Volume 8, Chapter 37 – The Children of the Nursery

To be honest, Fia hadn’t held out much hope. Many days had passed, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t tried.

Back when she sent Estelle back to her family estate, she had taken the opportunity to ask Ruth at the Weeping Mountain whether it was possible to extract the soul sleeping within the ring and adapt it into a newly created body. The answer she got was that they could try, but success couldn’t be guaranteed. And if it failed, the result wouldn’t just be the structurally fragile ring’s destruction—the soul within would also disappear. Fia didn’t have the courage to take that gamble.

Ruth was Lucitine’s daughter, and in terms of time since her consciousness was born, she was several hundred years older than Lucitine. If even Ruth couldn’t give a definitive answer, there was even less reason to expect it from Lucitine.

Just as Fia had predicted, after listening, Lucitine gently shook her head.

“Since it’s not a soul from this world, it doesn’t fall under my jurisdiction. Let alone the success rate, first of all, whether the soul can even be extracted from the ring is a problem. Sorry, Fia. I can’t be overconfident in matters of life and death. If something goes wrong, it’s irreparable. I can’t help you.”

“It’s fine. Lucitine doesn’t need to blame herself.”

After all, she hadn’t held out hope from the beginning.

Eating nothing but flatbread was too dry. Fia took a water flask from her storage magic and handed it to Lucitine. That wasn’t worth mentioning. The key point was that after taking the flask, Lucitine looked exceptionally apologetic. Her brows were furrowed, as if she were thinking something over.

“…I know of a magic called [High-Level Genesis] that might be able to help you. But that’s a magic only the first Venex could use. There’s no record of how to use it in my memories. If Fia needs it, when we return to the kingdom of the dead, I can ask on Fia’s behalf.”

“High-Level Genesis? Lucitine, say that pronunciation again.”

“[High-Level Genesis]. What about it?”

Facing Lucitine’s puzzled expression as she tilted her head, Fia’s own expression grew complex.

“Lucitine, do some of your magics have the characteristic of fluctuating in power depending on your emotions?”

“Some of them do. Those are the magics of the first Venex. How does Fia know? The first Venex was the most out-of-place one even within the core. The others weren’t willing to communicate with her. Only I, as the Queen of Death, know about this kind of magic.”

Such a coincidence actually existed in the world…

Back when Claire created a body for Anastasia, she had used this magic called [High-Level Genesis]. Also, the demon language magic Claire used was exactly the type whose power fluctuated with emotional changes. With the pronunciation being completely identical, it was already certain that Claire’s existence was related to Lucitine, or at least connected to the first Venex.

Although using magic from the same system could only indicate that the first Venex also came from another world, one mustn’t forget the strange characters carved on the Wall of Sighs, and the carvings on it similar to Claire’s horns. If she could find the first Venex, she might obtain something—if not, it didn’t matter. No loss either way.

Fia smiled wryly and answered.

“Didn’t Lucitine notice the woman sitting across the table last night? The one with silver hair. Her name is Claire, my fiancée. The magic she uses is the same as some of the magic Lucitine commands. Its power fluctuates with emotional changes. She can also use [High-Level Genesis]. I thought there might be some connection between you.”

“She’s also a Ninth-Tier powerhouse? Is that the threshold for becoming a fiancée… Then I also… Ahem.” Lucitine cleared her throat. “I’ve only been in this world for less than three years. I haven’t really kept in touch with the other me’s in the core either. If Fia wants to find the first me, you’d better prepare yourself mentally. I know very little about her. She’s lived for too long. Not only has she lost her emotions, she also lacks reaction to external stimuli. Even if you speak to her, she won’t respond. It’ll be hard to get the desired result.”

“It’s fine. Just being able to meet the other Lucitines is already surprising enough for me.”

Although Fia knew the rules for replacing the Queen of Death, and understood that the past Queens of Death hadn’t died but had stripped their memories from their bodies and then preserved them somewhere, she hadn’t expected to be able to meet these stripped memories—what should they even be called? Thought-provoking.

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“The other Lucitines? Only I am Lucitine. They are Venex. Lucitine is the name Fia gave me, not the name Fia gave them.”

As if jealous, Lucitine furrowed her brows and pouted slightly.

“Even though only the memories are different? In the end, the body is the same.”

“No, no, no. They are poor wretches who have never enjoyed a living body. Only I was given a living body by Fia, able to experience the rich world. So I am special, also brand new. The name Lucitine is something only I can enjoy.”

Calling the other selves poor wretches…

“How do I meet the first Venex? Have her memories and consciousness descend into Lucitine’s body and then converse with me?”

“That’s possible, but I don’t like it. I am me, she is her. They can’t be confused with one another. You’ll understand the specific process when we return to the kingdom of the dead, Fia. It’ll be a good chance for Fia to see the reincarnation ceremony.”

Lucitine didn’t intend to linger on this topic. As if she’d discovered something, she craned her neck to look into the distance.

By now, the two had passed through the mountain path and arrived at a flat area in the back mountain that had been cultivated, similar to farmland. Here there weren’t only long-shaped melons and fruits hanging on trellises, but also plants called bread grass—mature plants resembling potatoes, with roots encased in a hard shell. They needed to be roasted before being split open for eating, similar to the breadfruit from baobab trees.

Additionally, many children between the ages of ten and fifteen were busy in the fields. There were at least five of them, most being beastmen and humans, with only one or two elves. The physically stronger beastmen were responsible for weeding and carrying water, while the humans helped dig up the mature bread grass. Although each child’s body was very thin, their faces showed no complaints, nor was there anyone slacking off. In fact, most children wore satisfied expressions. The fields were a scene of bustling activity.

“This is the farmland the director led the children to cultivate. Since it’s far from the city, we don’t have to worry about theft. Although these children come from the Land of Exile, each one is very diligent.”

As if worried that Fia and Lucitine, these two young ladies, might be afraid, the middle-aged woman specifically emphasized.

“Children with character defects have been sent by the director to other nurseries. If you two ladies want to select servants, these are the best choice. I guarantee they won’t complain about hard work. Humans are good at arithmetic and such, beastmen can be gatekeepers or pull carriages, no problem.”

She’s mistaken us for young ladies here to select servants.

Fia sighed quietly. This wasn’t uncommon on the World Tree Continent. Whether in nurseries or orphanages, the children eventually had to enter society. They had no parents to vouch for them, so even opportunities to become apprentices were rare. Comparatively, becoming a servant in a wealthy household, even if there was no wage for the first few years and only room and board were guaranteed, was still a pretty good deal.

“Ah, this is… Lady Fia?”

“Shh—”

When Fia bid farewell to the middle-aged woman and approached a mature woman dressed like a priest with her eyes covered by a black cloth, the mature woman suddenly turned around.

The director the woman mentioned was referring to the Watcher.

Dressed in sacred garments interwoven with gold and white, yet covering her eyes with a black cloth, paired with her curvaceous figure—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her tempting to commit a crime. Although she’d seen her many times, Fia couldn’t help but reflect on whether making the Watcher the nursery’s director might have a negative impact on the children inside.

The Watcher bowed deeply to Fia, the action brimming with respect.

“Are you looking for me to discuss important matters? Thanks to you, the nursery’s first crops have finally matured. In a while, we’ll be able to eat what we’ve grown ourselves. And this person beside you is…? She clearly has the aura of an undead, yet isn’t an undead herself. A strange person.”

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“This is my friend. I came today to see how the children are doing. You haven’t had breakfast yet, right? Just in time, I brought some gifts. I’m just not sure if it’s enough.”

Fia took the paper bag from Lucitine’s hand and shook it at the Watcher. She knew the Watcher could see things in front of her using her special method.

As if seeing something rare, the Watcher’s eyebrows immediately relaxed, and obvious happiness flickered across her face.

“This is… flatbread? But it’s not noon yet. Eating too early will make them hungry before evening.”

The children in the nursery only had lunch and dinner. There was no such thing as breakfast.

Fia smiled slightly.

“It’s fine. Treat it as a snack. Have the children come over.”

“Yes!”

Supposedly one of the feared Seven Demon Generals, but now the Watcher’s behavior was as kind as an ordinary nun in a church. She waved her arms to call back the children working in the fields, then distributed the flatbread Fia had given her one by one. Since there wasn’t enough, each child could only get half a flatbread. But even so, Fia could see the simple joy on these children’s simple and honest faces—pure feelings, not a shred of pretense.

However, these children just held the half flatbread in both hands, their gazes constantly shifting between Fia and the Watcher, staring at her with pitiful eyes, as if waiting for something.

“Is it not enough? I can go buy some more.”

Fia asked quietly.

“Ho-how could it not be enough? When receiving donations, one must express gratitude. That’s the principle I taught them.” After expressing her surprise, the Watcher seriously emphasized to the children, “This is a gift from Her Highness the Princess. You must properly express your gratitude to Her Highness.”

“Thank you, Princess!”

“Thank you, Princess!”

Loud voices, tinged with childishness, rang out in a somewhat uneven sequence. Everyone cast grateful looks at Fia and Lucitine. However, this only made Fia blush. Such a small, casually bought gift—she hadn’t expected to be thanked so loudly and openly like this. Ultimately, as a princess of the kingdom, only bringing flatbread bought from a street stall… If she’d known it would turn out like this, she should have bought some cream cakes to bring.

Noticing the respectful gazes the children directed at her, Fia couldn’t help but feel her face was a bit thin. She had no choice but to maintain an expressionless face as best she could.

“Alright, you can eat now.”

“Yay!”

Only a few children let out happy sounds. Most just shoved the half flatbread into their mouths, as if afraid that if they ate slowly, someone would snatch it away. Some even choked on the dough and rolled their eyes, still struggling to stuff the flatbread in their mouths. It took older children quickly scooping water with dirty wooden ladles to prevent the choking child from meeting the same fate as those Lucitine saw.

“What is this food… so fragrant, so much oil…”

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“Is it the white bread nobles eat? No sawdust or sand inside.”

“So there’s food tastier than porridge. This is the first time I’ve eaten something so sweet and soft!”

“Wah… thank you, Princess… sniffle… “

In less than a minute, most of the children had devoured the flatbread. They made sounds of feeling a sense of loss while sucking on their still-greasy fingers. Some of the younger children simply bit their thumbs and looked with pitiful eyes at Fia and Lucitine, who were also holding pieces of flatbread. Obviously not full, but when the Watcher and older children knocked on their heads and scolded them, they quickly looked away, only occasionally stealing glances.

This feeling of guilt…

Pressed by the children’s gazes to the point of breathlessness, Fia simply let the Watcher distribute the flatbread she hadn’t touched yet to the younger children. Additionally, she took out snacks and desserts stored in her storage magic. Although the quantity of each type was small, because there were many varieties, it was enough to fill the children’s stomachs.

It should be mentioned that the Watcher didn’t plan to distribute it all at once. She set aside the easily storable biscuits and only handed out the cakes. According to the Watcher, these biscuits could be kept as rewards; distributing them all at once would be too wasteful. For a moment, the farmland echoed with the children’s soft sobs. Having tasted sweets for the first time, and not having seen their parents for a long time, they began to cry.

“Fia, should I give out my flatbread too? They seem to need it more than me.”

Lucitine, holding half a flatbread, looked stiff. Although she was reluctant to part with this hard-won food (Lucitine didn’t have a single coin on her; she was currently living off Fia’s charity), she still couldn’t ignore the children’s pitiful gazes.

“If Lucitine thinks it’s necessary, then do it.”

“Then I’ll give it to them. It would be terrible if they starved to the point of seeing me. Becoming deceased is a sad thing.”

Saying this, Lucitine reluctantly broke off the part she had already eaten from, then crouched down and distributed the untouched portion to the children. After that, her gaze landed on the distant fruits and melons reflecting dazzling light.

Perhaps it was Fia’s imagination, but she felt Lucitine was eager to try about picking fruits and melons.

She tilted her head.

“Is Lucitine interested in vegetables?”

“Ah… I find these fruits amazing. In the kingdom of the dead, you can only see the death of life. You never see the moment life ripens. This is my first time seeing living fruit.”

“How about Lucitine go help them? It counts as experiencing the feeling of being alive.”

“Can I? What if I get my clothes dirty?”

“We’ll wash them. Don’t you have so many maids? Leave it to them. More than that, I’m more worried about the Queen of Death working in the fields. If the undead in the kingdom of the dead found out, they’d definitely be furious.”

“Just don’t let them know. Then I’ll go?”

“Be careful not to cause trouble for the children.”

“Okay!”

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Quite seriously, Lucitine walked over to the edge of the farmland and cautiously asked what she could do. Then she began weeding—Fia thought that since Lucitine was obviously an amateur, and the children found it hard to refuse, they probably gave her an unimportant patch of land to mess around with as she pleased. But using magic to weed greatly exceeded the children’s expectations, to the point where Lucitine received respectful looks from all the children and became embarrassed.

After this, Fia also learned from the Watcher that this nursery mostly took in the descendants of exiles. In the past, they had lived in the Land of Exile, starving one moment and full the next. Most had been sent here with distended bellies, showing edematous signs of malnutrition. Their food had been nothing but grass roots and earthworms—things that couldn’t be called food. Now, in the nursery, not only did they have porridge for every meal, but they also didn’t have to worry about attacks from undead and monsters. Calling it paradise, even if the Watcher left the gate open, no child would run away.

In the children’s own words, the soil here was fertile, and there were mountain chickens and bird eggs in the forest. They could be completely self-sufficient, far better than the Land of Exile where nothing could be grown.

“This is all thanks to you, Princess. Honestly, since coming to Blossom, I feel more fulfilled than any day in the past. I’ve almost forgotten that I’m one of the Seven Demon Generals.”

Watching the children licking their lips as they returned to the fields, the Watcher clasped her hands before her waist and showed a serene smile.

Fia raised an eyebrow and asked teasingly.

“Don’t you feel the children’s lives here are very hard? Want to fight for justice?”

“Hehe, don’t tease me. The past me was immature, which is why I acted like that. During this time in Blossom, the Knowledge-Seeking and you have taught me many things. Different places have different difficulties. Forcing things only causes the opposite effect.”

“In the past, I demanded that children must live as I do, not bothered by food or warmth. One or two was fine, but when numbers increased, various problems emerged. This was a field I hadn’t stepped into. Relying on me alone, even as one of the Seven Demon Generals, I couldn’t reverse it. Now I understand that ensuring every child doesn’t go hungry is actually a very rare situation. Without your help, it couldn’t be achieved no matter what.”

Looking at the Watcher, a strange thought arose in Fia’s mind.

“Watcher, compared to the very beginning, your longing for children doesn’t seem as strong anymore. Can you still continue as one of the Seven Demon Generals like this?”

The Watcher was stunned for a moment, then shook her head and laughed.

“Whether I am or not doesn’t matter. Becoming a Demon General isn’t the goal, just an incidental title obtained while achieving the goal. Whether it’s me, Knowledge-Seeking, or the other Demon Generals, it’s the same.”

“No wonder the title of Seven Demon Generals fell to you.”

Fia couldn’t help but be moved to sigh. This was pure desire. Probably because of this, she felt comfortable entrusting the nursery to the Watcher’s care. With such a manager of pure desires and powerful strength, those below wouldn’t dare to engage in corruption.

Next, while Lucitine’s attention was on weeding, she would first go to Milan’s place and inform him to cooperate with moving the second Nursery. Then she would stall Lucitine for a few more days, giving Milan preparation time. The plan should then proceed smoothly.

Although deceiving Lucitine carried a sense of guilt, this guilt paled in comparison to the war between her own people.

However, when they finally faced Chaos, Lucitine would inevitably meet Milan. How to eliminate the hatred between them at that time—she had no clue.

She’d tentatively ask about it tonight.

For instance, if part of the Chaos were on her side, would Lucitine be willing to show mercy?