Volume 2, Chapter 6 – The Abyss

When Fia woke up, it was already close to one in the afternoon the next day.

The process of explaining things to Anastasia was both simple and complex.

Anastasia accepted Fia’s explanation so easily that Fia felt a sense of unreality, as if Anastasia had just casually replied with a “no problem” but didn’t actually believe it in her heart.

Perhaps Anastasia thought that even if there was some kind of complicated connection between her and Liti, it was nothing, and as a subordinate, she shouldn’t be pointing fingers at her master.

This view was undoubtedly wrong. For this reason, Fia had to explain the entire cause and effect of the incident. Only after Anastasia nodded with a thoughtful expression did Fia finally feel relieved.

Since Fia was on duty for the latter half of the night, she was exhausted from lack of sleep. The matter of studying the continent’s history was thrown to the back of her mind. As soon as dawn broke, Fia crawled into the carriage and fell fast asleep, not only skipping breakfast but also missing lunch.

It was worth mentioning that when they set off at dawn, the refugees who had received Fia’s help were quite reluctant to see them go. Some even wiped their eyes. Although Fia felt that their reluctance, besides gratitude, was more due to the food she had, it was still a form of reluctance. So before leaving, Fia had Anastasia leave some scones for them that could serve as breakfast.

Those scones were mixed with wheat germ and bran, making them not only hard to eat but also strange in color and taste. Their only advantage was that they were more filling than ordinary food. They were something Fia wouldn’t eat, but were very useful to the refugees. Considering that the refugees might fight over the scones after she left, Fia specifically instructed Anastasia to watch them finish eating before setting off.

Furthermore, what Fia didn’t know was that as they were leaving, some refugees wanted to give their children to Fia. They didn’t mind whether Fia made their children servants or slaves, as long as Fia would take them.

It wasn’t that these parents wanted to get rid of a burden; on the contrary, they were actually doing what was best for their children. Following a noble, even as a lifelong servant or slave, meant they would at least be alive. If they performed well, they might even gain the noble’s favor and enjoy treatment their parents had never experienced. The refugees didn’t know how much further they could go. Hunger, disease, bandits, and wild beasts could take their lives at any moment. When a lifeline appeared, there was no reason not to grasp it.

Anastasia sternly refused the refugees’ request without any room for negotiation. Fia was the crown princess of the Elf Kingdom. Countless people would kill to become the elf princess’s servant. Only the most outstanding could bow at Fia’s feet; the refugees’ children were not worthy.

“Hah…”

The jolting of the carriage gradually woke Fia. Although her eyelids were still heavy, Fia chose to open her eyes—it was too stuffy and hot in the carriage, and it would be more comfortable to get some fresh air outside.

Then, Liti’s charming face appeared in her field of vision.

Noticing Fia was awake, Liti, who was providing Fia with a lap pillow, waved her hand gently and greeted her happily.

“Sister, it’s already afternoon.”

If Liti hadn’t revealed her secret last night, Fia would have found the current Liti very heartwarming and would have sighed in her heart what a cute little sister Liti was. However, now, although Liti was still very cute, the heartwarming feeling was gone.

This girl has ulterior motives.

Realizing she was resting her head on Liti’s lap, Fia sat up at once, her brows slightly furrowed.

“Wasn’t I sleeping on a pillow?”

“Hehe, I replaced it. A lap pillow is also a pillow.”

Puffing out her chest, Liti looked quite proud.

Fia could only sigh and hold her forehead.

“I say, you…”

You’re too forward.

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“This is a display of a younger sister’s care for her older sister. In the eyes of outsiders, we’re just like very close sisters~ Sister’s sleeping face, ehehe…”

Don’t make that kind of sound, lost in your fantasies.

Fia sighed longly again.

“Hah, I feel like I’ve lost an innocent, cute, and polite little sister.”

“What are you talking about? Am I not innocent, cute, and polite? If sister likes the old me, I can be like that all the time. Besides, other close sisters would also give lap pillows. It’s just sister thinking too much—ouch…”

While Liti was looking smug, Fia flicked her on the forehead.

“Even so, you’re not allowed to peek at me while I’m sleeping, or I’ll have Anastasia tie you to the passenger seat.”

“Uuh.”

Ignoring Liti, who was covering her head with both hands and making sounds of dissatisfaction, Fia turned to look at the carriage curtain.

For some reason, the carriage was gradually coming to a stop.

“I’ll go take a look outside.”

Fia didn’t know what kind of attitude to adopt towards Liti’s affection. Just as Liti said, the lap pillow just now would look like normal, close sisters to outsiders. It was something only those who cared would mind; real sisters wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with it.

Liti was truly cunning.

Feeling helpless about this, Fia sighed softly, tidied up her pigtails, and went to the driver’s seat of the carriage.

An endless plain spread out before Fia’s eyes.

While she was sleeping, the carriage had already left yesterday’s forest.

Vast stretches of ankle-high green grass spread out from under her feet into the distance. The gently rolling hills made the scenery less monotonous, and the yellowish dirt road extending into the distance in the middle of the plain added a touch of life to the picture.

Because it had just rained, the air, filled with the fragrance of grass, was incredibly fresh. Fia took a deep breath, and her still-drowsy mind was instantly refreshed.

If not for the refugees with large bags on their backs in the distance, this would undoubtedly be a magnificent view.

“Good afternoon, Your Highness. You’re awake.”

Anastasia, sitting in the driver’s seat, bowed her head and greeted Fia beside her.

Fia sat in the empty seat next to Anastasia.

“Mm, good afternoon. Why have we stopped?”

“Up ahead is the border between the Milcandis Holy Kingdom and the Bart Duchy.”

“Can’t elves enter the Bart Duchy?”

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Her group could move freely on the border of the Holy Kingdom because the church had given them a token that allowed free passage in the eastern part of the Holy Kingdom before they set off. This token, however, did not apply to the Bart Duchy. The Bart Duchy was also a predominantly human country, so it was hard not to think that there was no discrimination against non-human intelligent races in the Bart Duchy.

Anastasia’s answer dispelled Fia’s worries.

“No, elves can enter the Bart Duchy. The Bart Duchy appeared on the continent’s map a hundred years ago because of the founding emperor who claimed to be ‘from another world,’ so the people greatly respect the founding emperor. And that founding emperor believed that for the Bart Duchy to last, it must abandon xenophobia ¹ dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries. and accept other intelligent races. Only by implementing such a policy could the Bart Duchy become strong.”

“So, starting a hundred years ago, the Bart Duchy allowed non-human races to hold important positions. Those non-human races who had made great contributions in the war of founding and fought for the founding emperor were also granted noble titles and fiefs by the founding emperor. To this day, although the Bart Duchy is still predominantly human, almost no one discriminates against people of other races anymore.”

“Therefore, the non-human intelligent races of the Bart Duchy are proud to be a part of it. Especially the nobles, they cherish this hard-won status and are extremely sensitive. If someone insults their noble status, their reaction will be stronger than that of ordinary nobles. In return, they also care more about the responsibilities of a noble and are more concerned about their people.”

Sounds good.

Fia gave her evaluation internally.

As long as they were responsible for their people, a slightly eccentric personality was acceptable.

However, Fia was still more interested in that founding emperor. The idea of racial equality and the claim of being “from another world” both made Fia think that he was a reincarnator like herself.

“Is that founding emperor still alive?”

“He’s dead. Humans have short lifespans, with an average of only thirty-something years. That founding emperor passed away in his forties, in the prime of his life, due to overwork.”

“He’s already dead…”

Fia’s voice held a hint of disappointment and regret. She had been thinking he might be a fellow countryman from Earth and wanted to meet him.

“Is Your Highness interested?”

“A little. But if he’s dead, then forget it.”

Fia’s answer made Anastasia’s expression a bit strange.

“Actually, I was trying to say that we will be passing through the territory of Count Oro in the Bart Duchy. That is a territory ruled by vampires. Among them, the third daughter of Count Oro, Estelle Oro, is a good friend of yours. Although Your Highness has only met Miss Estelle a few times, you have always corresponded by letter,” Anastasia paused. “Should we pay a visit to Miss Estelle?”

“We’ll go next time we have a chance. Returning to the Elf Kingdom is the priority right now.”

“Understood.” At this, Anastasia’s gaze returned to the front, her expression becoming grave. “It’s just that the situation ahead doesn’t seem very good… The refugees are turning back.”

Just as Anastasia said, besides the refugees following the direction of Fia’s carriage from back to front, there were also refugees coming from the opposite direction at the end of the road. The two groups met, making the border area very lively.

“Let’s keep going and see.”

“Yes.”

The carriage gradually approached the area where the refugees were concentrated.

Unlike the scattered refugees along the way, there were at least a hundred people gathered at the border. This group of ragged refugees seemed to have been here for some time. They had no intention of setting off again, but had instead set up a temporary camp at the border. All around, one could see later refugees joining the crowd, bowing their heads to ask what had happened ahead.

However, this was not what caught Fia’s eye the most.

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The moment the carriage approached the refugee camp, Fia’s attention was drawn to a canyon in the plain—to call it a canyon might not be appropriate; a fissure would be more fitting. The earth seemed to have been split open by a giant, world-cleaving sword, creating a gap hundreds of meters wide.

Over the gap was a suspension bridge made of wood and rope, two meters wide. The refugees from both sides were crossing on this bridge. The refugee camp was about a hundred meters from the bridge.

Parking the carriage on the side of the road, Anastasia jumped down, her expression serious as she bowed to Fia.

“Your Highness, I will go ask the refugees over there what happened ahead.”

“Mm.”

Nodding in agreement, Fia waited for Anastasia to squat down and offer half a loaf of bread as payment to ask a refugee about the situation ahead. Then, Fia also jumped down from the carriage and walked towards the fissure that had appeared so abruptly in the plain.

The closer she got to the fissure, the sparser the green grass under Fia’s feet became. When she was only three or four meters from the edge of the cliff, the ground was only bare, dark rock, devoid of any life.

Fia’s gaze was drawn to the fissure because she knew what it was.

This was the “Abyss” recorded in the “Secret History of the Witches.”

According to legend, all living things initially lived on a land more vast and fertile than the present one. However, due to the final war between the Darkborn and the gods, that fertile land was covered in chaos. The endless chaos was difficult to resist even with the power of the gods. Forced by circumstances, the gods could only lead their people to a place that protruded high above the land, a barren and desolate land of exile originally used to banish criminals.

And that land of exile was the current World Tree Continent.

Because the World Tree Continent protruded high above the original continent, the power of chaos could not reach it, so it became the only refuge for people. But it must be said that on the World Tree Continent, there were many fissures called the Abyss. These fissures connected the World Tree Continent with the original continent. Some were only a few hundred meters long, while others spanned half the continent.

No one knew how deep these Abysses were, but everyone knew that the Abyss led to their homeland. However, their homeland was now filled with chaos, and no living creature could survive there.

In the past, there was no lack of adventurous people who carried sufficient food and explored downwards, but few ever returned. As for those who survived, their answers were all “bottomless” and “still far from the bottom.”

Mysterious and dangerous. The living should not enter, and the dead do not return.

This was the description of the Abyss in the “Secret History of the Witches.”

According to the Moon Dragon Radric, the silver dagger in her hand was an item carried by the Witch of Hope hundreds of years ago, and the Witch of Hope was already at the Ninth Tier at that time. This meant that the “Secret History of the Witches” in her hand was very likely a book written by the Witch of Hope. For even a Ninth-Tier individual to give the Abyss a dangerous evaluation, it was hard for Fia not to be curious.

She quietly craned her neck and peered down.

The black cliffs were mostly smooth, the vertical view making one’s eyes dizzy. If it were an ordinary person, their legs would have already gone soft from fear of heights, and they might even have fallen headfirst. However, Fia felt no psychological fluctuation at all.

Below the fissure was a vast expanse of white; thick clouds obscured the view. Occasionally, the wind would blow the clouds away, allowing Fia to see what was underneath, but her vision would only change from white to an all-consuming blackness. She couldn’t see anything clearly; not even sunlight could reach the bottom of the Abyss.

Fia condensed an [Ice Bullet] five meters in diameter and threw it downwards. Two or three minutes passed, but no sound came back.

Only by seeing the Abyss did Fia have the real feeling that she was actually living on a continent much higher than the ground.

Her expression gradually became strange.

Thinking about it this way, the creatures living on the World Tree Continent were truly humiliated, driven from their homeland by monsters, and after ten thousand years, they still lacked the strength to return. It was no wonder the Darkborn were so hated. From the perspective of the children of the gods, if the Darkborn hadn’t started the war, the chaos would not have appeared, and they would not have been forced to stay on the World Tree Continent. It was said that the World Tree Continent was a barren land; it was hard to imagine how fertile the original continent must have been.

“I hope you have a better life down there.”

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Just as Fia was feeling emotional, a voice came from about ten meters to her left. Subconsciously, Fia looked to her left.

A filthy man was throwing a sack down the cliff. Behind this man were five or six more sacks of about human height, lined up in a row. Fia could tell from the outline of the sacks that they contained corpses. As evidence, behind the lined-up sacks stood about a dozen weeping refugees, constantly wiping their tears.

The sacks contained their relatives.

Making this judgment in her heart, Fia slowly began to walk towards the sturdy man who was throwing the sacks down while shouting loudly, as if reciting a eulogy.

In a short while, the sturdy man had finished throwing the sacks. After receiving money from the families of the deceased, he clapped his hands, looking as if his work was done.

Fia stopped him.

“Excuse me, can you wait a moment? What were you doing just now?”

“Ooh… a noble young lady?” Seeing Fia’s attire, the sturdy man was first stunned, then quickly knelt down on both knees, as if afraid that a second’s delay would displease Fia. His face took on a subservient look. “May I ask what the young lady wants?”

“No need to bow, stand up and speak. What were you doing just now?”

Seeing that Fia was not there to trouble him, the sturdy man stood up, rubbed his hands embarrassedly, and said fawningly.

“To answer the young lady, I was helping to dispose of the bodies. The weather is hot, and if the bodies are not disposed of, they will cause a plague. I used to be a gravedigger in the village, so I know some of the rules for handling the dead. I was on my way to the Holy Kingdom to the north these days and happened to run into some refugees, so I did some work on the side to earn some travel money. Those dead people just now, I only threw them down with their families’ permission. Young lady, I haven’t done anything like killing people and stealing bodies.”

“When you normally dispose of bodies, do you also throw them down there?”

Not understanding what Fia wanted, the sturdy man scratched his head.

“Of course not, today is a special situation. It’s better to throw them down there than to bury them in the wilderness to become wandering ghosts. Everyone says that life below is better than life above. Maybe they can be reborn into a good family in their next life.”

“Life below is better than life above? Isn’t it a land of death down there?”

“Ah, that’s what the nobles say. Among the common people, some think that the chaos below has long since disappeared, and that life below is better than life above.”

“I see. You can go.”

“Thank you, young lady! Thank you, young lady!”

Like a pardoned prisoner, the sturdy man ran away without looking back.

At this time, Anastasia also came to Fia’s side, her expression a little nervous.

“Your Highness, what did you say to that man? The area near the Abyss is very dangerous. Who knows how many people have been framed and pushed into the Abyss. Once you’re pushed down, you can’t even find the body.”

“No need to worry, Anastasia. I was on guard. I was just talking to that person about some trivial matters. Let’s go back to the carriage and I’ll explain. This is not the place to talk.”

“Yes.”

Answering in a low voice, Anastasia followed Fia’s steps.