Volume 7, Chapter 9 – The Beginning of the Intersection

An indeterminate amount of time passed.

The familiar plains.

Despite the blazing sun overhead and the brightly lit plains covered in lush green grass, Anastasia could only feel a chill. It was as if the sun had lost its warmth; the wild wind blew so fiercely it sent shivers down her skin.

Two armies were currently in a standoff. On one side were the elites led by the Elf Princess, while on the other, positioned on a higher slope, were the soldiers of the Milcandis Holy Kingdom who had suddenly blocked their path.

As always, Anastasia was conveying orders for the Eldest Princess, commanding the soldiers to halt. Although she felt this scene was incredibly familiar, the great battle was imminent, and she had no time to recall where this sense of familiarity came from. She had to obey the orders of her master; if not for this sister—who always wore a cold expression—picking her up, she would have died in the Land of Exile long ago.

Anastasia scanned the soldiers with a sharp gaze. These soldiers were as composed as she was, their eyes filled with a resolute will. This was the confidence accumulated from long following the near Seventh Rank Eldest Princess. They were the elites of the Elf Kingdom, Silvar, and with the Eldest Princess capable of using wide-range Sixth Rank magic, the soldiers of the Milcandis Holy Kingdom were no match for them. Even an ambush would be in vain.

Anastasia nodded in satisfaction. She steered her horse back to Fia’s side and reported with a serious expression.

“Your Highness, everything is ready. We can charge at any moment.”

“Mm.”

There was only a brief, soft sound of acknowledgement. Fia’s ruby eyes showed no emotional fluctuation whatsoever. As a commander, she would usually explain the next course of action at a time like this, but Fia’s words stopped there. This didn’t surprise Anastasia. As a maid and guard who had served Fia for decades, she understood that this was simply Fia’s personality—she didn’t like to talk and was poor at expressing herself. Right now, Fia was likely thinking about how to phrase her thoughts so Anastasia would understand her meaning.

She waited quietly for Fia’s next instruction, yet a rhythmic unease, like the beating of a drum, kept pounding in her heart. She constantly felt that something bad was about to happen, which left her spirit unsettled.

Could I be in a dream?

Subconsciously, Anastasia clenched her hands tightly. No stinging sensation came from her palms. Next, she took a deep breath; the fragrance of green grass that should have been in the air was entirely absent, and she felt no sense of mental refreshment.

It seemed it was indeed a dream.

Still, being able to dream of Dofi was a good thing.

At this thought, Anastasia smiled, until the Fia beside her suddenly looked at her out of the blue. A feeling akin to surprise surfaced in those ruby eyes. This left Anastasia utterly astonished; she had never seen Fia look at her with such a surprised gaze, as if there were something strange about her. She wanted to ask Fia, but Fia spoke before she could.

“You… aren’t Anastasia?”

What does she mean by “not Anastasia”? Am I not myself?

Anastasia immediately tried to voice her confusion, but Fia interrupted her again. Fia, who was usually so poor at expressing emotion that she was often called “stone-faced,” suddenly curled the corners of her mouth slightly. She offered Anastasia a very strained smile and reached out her right hand, seemingly wanting to shake Anastasia’s hand.

“It seems it worked. Good luck with the victory.”

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“What on earth are you talking about…?”

Failing to understand Fia’s behavior, Anastasia was completely baffled. Then, a purple moon suddenly rose from the Milcandis Holy Kingdom’s camp. A sense of déjàvu made Anastasia’s heart tighten instantly. She felt as if she were facing a great enemy, her limbs turning weak. She didn’t understand why she felt this way, but her subconscious was desperately urging her to do something quickly, or she would lose something extremely important.

Something extremely important?

At the critical moment, a white light flashed through Anastasia’s pitch-black mind. She tried to seize the inspiration; her rapidly firing neurons made her brain incredibly hot, as if her consciousness might melt at any second. Yet, she still did her best to think of the reason why she was so apprehensive.

She had only one important thing.

—It was Dofi!

In that instant, Anastasia grabbed the white light that had almost vanished. She remembered everything—why she was uneasy and the reason this battlefield felt so familiar.

The people of the Milcandis Holy Kingdom had used the Unsinkable Moon. They were going to use it to kill Dofi.

Anastasia could even see the upcoming vision of Fia being pierced by the Unsinkable Moon and falling straight off her horse. Blood would splash across her cheeks and her entire body, and Fia would stop breathing, leaving her forever.

Yes, that’s right—this was the Milcandis Holy Kingdom’s conspiracy!

Although there was nothing to prove it, Anastasia believed it to be true. It was as if this event had happened in the past. Disregarding the fact that a sudden move would disrupt their formation, she grabbed Fia’s hand without any military orders. She wanted to pull Fia toward her, but Fia struggled visibly, furrowing her brow as she looked at Anastasia.

“What are you doing?”

“Your Highness! Move!”

No, it was already too late!

The purple moon that brought her such intense fear had already reached its highest point. Anastasia felt her hair stand on end; she clearly sensed that Fia had been locked onto.

Even in a dream, she would not allow the same thing to repeat itself. She had to change it all!

The powerful will in her heart caused a seemingly endless strength to surge through her limbs. She took a deep breath, poured all her power into her right arm, gritted her teeth, and pulled Fia toward her with all her might. At the same time, the Unsinkable Moon that should have passed her by also locked onto her. The terrifying pressure almost crushed her bones. With a soft pop , she even felt as if something in her head was being squeezed out of her ears by this force. She thought she heard Fia’s cry, but there was only a buzzing in her ears.

She didn’t care about any of that. She used her strength to pull Fia toward the ground, separating her from herself. Next, a primal survival instinct made her attempt to jump away from the horse as well. However, at that moment, her vision was filled with an eerie purple light. The Unsinkable Moon arrived before her; being able to pull Fia away at the last second was already nothing short of a miracle.

Then, with a squelch , Anastasia felt a sensation like something tearing at her chest. Immediately after, her vision spun out of control. She fell off the horse and lay flat on the ground. She heard people around her calling out, felt her head being supported by someone, but she was unable to respond.

I’m dead for sure.

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Anastasia had this premonition, but she discovered with surprise that she wasn’t afraid. Instead, she felt only satisfaction. Her sluggish mind thought about it for a moment, and then she understood where this satisfaction came from.

She had fulfilled her duty as a guard, seen through the enemy’s scheme, and saved Dofi. No, that was only the most obvious reason. Deep down, it was because she had finally resolved her past regret. It would no longer be a case of the master dying while the guard remained unscathed. She could face those who criticized her with a clear conscience—whether it be the nobles in the Royal Capital or Yelido, no one could look down on her anymore. Fia hadn’t rescued an ungrateful dog back then; she had played the role she was most meant to play, finally able to repay the person she viewed as the sun.

Ah… finally… I finally made up for it. This has more weight than any promise…

Anastasia didn’t know if she was crying. She saw Fia’s panicked face; similarly, this was the first time she had seen Fia with such an expression. For some reason, she felt immensely satisfied. Fia hadn’t even shown such a look when the Unsinkable Moon took her life, yet she was showing emotion for her now. In this regard alone, she had done better than Veronica.

I really could never get tired of looking at her.

But this was the end.

Anastasia’s vision rapidly turned gray. She felt as if a giant hole had been opened in her body, and the life force within was pouring out uncontrollably. Then, her original satisfaction was gradually replaced by fear. Her features began to contort, and her vision was blurred by tears. She realized she was about to leave Fia and would never be able to return. The terror of an eternal parting from Fia crushed her fear of death. She was unwilling and unable to endure this loneliness, but it had come to this, and she could do nothing but be afraid.

That’s right, if only I could tell Dofi before I die… tell her my feelings—!

Her heart trembled. She wanted to say that she hadn’t let Fia down, and she wanted to convey her love for Fia to her. she struggled to part her lips, and her fingers moved slightly. However, in the end, she suddenly realized she couldn’t even make the simplest sound, and her vision was completely filled with a grayish-white.

In the end, she still hadn’t conveyed her feelings.

What a pity…

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt. Anastasia’s eyelids drooped, and her body, which had been tensed with effort, suddenly went limp. The grayish-white in her eyes was covered by black, and her consciousness sank deep into the sea.

Then.

As if stepping off a step or falling from a great height, Anastasia’s body on the bed jerked violently.

Almost instinctively, Anastasia—not yet fully awake from her dream—opened her eyes and shouted.

“Dofilia!”

Only the silence of the dead air answered her.

The chaotic battlefield had vanished, replaced by a bedroom filled with the fragrance of orchids. The scent of a young girl permeated the air, and the room was so quiet that one could hear a silver needle hit the floor. It was currently dawn, and the faint light of daybreak was filtering through the window.

I had a dream.

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No… how could a dream be so real?

With a chaotic mind, Anastasia wore a pained expression. She pressed her right hand to her forehead, savoring the dream she just had. Then, she suddenly realized she couldn’t remember what had happened just now; she only remembered that it seemed to be that terrifying nightmare from the past again—dreaming of Fia being killed by the Unsinkable Moon while she could only watch from the side.

No, that wasn’t a dream, but a definitive fact. She had lost Fia years ago. Had Erin Slate not quietly released her from prison back then, she would have long since been executed by an enraged Yelido. The reason she had been able to survive and evade the pursuit of the Silvar soldiers until today was simply that various disasters had appeared on the World Tree Continent, leaving Yelido with no time to deal with her.

Her entire body soaked in sweat, Anastasia took a deep breath. In the past, whenever she woke up from this dream, she felt she didn’t have the energy to do anything. Sometimes she would even lie in bed despondently for a whole day, her heart occupied by the remorse and regret of failing to save Fia, wishing she could just die. But now, she was surprisingly relaxed, not feeling the slightest bit of sadness. The orchid fragrance in the air made her exceptionally calm, as if she had returned to the normal world.

Thinking carefully, this was the familiar scent that belonged to Fia.

It must be a hallucination.

Anastasia laughed forlornly. She used her hands to push herself up from the bed, and a soft, delicate sensation was returned to her palms. This caused her to jump as if she had touched a centipede, almost leaping out of the bed.

My bed isn’t this soft!

Her brain jolted, and Anastasia finally fully woke from her slumber. Only at this moment did she realize that this wasn’t her room at all. She was utterly unfamiliar with everything before her; she was certain she had never been here.

Had someone kidnapped her while she was asleep? But she hadn’t forgotten the habits she had cultivated in the Land of Exile; if someone approached her, she would surely have noticed immediately.

What on earth happened…

In any case, I have to leave this place immediately. If the Silvar soldiers catch up, it’ll be all over.

With her mind in total chaos, Anastasia was about to roll out of bed. However, during the process, she suddenly caught sight of a girl who was so unbelievable she felt she was still living in a dream. She felt as if her brain had exploded, leaving her unable to think. She simply sat on the bed, staring blankly at the black-haired elf sleeping peacefully beside her, her face bathed in the dim light of dawn.

Dofilia Alexia Yushir.

The one she had failed to save, the sun that had long since been extinguished.

A hallucination…?

The Goddess was playing far too big a joke on her.

Though she spoke of jokes in her heart, Anastasia held her breath and didn’t dare to move. She had wished countless times that she could have died in Fia’s place, so she wouldn’t have to carry the pain of losing her. Now that Fia had appeared before her again, even if it were a hallucination, she was unwilling to shatter this dream.

Then, she noticed Fia’s slightly rising and falling chest. If she listened carefully, she could even catch a faint hissing sound—the sound of Fia’s breathing. Her sleeping posture was exceptionally tranquil, as if she hadn’t moved her body all night, exactly the same as the Fia in her memories.

Impossible… How could it be real?

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Her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and an unprecedented tension and excitement quietly climbed up Anastasia’s back. Finally unable to endure the longing in her heart, she swallowed with difficulty and crawled toward Fia inch by inch. she carefully reached out a finger, afraid that too much force would break Fia. She only dared to touch Fia’s cheek with the tip of her finger, and then the soft elasticity and warmth returned to her fingertip made her freeze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

It was real.

It was a living Dofi!

She couldn’t believe it. She more boldly kneaded Fia’s arm and even pressed her ear to Fia’s chest to listen to her steady heartbeat. The real sensory input made Anastasia certain—this was the Dofilia she knew. Especially the Mana Surge on her right arm, which most identified her; it was no different from the Dofilia in her memory.

A wild joy, like being rescued, surged onto her face. She was so happy that her eyes filled with tears, and she quickly covered her mouth to stifle her sobs. However, she still couldn’t hold back the joy of Fia’s resurrection. Finally, she lunged onto Fia, her hands tightly clutching Fia’s neck as she called out loudly through her whimpers.

“Dofilia!”

“…Mm?”

With the commotion reaching such a level, it was hard for Fia not to wake up. She opened her bleary eyes and saw Anastasia, in her light green nightgown, lunging over her and whimpering, along with exclamations like “Thank goodness, you’re still alive” and “I must be in a dream.”

She must have had that nightmare about me being killed again.

Not seeing it for the first time, Fia realized what was happening. She let out a helpless sigh, wrapped her hands around Anastasia’s waist, and stroked her back comfortingly.

“It’s okay. I’m right here.”

Honestly, which of us is the older sister?

However, just as Fia was sighing in her heart, she suddenly felt the Anastasia in her arms jerk. Anastasia’s body stiffened, and she gradually pulled away from Fia. Her azure eyes were filled with disbelief as she looked at Fia. It took a long while before she spoke in a hesitant and pained tone.

“You… you aren’t Dofi .”

“Huh?”

A string of question marks appeared over Fia’s head.

¹ T-thi…. I… I have a lot of plot guesses…. A LOT…. damn you author.

Also, that Dofilia last words are so epic.