwellings of the fairy and try to retrieve their precious someone. 
    It was dangerous, but for a human who didn’t have any magic or any powers to use to fight against fairies, they could only decide on bringing back that someone for sure and act accordingly.
    The law of the fairy world, for some odd reason, there was one thing it couldn’t break, the strong bond between a person and person.
    Lydia dazed in wonder why that was so. 
    Maybe it was because it was something that didn’t exist between fairies.

P. 194
    She wondered if that was somehow connected to why they would go and try to steal people’s babies.


    The further they went into the depths of the limestone cave, the wider it became. 
    Lydia kept on going deeper with Kelpie as she grew nervous at the thought that beyond here was the sleeping grounds of the Wyrm.
    Lydia was thinking about finding Lota and Martha’s baby and to rip apart the Wyrm’s wild rose over and over again in her mind. Because that was the only method. 
    For some reason, Lydia stopped her pace.
    “Hey, do you hear something?”
    “What?”
    “…….A musical tune, it’s Lota’s ocarina!”
    Lydia ran into the direction of where the music was coming from. 
    “Hey, wait now, what are you going to do if the Wyrm is near Lota’s side!”
    Not paying heed to Kelpie’s warning, she went into and beyond a temple like place that had a row of stone pillars next to each other. 
    She spotted Lota who was sitting on top of a huge stone and playing her ocarina, but right next to her, there was a tall, enormous wall covered in scales. 
    It wasn’t a wall, but the side of the Wyrm’s stomach. Its head had passed by this space and must be resting in the depths of this cave so she couldn’t see it, and then Lydia was pulled by Kelpie and hid behind in the shadows of one of the pillars.

P. 195
    From there, she peeked out to check on Lota. She tossed a small rock so Lota would notice her. 
    Lota found them and stopped playing her ocarina, and checked on how the Wyrm was doing, and it seemed like it was fast asleep as its body didn’t move at all. 
    Lota slowly stood up and walked over towards Lydia’s direction. However, there was a shackle and chain tied onto Lota’s ankle.
    “Lota, that chain….”
    “Ah, yeah, it said that a human who just came to this kind of place might try to escape. It said that eventually it was going to take it off of me.”
    That was because after some time had passed and the human was influenced by the fairy’s magic, it would be more difficult to return to the human world. 
    “You better get out of here before that wakes up. It ordered me to sing some song and when I played this ocarina, it went to sleep immediately, but it said I have to prepare a meal by the time it wakes up. It looks like I have to smash rocks apart. But it should be the one to do that.”
    It seemed like Lota was already quite tired of this.
    “Pino had come. He’s going to get Betty out. That’s why we’re here to rescue you.”
    “It’s the Wyrm’s chain. It won’t be easy to cut it off,” said Kelpie. 
    “It’s all right. If I cut the wild rose, then the power that is making the changeling people stay here will disappear. Then this chain won’t be of any use.”

P. 196
    “Wild rose?” asked Lota.
    “Somewhere in this nest, there should be a wild rose that the Wyrm is growing.”
    “Is that something really precious to it? Then, I was told not to go into that forest over there, but I don’t know where that would be.”
    “Forest? I wonder if there’s some place where trees are going.”
    Anyhow, Lydia thought that she needed to go and search for it. 
     “Lota, I need to ask you to bear this just a while more. And also, think about the people who are most precious to you. You have to strongly wish that your returning for those people’s sake.”
    “Got it, but Lydia, are you going to be all right?”
    She looked at her with worried eyes, that she jolted her.
    “Y-yes. Since this is my job.”
    “Who are you thinking about?”
    “Eh?”
    “In order to return home from here.”
    For an instant, Edgar might have come to her mind.
    “…..About my father.”

P. 197
    “I see.”
    However, to think about her father was too natural for her. The two of them understood each other too much, so it was too weak of a bond to tie her to the human world. 
    But still, the reason that Lydia was able to view the human world even a little likeable was because her father was there and it was the world her mother chose.
    There most likely wasn’t any attachment for her right now that could replace that. 
    “You know, I might want to go and meet my grandpa,” said Lota as she was thinking that over. 
    “I’m not the type to be a princess, and I thought I didn’t care about my birth. And that what I had built up with the captain who raised me and the people around me was the most important thing to me. But, when I heard that my grandpa hadn’t given up and continued to search for me, then I realized it. I want to find out more about myself, and I want to hear about my parents. I want to meet my grandpa who hadn’t forgotten about me.”
    “You can meet him, most definitely. That kind of feeling is what will draw away the deluding power of the fairies.”
    Lota nodded strongly and she gripped Lydia’s hand.
    They hadn’t noticed it, but the snoring of the Wyrm that had been vibrating the air around them had stopped.
    Lydia turned her head nervously. 
     “Hey, Lydia, the Wyrm has-“

P. 198
    Kelpie peered up. When they were looked down by two large eyes from near the limestone cave ceiling, the shadow of the pillar they were hiding was in open view. 
    (Who are you two. I won’t forgive you for entering into my palace without my knowledge.)
    “Run.”
    Lydia’s arm was pulled.
    “Lydia, watch out!”
    At the same moment Lota yelled out, there was something that came swinging into their direction. It seemed like the Wyrm had swung its tail.
    If Kelpie didn’t scoop Lydia up into his arms and swiftly jump to evade it, she was sure to be smashed against the stone pillar. 
    “Damn.”
    Kelpie tutted because the passageway that they turned back to try and enter was blocked by the Wyrm’s body that was like a tall wall.
    “Over here, Lydia!”
    There was a voice that came from another direction.
    It was Edgar. Why was he here?
    Still not figuring out why, Lydia ran into the tall splitting hole that she saw him in.
    In the second Kelpie and her had slipped into the crack of the stone, the Wyrm’s body that slammed against the stone, making the area around them shake.

P. 199
    But still, the giant stone didn’t crumble.
    The Wyrm tried to stick one of its claws into the crack. However, it seemed like there was nothing it could do, so it gave up and must have gone away, as it fell silent. 
    Breathing in relief, Lydia turned around. There was Edgar, and Raven and Ermine.
    Then, she was embraced by Edgar.
    “Thank god I made it.”
    He set both hands to turn her head up and he looked down at her. 
    “Are you hurt anywhere?”
    At times like these, Edgar treated her naturally like his fiancée. It was much too natural that it made Lydia feel like she was wrong for feeling that this was awkward, so it was quite troublesome. 
    Even as she was taken aback, Lydia pushed out both arms and managed to separate from him.
    “I heard the story from Nico. If you would have told me at the start, then I wouldn’t have let you gone by yourself.”
    “She’s not alone. You can see I was with her.”
    Completely ignoring the existence of Kelpie, Edgar kept on talking as he gradually pressing Lydia more and more near the wall.

P. 200
    “I know why. You were thinking that even if I came along, there was nothing I could do about fairies, right? But, I have to tell you, I have the responsibility in protecting you. Saying you didn’t know isn’t going to forgive you.”
    “…..But I”
    He must have sensed Lydia wanted to say, I am not your real fiancée.
    “I have the responsibility as your employer. More so since its trouble happening on my lands.”
    “….I’m sorry. It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. I just came so that I could some information and then……”
    But if she were to show even just a little honest part of herself, Edgar would take advantage and get elated. And sure enough, he touched Lydia’s hair with his hand like a lover would do and narrowed his ash mauve eyes in a longing way.
    “It’s all right, as long as you were safe. Because the thing I fear the most would be not being able to touch you like this again.”
    Ermine and Raven were with them, and yet why on earth was he able to do something so embarrassing like this.
    However the two of them were waiting so calmly like this was natural. Only Kelpie was making a unruly face and kicked the wall.
    “More importantly, I found Betty. I think Pino will be able to lead her out. What’s left is Lota who made herself the replacement of Betty and if I could find Martha’s baby….”
    “The problem is how we are going to rescue them, right.”

P. 201
    Lydia’s heart was already decided. However, for Edgar and others to come here was unexpected.
    “Ummm, was it just the three of you who came into here? Where’s Nico?”
    “He should have been with us, but since he was nearly eaten by the dragon, I think he might not want to get any closer.”
    Oh my god, he was nearly eaten.
    Even as she pitied him just a little, she thought it really was heartless of him to throw in the towel during the middle of it.
    More than that, Lydia tried to think about any points in her plan that she needed to change. Even if she broke the Wyrm’s wild rose, there was no harmful effects on the other fairies. Ermine and Kelpie were fine. Edgar and Raven were living human beings so there wasn’t going to be any magic to influence them, so as long as they headed to the sea, they should be able to get out of the cave. 
    She had to believe that Betty would be brought out by Pino. 
    As for Lydia, she didn’t know what would happen, but the wild rose shouldn’t be able to be seen by a regular human and a fairy wasn’t even able to touch it with their hands. So she was the only one who could do it. 
    “Anyhow, we should get outside once. We should calm down and then try to think of a way to rescue out the two of them.”
    At Edgar’s suggestion, however, Lydia shook her head strongly to the sides. 
    “I can’t, there is only one method. I’m going as I am.”

P. 202
    “But, Lydia,”
    “So all of you go home.”
    Edgar reacted like he was dumbfounded.
    Kelpie laughed.
    “Earl, even if it was a skirt-chaser like you, it seems like it isn’t that easy for you to make her do as you want.”
    “I just don’t want to put Lydia in a dangerous situation.”
    “I’m saying that’s useless. Now as for me, I’ll go along with her selfishness. She keeps saying tiring things like to button her up and don’t touch my breasts, but that is nothing. I’m willing to enter a Wyrm’s nest with her.”
    Hey, Kelpie-!
    “Button? Breast?”
    Just as she feared, Edgar reacted to that part.
    “You did something fowl to my fiancée? You forced yourself on her when she fought back,”
    No, there was no such thing.
    “If that’s true, then I have the right to kill you.”
    Edgar stepped near Kelpie.
    “Even though you can’t even kill me?”

P. 203
    “Stop it already!”
    Lydia broke into the middle of them.
     “Lydia, this is a problem about our honor.”
    “It’s not like that!”
    “Lord Edgar, the dragon has appeared again,” spoke up Raven.
    In the wide open space beyond the crack opening, everyone felt the vibration of the Wyrm as it crawled on its stomach, making them all nervous.
    “This is bad,” murmured Kelpie.
    “Hey, hurry and run. I sense fire. The Wyrm’s going to breathe fire!”
    Edgar grabbed Lydia’s arm and bolted into a run.
    All of them at once ran into the depths, and from behind, Lydia heard the strange sound of regurgitation and an extreme melting hot temperature and turned around.
    In the distance it was strangely red and so bright.
    Kelpie stopped behind them.
    “I’ll stop it so hurry up and go!”
    “B-but, if it’s the Wyrm’s fire, you’ll be in danger.”

P. 204
    Lydia tried to stop from running, but Edgar didn’t allow her. 
    “Kelpie, I won’t make your sacrifice a waste.”
    He left with that line which could be hear like a joke and tried to go. 
    “Huh? If it turns really dangerous, I’m going to bolt out of here! That’s why until then, I’m saying you better hurry up and get somewhere far away!”
    And then, perhaps in order to calm Lydia down as she kept on turning her head back to see him repeatedly, he carelessly said,
    “Lydia, we’re going to hurry up and get this over, and then the two of us are going to go live in the Highlands. Don’t forget. No, even if you forget, I’m going to slay you there!”
    Hearing that voice from behind her back, they went along the path that curved to the side, and then Lydia couldn’t see the sight of Kelpie anymore.
    With that pace, she kept running with Edgar through the complicated twisting paths.
    When they decided that they were far from the dangers of the fire, they finally stopped. Lydia was already out of breath, and so she couldn’t speak up for a while.
     Raven and Ermine said they were going to inspect on the area near the village and after saying that they left, and Edgar still had his hand on Lydia’s hand as she was catching her breath and spoke to her like he was pressing her for an answer.
    "You will tell me what the meaning of that is.”
    She couldn’t understand what he meant immediately.
    “That horse said living with you in the Highlands.”

P. 205
    “That’s…..”
    She couldn’t tell him that she might come to forget about everything.
    Because that would be like she was coming up with an indefinite parting.
    She was confused at herself for feeling afraid of that, and it nearly made her cry so Lydia lowered her eyes.
    Edgar seemed to not know what to do at how Lydia acted, and stroked her hair as if to calm her down.
    “Uh, it isn’t like I’m trying to blame you. Don’t worry, whatever happens, my feelings won’t change.”
    Those were his usual suave lines. But, if she was told something like that, she couldn’t tell him even more.
    “It’s true, don’t you believe me? Even if that Kelpie had forced himself on you, that kind of thing won’t become a hindrance to our marriage.”
    Huh?
    “What are you….”
    “Just because you were nearly attacked by Kelpie, it doesn’t mean you have to think of yourself as impure.”
    Hold on just a moment, what is he talking about?
    “I was not attacked!”

P. 206
    “I know. You are the type that won’t even allow me as your fiancé to kiss you, so even if it was something small, it makes you feel like you were unfaithful, right? But if something like that would make you marry Kelpie, then how I treated you like a gentleman would make me look like an idiot.”
    He doesn’t understand at all, does he.
    And, like a gentleman, he says? How did he?
    “I said you’re wrong! About the buttons, I just had him give me a hand in buttoning me up. That’s, well, because he’s a fairy and not a male human. The rest is, just an accident, when we both fell down…, that’s all that is!”
    He looked down into Lydia’s eyes as if to make sure. 
    “Really? Then, you don’t feel hurt at anything.”
    “Would you stop guessing at every possible ulterior motive.”
    Even though Lydia was so embarrassed and irritated, making her bright red, Edgar pulled her shoulders into his arms like he was relieved from the bottom of his heart.
    He didn’t let her go that easily, and when Lydia wiggled around to express her displeasure, his hand touched a button on her back.
    Suddenly, Lydia grew tense and went completely frozen.
    Even if she was all right with Kelpie, she didn’t know why Edgar’s hand touching even one button made it feel like having a meaning.
    “Well, yes, even if he is a fairy or horse, he still is a male, so it’s best you become more precautious. That’s why, next time, I’ll give you a hand, whenever you want to undress.”

P. 207
    Just when she thought he was seriously worried about her, he would go joke around. 
    “I don’t need it!”
    She put strength in both her arms and pushed Edgar away.
    “Besides, you said that you would give up.”
    But there’s still time remaining. And to give up, is only when you said no. I want you to think hard if you really need me or not and then make an answer.”
    And then, it would turn into a serious conversation.
    When he made a serious expression and if she haphazardly rejected him as usual, she felt that then, he might really lost interest in her. 
    He won’t try to touch me like his lover not ever again?
    That should be fine. Then I could live my life in peace.
    Am I all right with that?
    But this kind of promise, I can’t figure out if he’s serious or not. 
    That doesn’t matter. Lydia should make a reply just as her heart tells her. 
    “…..I understand.”
    “Now then, let’s return to the subject. It isn’t like you were treated unfairly by Kelpie, which means, why would he say something like that?”

P. 208
    Oh, why couldn’t he just let it go.
    Even though Edgar would smartly put things in the dark when it was something unpleasant for him, but he would press Lydia for an answer till the very end. 
    However, in this case, there wasn’t any time to be pressed for answers. 
    Because they heard the howling cry that echoed throughout the cave.
    Just then, the ground started to rumble again.
    It was a violent earthquake that couldn’t be put into comparison with the vibration when the Wyrm moved.
    She saw that Raven and Ermine were hurrying to come back to them, but Lydia wasn’t able to stand up straight and clung onto a near-by stone pillar. 
    “Lydia, get away from there!”
    When she shot her eyes up at Edgar’s voice, she saw that the pillar that had a long crack in it was just about to topple over. 
    She tried to grab his hand that he reached out to her, but she was a little short of reach.
    A large crater started to open up beneath Edgar’s feet. She saw that Raven save him by practically falling down onto the ground with him, but the crater that rapidly opened wide started to head towards Lydia’s direction. 
    Lydia’s arm was grabbed and she was pulled away from the pillar.
    “Ermine….”

P. 209
    “Please jump to the other side!”
    During the time Lydia was fumbling around, she used all her strength and pushed Lydia out.
    When Lydia looked back, the place that she was just standing was about to crumble and take Ermine down with it.
    “Ermine!”
    Lydia yelled out to her, but there was nothing she could do. As she evaded the rocks that came crashing down, she was pulled into an opening in the rocky wall and was barely able to push their two bodies to fit in.
    Even if the shaking stopped, Lydia’s body couldn’t stop trembling. 
    Edgar stood up and peered down into the deep ravine cliff that was suddenly made.
    He called Ermine’s name a number of times, but there was no answer, and only Edgar’s voice echoed against the wall here and there. 
     “I shall go down and inspect,” offered Raven.
    “It’s dangerous. There might be another earthquake again like just now.”
    This wasn’t the time to shake, thought Lydia and pulled her strength together to stand up. 
    I have to go search for the Wyrm’s wild rose.
    That should also be useful in helping Ermine as well.
    She thought about calling Edgar, but she stopped herself.

P. 210
    He surely must not want to leave this place, and if she had to do it on her own either way, then she just had to go on her own.
    Lydia quietly stepped back and moved away from the two who were looking down at the bottom of the ravine. Her turned her heels and walked off in the direction that seemed the most not to have been affected by the quake. 
    The quake just now was of course made by the Wyrm. And it seems like it had targeted the area that Lydia and the others had run into. 
    To go against tiny humans and launch an attack even after it lost sight of them, must mean it was guarding something.
    Most likely, the place where the wild rose was is close. 
    The hint was forest. Normally, forest should mean a group of trees.
    Lydia kept on walking as she thought about that. 
    However, her shoulder was grabbed ahold of out-of-the-blue.
    “Where do you think on going by yourself?”
    Edgar pulled Lydia to him with a furious expression.
    “And you wouldn’t stop even if I called for you.”
    She must have been thinking about the roses so hard and she couldn’t hear him at all. 
    She wasn’t able to make herself look at him, and so Lydia lowered her head. She had felt guilty for causing Ermine to fall down, and she thought that Edgar’s slightly bad mood was because he was depressed.

P. 211
    That’s why Lydia could do what she could only do.
    “I’m going to go look for the Wyrm’s wild rose.”
    Edgar couldn’t understand what she was saying and tilted his head.
    “I was planning on doing that from the start. If I do, then the magic that had built up in the Wyrm’s nest will flow out. The changeling baby and Lota would be released, and although it would be momentary, the Wyrm’s power would be weakened, so if there is no danger, wouldn’t you be able to go rescue Ermine? If it’s to search for something, then the dobie would even lend you their hand.”
    “All right. Then I’m coming too.”
    “I’ll go by myself.”
    “No, you can’t. I had left Raven to take care of that place, and I can’t let you go by yourself.”
    He smiled at her as if to try and kindly talk her into it. 
    He looked at her with such serious eyes, that whoever saw them would think that there was no mistake in that he was in lover with Lydia.
    But, the one he loved wasn’t Lydia. He might not have realized that she wasn’t the one himself. 

P. 212
    Yes, Edgar might not have realized it himself. He might be locking up who it was he really cared for and even tricking himself.
    “Because I am your fiancée? Are you thinking that you have the responsibility of staying by my side and protecting me? That’s idiotic.”
    “I’m worried. If something were to happen to you, I couldn’t stand it.”
    Even now, he should be filled with worry about her that he could hardly bare.
    “It should have been me who fell.”
    Lydia couldn’t hold it back and spilled that out of herself. 
    “What are you saying. You know it isn’t your fault.”
    “But, if she didn’t save me then she wouldn’t have fell.”
    It was a pointless thing to say now. Edgar must be thinking that. He let out a sigh like he found that a little absurd.
    “If it were you, you definitely wouldn’t have survived. But with Ermine, there’s still hope.”
    “That’s not what I meant.”
    “Then, what do you mean.”
    That would have been the better outcome for Edgar.
    But that itself was something that was pointless to say. Lydia stayed silent and started to walk off. 
    Edgar followed after her.

P. 213
    “It’s useless even if you follow me. And besides, it might just be that I won’t be able to return to London, so you should just give up now.”
    She was thinking that I want to alone. Lydia was feeling negligent.
    “Is that perhaps, what is related to what Kelpie was saying?”
    “……………”
    “So it is related.”
    He suddenly rushed up in front of her and stood in her way which nearly made Lydia bump into him.
    He took that flow and embraced her so that she couldn’t escape from him. 
    “If you don’t tell me straight, I’m going to kiss you.”
    What kind of threat is that?
    She found that absurd, but if both her arms were bound by him and she couldn’t move even if she put all her strength into them, and he moved in his body like he was chaining her down, and she didn’t only fear the kiss but something more dangerous, and rushed to open her mouth.
    “I-It’s because I might be a changeling!”
    “Why is that related?”
    “If I break the fairy’s wild rose, then all the magic casted on the things around it will be undone. That’s why the captured changeling will be pushed back out into the human world, but in return, fairies who were made to look like humans will return to their fairy form. ….If I am a changeling, then I’ll return to a fairy and forget about everything when I was a human.”

P. 214
    When she let that all out at once, Edgar grew suddenly quiet and looked like he was holding back anger.
    However, he stroked Lydia’s cheek and then her hair in a gentle way like never before.
    “Keeping something so important like that from me, how awful of you to try and go by yourself. Is it because I know nothing about fairies? Is it because I’m just the Blue Knight Earl in name only?”
    “Th-that’s not it….”
    “Then, you couldn’t say that because it would be too painful for you to separate from me if something were to happen?”
    “Eh.”
    This man’s vanity isn’t normal.
    She decided to forget about how she thought that it might be a little bit painful. 
    “Even if you become a fairy and even if you forget about everything, I have no intention of giving you to Kelpie.”
    “You are a human. You won’t be able to see me.”
    Like he was making sure that wasn’t so, he cradled Lydia’s face with the palm of his hands. 
    “You are not a changeling. I truly believe that.”
    “Even if I were human, I have a deep trait related to fairies. If I snap the rose, I’ll be thrown into the whirl of the magic. When that happens, I don’t know if I will be able to keep my consciousness enough to take me back to the human world. But, I’m thinking that I wouldn’t mind that.”

P. 215
    “Do you want to become a fairy?”
    I don’t know. If I were a fairy, my feelings wouldn’t get hurt.
    “So that means I could never be the one that binds you to the human world.”
    He said that in such a painful voice, that even Lydia’s heart ached.
    “I don’t know about fairies. And I can’t become someone special to you. But still, if there was something I could do, then it would be to not let to be alone. Please don’t say you don’t even need that. When this is over, let’s go home together.”
    He kissed her on her eyelid, and that wanted to make her cry.
    She managed to fight back her tears, and pulled her body back.
    “We got to go.”
    Edgar nodded and held Lydia’s hand and started to walk. 
    She couldn’t say that she was going to go alone any more.

*

    The ocean water was cold, and it slowly healed Kelpie’s mane and skin that was fanned by the souring heat of the Wyrm’s fire.

P. 216
    For a creature like him that lives in fresh water, it couldn’t be said that salt water was a comfortable environment, but it was much more livable than being on land. 
    Sitting down on the bottom of the sea, Kelpie was silently feeling how the magic was returning to his body.
    When he recovered, he needed to quickly return to where Lydia was. If she were to ripe apart the rose, then who knows what was going to happen.
    As Kelpie was thinking that, he looked over towards the female figure that was lying right next to him.
    That was because she slowly sat herself up.
    “You finally woke up.”
    She looked at Kelpie questioningly, and then she inspected the area around them. She was the female cross-dressed servant of that earl. 
    If he remembered, her name was Ermine.
    “It really is true that you don’t have realized grasped the selkie fairy side of you yet. Your swimming was not good at all, so that’s why you would do something like get knocked out by a rock sinking down on your head like a human would.”
    “This is…..?”
    “The bottom of the sea. I say that, but we’re really near the bottom of the Wyrm’s cave, really.”
    “Why are you here?”
    “Why I saved your life. If you went sinking down as you are unconscious, then you would have bolder come piling up onto you.”

P. 217
    She stared at the aggressive fairy water horse suspiciously.
    It must have been something instinctual. Kelpies will kill any creature and eat it. They are feared by fairies as well.
    Even if she knew that he was a strange water horse that didn’t see the human girl Lydia as food but with affection, she wasn’t able to believe that she was 
rescued.
    “Why did you help me.”
    “If I said it was to eat you, then would you believe me? If I left you alone, then I thought Lydia would get angry at me. Although if you’re saying that you’ll give me an arm as thanks, I won’t refuse.”
    Because that couldn’t be taken as a joke, Ermine had lost her chance to say her thanks but it seemed Kelpie didn’t mind that at all.
    She tried to stand up but her head still seemed to be dizzy as she sat back down.
    “It’s burning above up. It’s safer to be in the water for a while.”
    “Aren’t the caverns in the sea waters also connected to different places?”
    “If you move around too much, then it’ll be even more difficult for you to return to the earl.”
    Ermine rested her hand on a bolder and carefully tried to stand up once more. 
    “Do you have an idea where the area is right under the center of the village?”

P. 218
    “Why.”
    “There’s no need for me to tell you.”
    “Is that the attitude to ask a question?”
    “Then forget it.”
    Going along the cliff, she wobbled on her way.
    Kelpie thought she was a female much more stubborn than Lydia as he stood up. So she’s only loyal and obedient towards the earl only, huh.
    Or was she….
    Ermine sensed that Kelpie was following her and turned around and frowned.
    “Don’t follow me.”
    “I’m just going to where I want to go.”
    “Then you can go in front of me.”
    “That’s also my freedom of choice.”
    Ermine turned her head away in irritation and started to walk off again, but it was obvious that Kelpie was following after her.
    “Why don’t you go to where Miss Carlton is then? Isn’t it dangerous to get separated from her?”

P. 219
    “Well, there’s something that’s bothering me.”
    “…..What?”
    “It was from quite a far distance away, but I was watching when you fell down. You helped Lydia, and although you had plenty of time to make it, you purposefully took the fall, didn’t you.”
    Ermine kept on walking silently. Kelpie kept on talking as he followed her.
    “You realized that below was the sea, and so did you decide you would be all right? But then for what purpose? You want to go to the center of the village? Even if you weren’t going to go through any danger, it should be fine to tell that to the earl. No, or you can’t allow yourself to let him know? So doesn’t that mean you needed to get separated from the earl and that raven boy without it being suspicious?”
    Ermine suddenly turned around and pointed out a knife at Kelpie.
    “Nothing good comes out of a blabbering mouth.”
    “I won’t die by a human weapon like a selkie.”
    “Don’t take selkies too lightly.”
    “Now don’t so feisty. It’s not like I’m on the side of the earl.”
    She let out a sigh and withdrew her knife and started to walk off again, and it seemed like she gave up on driving Kelpie away.
    She must have thought that it was Kelpie who hated Edgar for forcing Lydia to become engaged with him, so he most likely wouldn’t leak this out.

P. 220
    Ermine would periodically float to the surface and made sure of the surrounding landscape as she pressed on.
    Kelpie didn’t speak up to her anymore and on her part, she was completely ignoring Kelpie’s existence.
    Ermine’s behavior changed near a place where the sea floor steered up and the water was quite shallow, and she had caught the sight of the remains of a small boat. 
    She thoroughly inspected the area around that, but it seemed like she didn’t find the thing she was looking for.
    Just then, she saw the light of a torch on the land surface, and she made a cold, stiff face and silently went around to the shadow of a rock without making any ripples in the water.
    And then, she slipped out onto the rocky shore soundlessly. 
    There was sea water that had entered inside the limestone cave. On its bank, there were two men who apparently were villagers.
    By their feet, there was a dead body lying on the ground. It must have been a dead body they pulled up from the sea, because the body was drenched and as the clothes that had soaked up the sea water was draining back out, there was red blood that was also seeping out, staining the white limestone. 
    Suddenly, Ermine jumped out in front of the two men.
    With the knife in her hand, she stabbed one of the men who was still taken aback. 
    She had completely gone after the heart. She didn’t have any signs of showing mercy.
    The other man tried to hit her with his torch.
    The fire whipped by her face and Ermine flinched and back away. When her foot was caught on the dead body and she lost her balance, the man grinned and swung down the torch.

P. 221
    She knelt down on that spot.
    Even though she’s injured, what a reckless thing to do for a woman, thought Kelpie as he stood and watched.
    Seeing that she wasn’t able to stand up right away, the man who was holding the torch turned his back away from her and tried to escape.
    Kelpie, most likely from just a fling of whim, stood to block the path of the man. 
    He grabbed the man’s head and shoved him back over to Ermine who finally stood up.
    “You’re fine letting this one escape?”
    “No, I’ll have him dead.”
    As she said that, she cut the air with her knife.
    Blood went spraying in the air, and the man slumped down to the ground.
    Ermine didn’t change her expression and checked the fallen man’s clothes and when she took out a reddish stone the size of a closed fist, she slipped that into one of her pockets carefully.
    And completely exhausted, she sat herself down on one of the rocks.
    “If you wanted that, there was no need to kill him.”
    “I don’t want to be told by you.”
    She was crouching down and holding the knife like she was hugging it. The spurt of blood had painted her pale white face, and that kind of made her look even more beautiful.

P. 222
    She must have killed the men because it would be too much trouble if they talked about this. 
    However, that was all Kelpie could understand, and he thought that there was no point in staying here after this.
    The reason she left the earl’s side was in order to get the stone she just retrieved. However, she must have no intentions of telling what it is. 
    Kelpie turned his heels to leave.
    “I won’t cause any trouble to Miss Carlton.”
    I wonder if that’s true.
    However, she must have wanted to say that by telling that to Kelpie, the thing he just saw wasn’t going to be any benefit or disadvantage to him, something completely unrelated to him.

*

    “It’s a forest,” Lydia couldn’t help but mention.
     It was just when they came out into an awfully vast open cavern. In that space, there were a vast number of icicles made of limestone standing next to one another.

P. 223
    Their vast numbers made a white forest, filling up the space and blocking their view. 
    The ceiling was even further up and they were unable to see it because of the smoking vapors.
    “So the wild roses might be somewhere deep in there.”
    Even Edgar made a stunned face as he looked up.
    “It’s sure to be here.”
    Lydia knew it. 
     If the faint sound of the water droplets that dropped from the ceilings overlapped each other, it seemed like they were in the middle of a drizzle.
    The water droplets that soaked up lime dropped to the ground which piled and piled up to make the stone pillar higher and higher. It was a forest that made with the help of nature and took a countless amount of time and Lydia marveled at them with amazement.
    Edgar went walking over to one of the limestone towers that was nearby and knelt down by it. It was a limestone rock tower that was only just barely at the height of a person. 
    “Is something the matter?”
    “Oh, no, it’s just that I thought it looked like a finely-carved statue.”
    Lydia looked to see it and gasped.
    Inside the stone, it looked like there was a baby with its arms and legs curved in mended into it.
    “Th-this is a real baby! This must be Martha’s baby that was put through the changeling.”
    “What? But it looks like the baby is turned to stone.”

P. 224
    “The Wyrm’s magic is casted over it. But, the baby is still warm, means the baby is alive. I have to hurry and save it.”
    Standing up, Edgar made a knitted his brows as he inspected the forest.”
    “Are you saying that perhaps, all of these pillars here are people?”
    “…..I don’t know. The dobie had said that the Wyrm turns people into stone and then eats them, but either way, the older ones that have turned into stones completely cannot be saved anymore.”
    Lydia looked at the stone pillar and made a cross sign with her hand over her chest.
    “So from the old days, the Wyrm had eaten people like this and that’s how it made the freyas.”
    In order to break that evil cycle the Blue Knight Earl of the past had sealed away the Wyrm and saved the villagers, but in return the villagers should have accepted that they were never going to be able to mine for any more precious freyas. And yet-
    “In order to make money, I can’t believe they would sacrifice people again….”
    “It seemed like it wasn’t about making money, but more like it had some kind of different use than that. The mayor had said that it could only be handled by a person who carried the Blue Knight Earl’s blood in them.”
    It was there he stopped his sentence and suddenly changed the subject. 
    “By the way, Lydia, do you know of a way to defeat a dragon?”
    “A Wyrm cannot be defeated. That’s why I am looking for its rose.”
    “But, there are heros who have defeated dragons in stories from long ago. Like St. George, ohh, but that was against a dragon with wings. Anyhow, the old Blue Knight Earl had put the Wyrm to sleep in the past. And I was wondering what kind of method that was.”

P. 225
    The Blue Knight Earl had magical powers. He was able to go back and forth between the fairy realm and human realm and was the lord of the land who governed over the living beings in both worlds. 
     It was most likely, that the one who carried his blood was only able to defeat the Wyrm. Even the dobie had said that.
    However, Edgar was thinking if there was any other method. 
    “Dragons are powerful, enormous and mysterious. But, you know how they say there is always a weakness? Looking at the examples from all times and places, the thing that can defeat a dragon is someone who acquires a special weapon or someone who has found a weak spot.”
    He pulled out his sword from its sheath on his waist belt.
    The merrow’s sword glistened.
    “I have a weapon. It’s a sword that doesn’t stand inferior to fight with a dragon and is a sword that has once defeated the Wyrm before. And yet, even when I use it, I’m not able to cut any fairy. But, what if I find its weak spot? Then even a normal human should be able to defeat it.”
    “How are you going to find its weakness?”
    “That’s the problem, but we have no time.”
    “What?”
    Edgar turned his eyes away to scan the area around them as if he was concerned about something, and then there was a rustling sound like a gust of wind blowing over a grassy field.

P. 226
    A faint quiver was shook the stone forest. Lydia finally realized what it was and swiftly turned around.
    “The Wyrm…..!”
    There was a scale-covered wall so high one had to crane their neck up and they finally saw what was slowly passing by in front of their eyes. It seemed like the two of them were completely surrounded by its long snake-like body.
    “If you had noticed, then you should have let me know earlier!” gasped Lydia.
    “When I noticed, we were already surrounded.”
    Was that why you began talking about defeating a dragon?
    “See, aren’t I left with the only option of defeating it?”
    Don’t ‘See’ me. I’m afraid of snakes.
     It was all right when she still couldn’t see its whole body. However when she took a good look around her now, she could see how this long wriggling creature was crawling, and that made Lydia get goose bumps. 
     Its raised head was looking down at them from a towering high distance. 
    (Who are you? Why do you have that sword?)
    The Wyrm’s voice echoed out, shaking the air around them. 
    “That’s because I’m this sword’s master.”
    (You are not the Blue Knight Earl.)

P. 227

P. 228
    “I am. The one who awakened you is a fake. However now, I will not let that fake do as he pleases. I will have you sealed away once again.”
    Facing the merrow’s sword in front of it, the Wyrm must have become precautious as its ring around them widened.
    “Edgar, let’s escape. While the threat of the sword is still working.”
    However, he gripped onto the sword like he was about to start a sword fight. 
    “Oh, no, I’m going to do this. If I don’t, then I won’t be able to become the real Blue Knight Earl.”
    “What are you saying, in the beginning you wanted just the name….”
    “That’s right, I was the one who gained the name. Because it was me and not him, I will fulfill my duty.”
    “Him?”
    The Wyrm might have sensed the magic in the sword as it kept its glare on the sword and remained still.
    “Ulysses. He carries the blood of the illegitimate child of the Blue Knight Earl.”
    “I-Is that true? ….Then, the reason why his power of controlling fairies wasn’t normal was because it was the power he inherited from the Blue Knight Earl…..”
    Then there was no way a mere fairy doctor could be a match for him. 
    “Even he should have tried to get his hands on the sword. But since he wasn’t able to, Prince must have thought that the Blue Knight Earl’s sword no longer exists. However, this is in my hands. Me, who has no magical powers or any ties with the Ashenbert family.”

P. 229
    “Edgar, behind you!”
    The Wyrm moved its tail. Edgar, who turned around evaded it as he blocked it with his sword.
    The tip of the sword grazed its tail. However, it only clashed with the Wyrm’s hard scale and only made a sound like it was clanged against a stone. 
    The Wyrm must have made sure that Edgar wasn’t able to bring out the power of the sword, so it hunched its body back getting ready to make its next serious strike.
    Its two front legs covered with sharp nails approached the air above them. 
    Together with Lydia, he ran into the stone pillared forest.
    The Wyrm’s front legs crashed down a number of the pillars. 
    When they hid themselves in the shadows of the endless number of pillars, the Wyrm brought its head up high in order to look for the two of their sight from high above. 
    “You keep hiding.”
    Edgar was about to go out once more.
    “It’s impossible, stop it already.”
    “If I defeat that, then you wouldn’t have to break off the rose by your hands anymore, right? Then you won’t have to be put in danger.”
    “You would die.”

P. 230
    Lydia desperately tried to cling on to his arm.
    However, he only turned to look at her and didn’t hesitate in making a smile.
    “I want to make the merrow’s sword mine. It would be too arrogant of me to wish to marry you when I nothing to protect you from fairies or magic, right?”
    “Don’t be stupid, even if you don’t marry me, that wouldn’t trouble you.”
    The Wyrm found them.
    It opened its mouth wide and headed straight for their direction. 
    Lydia and Edgar bolted out in a run.
    However, the stone-pillared forest suddenly ended and a stone wall blocked their path. 
    “There’s a cave opening there!”
    As soon as they dashed in, the Wyrm’s fangs sank into the place they were just at.
    “If I could just find its weakness,” murmured Edgar as he checked outside.
    She looked out to search the Wyrm’s body, but there were no signs of something like that on it.
    Like the Wyrm was trying to crumble down the tunnel that the two of them ran into, it slammed its body against the stone wall and threw around its tail covered in hard scales to crack the bedrock.
    “Is the weakness something that you can see and find?”

P. 231
    The quake was so hard and violent that Lydia had to sit down.
    “The color of the scale might be a different color.”
    Then, she remembered something.
    “That’s it, the freya!”
    “Eh?”
    “The freya that Betty had, was apparently needed in order to awaken that Wyrm. Which means, that it might be somewhere on the Wyrm’s body.”
    I see, said Edgar and started to think up of something.
    “If it was that red, then it should stand out.”
    Inspecting it for the time being, they couldn’t see it anywhere.
    However, it wasn’t going to be that easy to find a red stone the size of a coin from the whole monstrous body of the Wyrm. And its stomach and back was hard to see.
    “Now that I recall, I’ve heard that the Wyrm has the tongue of fire. I thought that was because it blew fire out of its mouth, but maybe, the freya might be on its 
tongue.”
    She just lightly mentioned the possibility, but Edgar gave a deep nod and stood up. 
    “The tongue, huh…. Then, I’ll give it a try.”
    “Wait, what are you going to do if that’s wrong. You’ll be eaten in one gulp.”

P. 232
    “I’ll believe that you’re right.”
    “But-“
    He turned to Lydia and took a lock of her hair and kissed it. 
    “Lydia, I truly do wish to marry you. This is a test for that, so I have to go.”
    So to Edgar, this was a test he set for himself.
    To Lydia, she didn’t know if him winning against the Wyrm could be counted as proof of his love. She just thought that it was a man’s logic.
    But, Lydia could understand that he was trying to change himself for Lydia’s sake who had an ability different from humans.
    His wish was to be able to use the merrow’s sword so that he wouldn’t take advantage of Lydia’s ability, and truly protect her.
    Before she knew it, Lydia had thrown her arms around his neck.
    She stood on the tip of her toes and pressed her lips lightly against his cheek.
    As she scrambled to back away from him, she was surprised at herself and turned red in the cheeks, but managed to say,
    “…….Don’t die.”
    “…….Thanks.”

P. 233
    He didn’t make a joke at her or got carried away, and only said that word because, he himself, was extremely surprised.
    Edgar exited out of the cave in the wall out into the space where the Wyrm was thrashing around.
    The Wyrm who noticed, took precaution as it stopped its violent behavior. 
    Oh, no. Is the tongue really the weakness?
    She was so scared she couldn’t watch.
    Lydia nearly took her eyes completely off, when she noticed something shining near the top of the cave she was in. 
    She squinted her eyes. It was a faint green color and looked liked some kind of bud of grass.
    A plant?
    Wait, is that, the rose?
    She made a quick glance over towards Edgar. The Wyrm was standing up, ready to make a strike any second.
    If she could tear the rose, then the Wyrm’s magic would be weakened. It’s movements should slow down and that should be of help to Edgar. 
    When Lydia came to that idea, she raced over towards the stone wall. 
    She rolled up her skirt and tied it in place and set her foot on a rock that was sticking out. As she kept on sliding and nearly falling, she slowly climbed upwards.
    She desperately reached her hand out towards the rose bud that had spread its thin roots out through the cracks of the rocks.

P. 234
    This wasn’t the time to care about the spiky thorns, and so just when she was about to reach it, her foot lost its grip and Lydia went rapidly tumbling down.