Volume 8, Chapter 38 – The Fate of the Queen of Death

The night sky was shrouded in a blanket of countless stars.

The late summer nights had already turned cool, making the rooftop a place that was both refreshing and far from mosquitoes. Added to that, the royal city was situated on high ground; standing on the roof, one could take in the panoramic view of the myriad lights of Blossom city. Set against the pitch-black plains and mountain ranges stretching into the distance, for a moment it was hard to tell which side was the star-filled sky.

Lucitine, who had been dragged around the city by Fia all day, sat on the sloping roof tiles. Once her bottom was settled and the accumulated aches in her body instantly subsided, the comfort made her unable to stifle a moan. She simply took out a change of clothes to cushion her head and lay down on the rooftop.

“Ah~ Although I knew the world of the living was rich, I never imagined it would be this rich. Even the feeling of full-body soreness and sweating is wonderful. No, I should say, the feeling of suddenly sitting down after being sore all over, and the sensation of sweat being dried by the wind, is very comfortable. If Afla and the others knew how wonderful it is to possess a living body, they wouldn’t discriminate against the living anymore. Come to think of it, I’m the first queen in ten thousand years to enjoy a physical body. How nice. Good thing the previous one retired early.”

As she mused, Lucitine raised her right hand. In her palm she held a round, greenish fruit. It was a gift from the nursery children before they left. Although it was just a wild fruit the children had picked from the mountain during lunch, and not even fully ripe, Lucitine treasured it like a precious gem, holding it in her hand the entire way, unwilling to put it into her storage magic.

“An unripe fruit… If I had the chance, I’d really like to watch it ripen little by little. Those children didn’t treat me like the Queen of Death at all. Getting along with them was very pleasant. Is this the feeling of people getting along with one another? Not like the kingdom of the dead, which is always so cold.”

“You don’t know how lucky you are. If anyone heard you saying you’d rather be an ordinary noble lady than the Queen of Death, they’d be so angry they couldn’t eat.”

Fia, also sitting beside Lucitine, couldn’t help but point this out. Today, aside from when she accompanied Lucitine to the abyss and she acted like the Queen of Death, the rest of the time she was like a curious country girl. Whether it was animals in cages or clothes of various colors, she had to get her face close to look before she was satisfied. When Fia unintentionally passed by the flower street, Lucitine, tempted by the gorgeously dressed women, insisted on dragging Fia to experience what was called “the most comfortable thing in the world.”

—When the person in charge saw Fia with her black hair and crimson eyes, she immediately knelt in fear and apologized.

Correspondingly, Lucitine wasn’t interested in theater or jewelry. According to her, the kingdom of the dead had no shortage of inanimate objects. They had as many jewels as they wanted. As for not being interested in theater, it was because Lucitine couldn’t properly empathize with the characters in the plays. For example, why would a subordinate betray their lord for the sake of love. In her eyes as the Queen of Death, subordinates only remained absolutely loyal and would never betray.

A dazed look flickered in her pink eyes, reflecting the starlight. Lucitine still gazed at the raised green apple, her murmur filled with melancholy.

“This is freshness… A world completely different from the kingdom of the dead. It’s so good. If only the world inside the Wall of Sighs were this wonderful too. Everyone has their own ambitions, instead of slowly having their will worn away by time, becoming souls who can’t even remember who they are.”

“The living have their difficulties too. If pursuing a piece of bread to fill one’s stomach counts as a ambition, I think those hungry people would rather be undead who don’t feel hunger. Everyone is forced by life, not because they like it. Lucitine’s view is too idealistic.”

In response to Fia’s words, Lucitine simply put down the apple, turned her head, and looked at Fia’s profile under the starlight. It was the full moon, much brighter than usual. Fia’s deep red eyes were also exceptionally conspicuous. Paired with her delicate, doll-like charming face, even Lucitine, the Queen of Death, couldn’t help but stare blankly. She thought, this must be what the living call “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

“That’s because Fia has never experienced the pain of the dead. As long as everyone remains in the Netherworld, they can never truly die. I’ve never experienced the wonder of being alive. I don’t know what sweetness tastes like, or what it feels like to be with someone you like. So I can barely accept this kind of life. But for undead who once lived, once they get through that initial carefree time, afterwards they’re surrounded by endless loneliness.”

“Without desires, there are no ambitions. And once you lose ambitions, life becomes boring and tasteless. You can only sink into deathlike slumber to pass the time, and finally, in this process, forget everything about yourself, becoming a beast. This can be called the death of an undead.”

Saying this, as if she’d thought of something interesting, Lucitine’s gaze, which had been gazing at the stars, turned back to Fia, a charming smile on her lips.

“But from today onwards, I’m no longer ignorant of the living world. I already know what sweetness feels like. Pulling me down from my lofty throne—it’s all because of you, Fia.”

“Is that a complaint?”

“Do you feel that way? I’m just wondering. I should be thanking Fia, if anything.”

Lucitine held the green apple in both hands and gently sniffed it. Because she’d been handling it all day, she could no longer smell the fruit’s fresh scent, so she carefully stuck out the tip of her tongue and licked it.

Salty.

Probably the taste of sweat.

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Vaguely realizing she’d done something embarrassing, Lucitine awkwardly moved the apple away and returned to the previous topic.

“Fia has never seen the Venexes, so you don’t know what an impressive thing you’ve done. The Venexes slumbering in the core are either emotionless, or lunatic and irritable, filled with hatred for Chaos. Their will has been worn away by time. Like ordinary undead, because they can’t pursue other things, they have to make eliminating Chaos their lifelong goal.”

“Saying it like this might be hard for Fia to understand. Initially, they just thought Chaos was the enemy. If there were other things they were interested in, they could also pay attention to those things. But as the days increased one by one, the freshness brought by external stimuli weakened. Every day was lived like the same day. Only the enemy, Chaos, remained unchanged. So the idea of eliminating Chaos grew stronger and stronger, eventually becoming deeply engraved in their hearts, an inescapable fixation.”

“I share the same soul as them, so I’m also influenced by them. From the moment my consciousness was born, I’ve hated Chaos. No matter what I do, subconsciously I feel time is tight, that I must eliminate Chaos sooner. But now, things have changed a little. Fia probably thinks I can’t back down because the undead and Chaos have been fighting for tens of thousands of years, we’re already sworn enemies. That’s one factor—we’ve invested so much, how can we show weakness in my generation? But my hatred for Chaos is more of a deep-seated hatred from the bottom of my heart. It’s as if I myself have been heavily wounded by Chaos multiple times, carrying deep resentment and hatred, forced to be replaced. There’s always this feeling in my heart that ‘I have to kill them, it’s not acceptable otherwise.’ Even now, just mentioning Chaos makes my emotions churn uncontrollably.”

Lucitine forcefully suppressed the hatred in her heart and instead smiled at Fia.

“Originally, I would have walked the same path. As time passed, like the Venexes before me, only eliminating Chaos would remain in my heart. But now I possess a living body. The sensory stimulation brought by the body distracts my attention. I’ve become concerned with changes in temperature, whether the air is humid or dry. Although it’s nothing in the eyes of the living, the freshness they bring is unparalleled. Especially after I dispel the death energy wrapping around me, feelings like thirst, hunger, and drowsiness make me feel satisfied, to the point of putting Chaos out of my mind. Forgetting hatred may be shameful, but the disappearance of the persistent anxiety that haunted me makes me feel a sense of relief like never before.”

“If the Venexes of the past had met you, Fia, they probably wouldn’t have become those crazy, neither human nor ghost forms. I mean, life would have had more things worth valuing, they wouldn’t have been so prejudiced. Although time should be the witness, I can already foresee that I will become different from the Venexes of the past. No, I am already Lucitine now. This is all a treasure you bestowed upon me, Fia. Thank you.”

“…Don’t be so cheesy.”

It makes me embarrassed.

She understood what Lucitine meant. It was like the head of Estelle’s family, that seven-hundred-year-old woman. To pursue immortality, she would rather sacrifice her own child. If that old woman had something more worth pursuing than immortality, she wouldn’t have sunk into manic obsession.

From Lucitine’s perspective, she was the one who pulled Lucitine out of her twisted fate. The various desires the living possess enriched her world. She could no longer treat the war with the Eye as the only thing, avoiding the end of sinking into madness due to obsession years later.

That said, Fia hadn’t met the other Venexes yet. Lucitine’s words made Fia nervous about meeting them in the future. Facing a group of psychopaths was definitely not a good experience.

Lucitine’s cheeks reddened, and she feigned composure as she emphasized.

“What cheesy? I’m speaking the truth. If it weren’t for you, Fia, I would have been replaced long ago, liberated from that boring world. That blindfolded Demon General today was right. When you receive kindness, you should express gratitude. I’m just putting what I learned into practice, aren’t I?”

Unfortunately, Lucitine was no match for Fia. The latter rolled her eyes and said mischievously.

“Then I’ve helped Lucitine so much. Lucitine plans to just brush it off with a single sentence?”

“Ah…”

That’s true.

Lucitine also sensed this lacked sincerity. She asked seriously.

“Then what does Fia want?”

“Well, Lucitine doesn’t have anything valuable on her. How about paying with your body? This is the wonderful body and soul the Queen of Death has preserved for ten thousand years.”

As she spoke, Fia looked at Lucitine’s plump chest. Because of Lucitine’s reclining position on the roof, the snowy white bosom, already seeming ready to burst from her gown, looked even more magnificent, to the point where it was hard to look away.

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Lucitine’s breath caught. However, not only did she not resist, she actually closed her eyes.

“Uh, al… although I wanted it to be at a more romantic time… but if Fia likes it… I, I will… I’m asleep now, I won’t know anything afterwards.”

Saying this, Lucitine closed her eyes, but Fia could notice her nervously opening them just a slit, especially her unnatural body movements, clearly very stiff.

Fia conjured a water ball the size of a fingernail on her fingertip and flicked it hard at Lucitine’s forehead.

“Eep!”

Like a startled kitten, Lucitine’s skin flinched and a whimper escaped her lips.

Fia said exasperatedly.

“If you’re this nervous, don’t force yourself. You can open your eyes. I was just joking. Besides, do I look that frivolous?”

“No…”

Lucitine answered quietly, her shoulders hunched in a cowering manner, reminiscent of a student who’d done something wrong.

Now might be a good opportunity to ask that question.

Suddenly, this premonition arose in Fia’s heart. She first turned her head to look at the city unfolding layer upon layer toward the horizon, to prevent Lucitine from seeing the guilt in her eyes, then asked as if nothing was wrong.

“What did Lucitine think of the Chaos under the abyss?”

Sensing the serious atmosphere, Lucitine slowly withdrew her cowering expression. She sat up from the roof tiles, holding the apple in her lap with both hands, and pondered.

“Very troublesome. And not just ordinary troublesome. The quantity is despairing. At first, when Fia said the Primordial Continent was entirely covered in Chaos, I thought it would be like the lava in the Molten Flow—lava lakes every so often. I never imagined the entire world would have no foothold at all.”

“If they climb up to the World Tree Continent, what are our chances of victory?”

Lucitine was silent for a moment, then gave a difficult answer.

“Zero. Although I’m unwilling to admit it, the quantity is so great that Eighth and Ninth-Tier magic can’t even lower the sea level. I don’t think the current World Tree Continent is a match for them.”

Her goal was achieved.

Lucitine could perceive the gap in strength between enemy and self. The groundwork was mostly complete.

Fia proposed the final hypothesis.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking: could there be individuals with self-awareness among the Chaos? If we could persuade them, have them join us, maybe we could narrow the gap between us and the Chaos. A solid fortress always starts to collapse from the inside—”

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“I don’t think this plan is feasible.”

Before Fia finished speaking, Lucitine gave a negative answer, her tone extremely resolute.

“From what I know, there’s telepathy among Chaos. A group of Chaos can be said to be one Chaos. To turn them, when you contact one Chaos, all the others would know what happened. This is absolutely impossible.”

“But what if there are?”

Instantly, Fia felt a powerful gaze shoot at her from behind. She knew it was Lucitine’s stare, and it was very likely Lucitine had sensed something. However, if she spoke facing Lucitine face to face, she might guiltily look away. Now, not seeing Lucitine’s face, she could remain unmoved.

After a moment of silence, Lucitine’s voice sounded somewhat stiff.

“Fia is talking about the Sovereign’s experiment, aren’t you? That kind of experiment only drags people into an abyss of eternal damnation. I will end everything related to Chaos. If the Sovereign meddles with Chaos, I will kill the Sovereign. Chaos are, after all, monsters different from us. Their very existence is out of place with ours. Trusting them is like hanging your head on them. They are not trustworthy. I only trust my own strength.”

It really wasn’t that simple.

Setting aside the hatred the Venexes had left to Lucitine, the undead had been fighting Chaos for ten thousand years. If she cooperated with Chaos now, how would the other undead see her?

Not realizing the subtext in Fia’s words, Lucitine withdrew her stern demeanor. She rested her chin on her finger and thought seriously.

“Speaking of which, there should be many undead inside the Wall of Sighs who want to live in the world of the living. It’s just that, hindered by surface-level discrimination, they don’t dare to express their thoughts. Fia is short of hands, isn’t she? We undead can’t be up to the task of caring for infants, but things like cultivating farmland, weeding, and fighting monsters are definitely no problem. Consider it acclimatization before we join forces to fight Chaos. I mean, first let both sides’ people realize the other isn’t as detestable as previously publicized.”

“The living have more food sources. The undead gain opportunities to connect with the living, enriching their spirits. This benefits both sides. As for vitality and negative life canceling each other out, low-tier undead can wear magical items to prevent their death energy from spreading. Then they can freely move in the world of the living.”

“Is that alright? The undead loathe the living, especially high-tier undead. If Lucitine commands the undead to do farm work, it might lower your standing among the undead.”

“I am the Queen of Death, not a human monarch. The undead have no thoughts of rebellion. Besides, if I use prior acclimatization as an excuse, no one will say anything. So it’s decided. The children in the nursery taught me some things. Not reciprocating would be unjustifiable.”

Saying this, as if releasing some emotion, Lucitine let out a long breath. She stood up, her expression becoming serious. First, she solemnly patted her high-slit gown, then handed the green apple in her hand to Fia.

Fia didn’t take the apple, but tilted her head in confusion. She sensed something wrong in the atmosphere Lucitine was emitting.

“What is it?”

“I’m going back.”

Lucitine said, word for word, without a trace of reluctance in her voice.

“Back to the kingdom of the dead? You only came for a day. Anyway, there’s nothing to do in the kingdom of the dead, and the Chaos have been repelled by me. You can stay a few more days.”

If Lucitine hurriedly tried to eliminate Chaos, her plan to lure Lucitine to the second Nursery and make her believe the Eye tribe had been wiped out would fall through.

Fia wanted Lucitine to stay in Blossom a few more days to buy time for Milan.

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“Besides, this is a gift from the children. What kind of nonsense would it be for me to keep it?”

“I am the Queen of Death. I have my responsibilities. Playing outside for a day occasionally is fine, but I can’t forget my duty. Besides, I’m just asking Fia to keep it safe for me. The kingdom of the dead is filled with death energy. If I take the fruit there, it will rot in seconds. This is the first gift I’ve received from ordinary people. I must store it properly.”

This girl isn’t as easy to deceive as imagined.

Taking in Lucitine’s serious expression, Fia felt both tense that her plan might be discovered, and couldn’t help but revise her stereotype of Lucitine.

She slightly turned sideways, arms folded across her chest, looking unreceptive.

“If you want it kept safe, keep it yourself. You can plant it in the soil and watch it grow. That just happens to fulfill your wish to see life born.”

“It can’t possibly grow in the kingdom of the dead… I have self-awareness.”

“I don’t care. It’s your gift. Besides, don’t you feel like something’s missing if you just leave like this?”

“Missing what?”

It’s really something, you can ask so innocently.

But considering you’re an idiot, I’ll let it slide.

Fia shook her head repeatedly in a tone of looking at an idiot.

“You say goodbye before leaving. Goodbye. If you just leave without a word, what about Claire and the others waiting downstairs for you to have dinner? Can you bear to have everyone wait in vain?”

“Uh—I see. In the world of the living, you have to say goodbye before leaving. I’ll remember that.”

“This is common sense. Don’t you undead say goodbye?”

“They are subordinates, not friends. I don’t need to explain; they’ll find me.”

Fia didn’t know where to even start complaining. She could only sigh softly and carefully walk to the edge of the roof.

“Anyway, go down and say goodbye.”

“Mm.”

Nodding lightly in response to Fia, Lucitine also jumped off the roof. Her flawless, delicate figure disappeared beneath the moonlight.