Chapter 21

Vol . 13 Ch . 21

September 13, 2018 by Wu Jizun

“You can stand now,” stated Ying, standing next to me .

I finally managed to stand up after persisting for several days, albeit needing to use the wall for support . Being able to look at everything from a different perspective gave me a strange sense of joy . I turned my head to look at Ying . I discovered she wasn’t tall . I probably thought she was tall, since I was always looking up at her . She looked similar to any ordinary girl from this angle .

I slowly moved my feet . There was nothing different to before except my back hurt a bit . It wasn’t an intense pain, though . I touched my chest: “I feel that I’ve recovered, Ying . I can probably go shopping for you tomorrow . ”

Ying nodded: “Start by buying the very light stuff, then . Buy some rice from the store in the village . The store will have a lantern with the word ‘rice’ on it . You don’t need to pay money . Just let them know the shrine needs it . Then, go to the store next door to buy vegetables and eggs . Tell them the shrine requires them, too . ”

I nodded and smiled: “Remind me again tomorrow . I think I’ll forget . ”

“Mm . You need to rest more on the way up . Have a rest as soon as you’re tired . Your back is still very weak . If something happens, you may never be able to stand again . ”

I nodded, and then looked to the big tree: “I want to go, and see the tree . ”

“That tree?” asked Ying . She nodded: “The tree has been there for a long time . This shrine grew up alongside the tree . I remember the tree hadn’t bloomed at the time; it has finally bloomed . Admiring the tree allows me to feel a state of tranquillity . ”

I nodded . Ying reached her hand out to support me . The two of us went over to the tree . The closer I got to it, the more I felt it was sturdy . I could see the entire tree when I was previously lying inside, but I had to raise my head up to see the flowers that had bloomed when I was close to it .

“I was named after this tree . I originally didn’t have a name . The people here call this tree ‘Ying’, so they called me ‘Ying’ . ”

Ying supported me with her hand, but I couldn’t feel her warmth . The side of her face was next to my ear . Her hair blew along with the flower branches . I looked at her and then the tree . In a soft voice, I asked, “Don’t you have a surname?”

Ying shook her head and calmly replied, “I don’t have parents; how would I have a surname? I grew up here as a kid and found my purpose in life here . I must protect the people of this village . I should protect them, since I have the strength to . The wyrm has killed far too many people . Perhaps I am the strength their hope created; hence, I must protect the people of this village . ”

“Mm…”

Ying didn’t sound as aloof as she appeared on the surface . She wasn’t cold-hearted . She liked to converse with others and didn’t hate outsiders . She just didn’t express herself with facial expression . Deep down, she was the same as everyone else .

Her background was peculiar and shrouded in mystery . She didn’t have parents as we did . Nevertheless, it sounded as though the village below treated her decently . She protected the village, and the village provided her with free food . Both parties were friendly . Also, she sounded very grateful to the villagers . She must’ve felt lonely residing at the shrine by herself, yet she willingly accepted being restricted there solely so that she could keep everybody safe .

I said, “Ying, you’re very kind . ”

Ying shook her head in response: “No, I’m not . Only by doing that which is not one’s duty can one be considered kind . Protecting the villagers is my duty . I’m merely carrying out my duty the same way parents protect their child, and a husband protects his wife . Fulfilling a duty is not an act of kindness . ”

“Not everyone can fulfil their duties, though . ”

Ying shook her head again: “That still isn’t a reason for me to be vaunted . This village is my responsibility; therefore, I must protect it . It has nothing to do with kindness . I’m merely somebody who fulfilled her responsibility… Actually, I haven’t yet, because the wyrm still exists, and still threatens the village . ”

Smiling, I questioned, “What happens if the wyrm is dead, then? If you’re very lucky and manage to kill the wyrm, you’ll have fulfilled your duty . Have you considered life afterwards? What are you going to do after?”

Ying shook her head once again: “I’ve never thought about it . To be honest, I’ve never thought about my future . I’m not willing to think so much about meaningless things . I just need to think about how to ensure this village is still in one piece tomorrow . ”

“Do you not want to kill the wyrm?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to, but merely protecting this village requires all of my strength . I can’t find traces of the wyrm . Therefore, all I can do is defend,” answered Ying, turning around after . “You haven’t fully healed yet, so let’s stop here for today . Head back and rest . I’ll brew your medication . You still need to eat porridge tonight . We’re out of rice at the shrine, so if you don’t buy any tomorrow, we’ll have to starve . ”

Ying had no plans of continuing to talk to me; consequently, I had to turn around and return to the shrine with her help . The bright-red design of the shrine from the outside looked slightly old . The piled up leaves had a thick layer of flower petals on top . The flowers would gradually wither in cold weather . They’d die, turn to ash and land on the ground with the snow to provide moisture for the old tree, I presumed . I wondered if the same applied to Ying .

Ying would live, fight, age and then passes away before finally being buried here to moisten the shrine and ancient tree . Actually, no, that’s not quite right . She didn’t nurture the tree or shrine but the village at the foot of the mountain, I guess . The village was everything to her . Similarly to the flower petals, her entire life was destined to be offered to the village below .

A life is wonderful, because of the unknown . Life is worth exploring and adventuring through precisely because of the unknown . How sad and lonely was her life where she knew her end already? I guess her feelings were the same as her kimono – beautifully white . She dedicated her entire life to fulfil her duty just as Nier once did .

Nier once forewent her entire life for Her Majesty . Ying gave everything she had for the village at the foot of the mountain . Nier, nevertheless, had the Valkyries as companions while Ying didn’t have anybody .

I figured I’d be able to understand why I felt so sad when I saw her in my dream at night . You’d feel incomparably sad if you were a talented bird that could sing and dance, yet were locked in a cage .

“Son…” I heard Mommy Elizabeth’s call out to me in my head . My mind raced: “Wait! Why…? Why…? Why did I suddenly think of Mommy Elizabeth? Why did her beautiful smile suddenly appear in front of me…? When did I see that smile…? When?! Why don’t I have any recollection?”