(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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Fana quietly sat beneath the shade of a large tree near the church courtyard, a cup of tea resting untouched in her hands.
Unlike the others who had quickly blended into the lively celebration, she remained an outsider.
Neither the villagers nor the children bothered her.
Ben had personally introduced her as his guest before everyone arrived.
Although the villagers were initially surprised by her pointed ears, they welcomed her with the same warmth they showed every visitor.
No one questioned her race.
No one glared at her.
A few curious children had even offered her homemade cookies before running off to play again.
That simple kindness confused her more than she cared to admit.
Her crimson eyes slowly wandered across the orphanage grounds.
Children were laughing as they chased one another with the new toys Ben had brought from the capital.
A few boys were already pretending to be Magic Knights, loudly declaring themselves future captains while swinging wooden sticks as imaginary swords.
Several girls gathered around Rebecca, proudly showing off their dolls and ribbons.
Nearby, Asta had somehow become the target of a wrestling match with half the younger boys, while Magna laughed loudly every time Asta lost because ten children jumped on him at once.
Not far away, Yuno had become an unwilling storytelling target.
The younger children sat around him, eagerly asking about the Golden Dawn, while he answered each question with only a few words, much to their disappointment.
The entire church echoed with laughter.
It was peaceful.
Warm.
...Happy.
Fana quietly observed everything without saying a word.
"...."
Then—
A familiar feeling surfaced within her heart.
It wasn't her own.
A faint, almost imperceptible impulse.
A whisper.
'Kill them.'
Her fingers instinctively tightened around the teacup.
Her expression remained calm, but inside she immediately recognized it.
"...So it's still there..."
The murderous intent wasn't overwhelming like before.
It no longer clouded her judgment.
But it hadn't disappeared either.
It lingered quietly in the deepest corner of her heart, urging her to hate.
Urging her to destroy.
Ben had been right.
Even after learning the truth, the influence hadn't vanished overnight.
The devil's poison had seeped too deeply into their souls.
Fana slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again.
This time, instead of listening to that hateful whisper, she forced herself to look at the children once more.
A little girl tripped while running.
Immediately three other children rushed over to help her stand before they all burst into laughter again and continued playing as though nothing had happened.
The sight made her heart tremble.
Without realizing it, another memory surfaced.
Five hundred years ago...
An ancient forest filled with towering trees.
Golden sunlight filtering through emerald leaves.
Small elven children running barefoot across soft grass, their cheerful laughter echoing through the village.
She remembered herself sitting beneath a tree while watching them play.
One little boy had proudly shown everyone the tiny flower crown he had woven.
Another had accidentally fallen into a stream, soaking everyone who tried to pull him out.
The adults had laughed instead of scolding them.
It had been... peaceful.
Exactly like this.
Fana's eyes slowly widened.
"...They were just children..."
She whispered so quietly that even she barely heard herself.
The elven children had never dreamed of war.
They had never cared about humans.
They simply laughed...
Played...
Ran through the forests...
And believed tomorrow would be another happy day.
Until...
That tomorrow never came.
Her gaze returned to the orphanage children.
She imagined the same massacre happening here.
The same screams.
The same blood.
The same silence afterward.
Her chest tightened painfully.
"No..."
She unconsciously muttered.
"I don't..."
The hateful whisper inside her tried to rise again.
'Humans... They deserve...'
But this time...
The words no longer sounded convincing.
Because the humans before her...
Had done nothing.
These children had never held a weapon against the elves.
These villagers had never even heard of the elves until recently.
Father Orsi was currently laughing while trying to adjust the magical glasses Ben had gifted him.
Sister Lily was serving food with a warm smile.
The villagers were celebrating an old priest's birthday.
What part of them deserved death?
Fana couldn't find an answer.
For the first time since her resurrection...
Hatred and reality stood before each other.
And reality was slowly winning.
She lowered her gaze to the untouched tea in her hands.
"...Perhaps..."
A faint smile, so small it was almost invisible, appeared on her lips.
"...King Ben was right."
Not all humans were responsible for the tragedy five hundred years ago.
And perhaps...
Not all elves needed to spend the next five hundred years living only for revenge.
Not far away from the cheerful celebration, several pairs of sharp eyes remained fixed on one person.
Fana.
Although Ben had accepted her presence without hesitation, the Magic Knight Captains were far from relaxed.
Trust was something earned over time.
Not in a single meeting.
Nozel stood with his arms folded, pretending to watch the festivities while his silver eyes never truly left the elf.
Every small movement she made, every glance she cast around the orphanage, every slight change in her expression was quietly noted by him.
Beside him, Fuegoleon remained equally vigilant.
Unlike Nozel, his expression was calm, but the captain's years of experience had taught him never to lower his guard simply because the atmosphere appeared peaceful.
Yami, meanwhile, leaned lazily against a nearby tree with a cigarette between his fingers.
To anyone else, he looked completely relaxed.
Almost bored.
But the captains knew better.
His observation skills were among the sharpest in the Magic Knights.
Even while casually smoking, not a single movement around the orphanage escaped his notice.
Jack the Ripper sat on one of the wooden fences, absentmindedly swinging his legs while grinning.
"I kinda hope she doesn't do anything."
Kaiser glanced toward him.
"...Why?"
Jack's grin widened.
"So I don't have to get off this fence."
Several captains sighed.
Only Jack could make laziness sound like battlefield strategy.
Even Rill had been assigned to help keep an eye on Fana.
Unfortunately...
The youngest captain had completely failed his assignment.
Meanwhile...
The atmosphere around Ben had become increasingly lively.
The moment the children finished admiring their presents, they immediately dragged Ben away toward the open courtyard.
"Big Brother!"
"Come play with us!"
"You promised!"
"I never promised."
"You did in our hearts!"
"...That's not how promises work."
The children ignored his objection entirely.
Before Ben could protest further, half a dozen little hands had already grabbed his arms and began pulling him toward the games.
Watching the scene, Charlotte couldn't help smiling.
For once, Ben wasn't acting like a king.
He wasn't discussing politics.
He wasn't planning rituals.
He wasn't worrying about devils or magic stones.
He was simply...
Ben.
The older brother of the orphanage.
Without realizing it, Charlotte quietly followed behind.
Dorothy floated happily after them, humming to herself.
She had been invited by Ben earlier to join the celebration, and unsurprisingly, she accepted immediately.
"Let's make something fun."
With a wave of her hand, soft pink magic circles appeared around her.
Dream Magic shimmered gently.
Moments later...
Tiny dream creatures shaped like rabbits began hopping around the courtyard.
The children gasped.
"They're so fluffy!"
Another wave.
A miniature castle appeared.
Then colorful butterflies made of dream mana fluttered through the air.
Next came floating bubbles that reflected rainbows whenever sunlight touched them.
The younger children squealed with excitement as they chased after them.
Dorothy giggled happily.
"I knew you'd like them."
One little boy pointed toward the floating castle.
"Can we go inside?"
"Of course."
The tiny castle suddenly expanded into a playhouse large enough for several children to enter together.
Cheers immediately erupted throughout the orphanage.
Meanwhile...
Rill watched everything with sparkling eyes.
"...This looks fun."
Fuegoleon glanced sideways.
"...Rill."
"Hm?"
"Aren't you supposed to be observing Lady Fana?"
Rill looked toward Fana.
She was quietly drinking tea.
Then he looked back toward the children.
"...She looks busy."
"..."
"..."
Before anyone could stop him—
Rill was already running toward the children.
"Wait for me!"
The youngsters immediately welcomed him.
"Captain Rill!"
"Come play!"
"I'll be the dragon!"
"No! You're too small!"
"I can paint a bigger dragon!"
Within minutes, the youngest captain had completely forgotten he was one of the strongest Magic Knights in the kingdom.
He was running around with wooden swords.
Pretending to be defeated dramatically whenever a child landed a hit.
Using tiny harmless paint constructs to create colorful birds and animals that danced around the courtyard.
His laughter echoed louder than most of the children.
Yami watched the scene.
"...He's literally a giant kid."
Jack burst into laughter.
"I forgot he was a captain."
Even Nozel rubbed his forehead.
"I sometimes question how he passed the captain's examination."
Not far away...
Charlotte quietly sat beside Ben as he watched the children.
She wasn't particularly interested in the games themselves.
Simply sitting beside him while watching everyone laugh was enough.
Every now and then, one of the children would tug on her sleeve.
"Captain Charlotte!"
"Will you play too?"
Charlotte hesitated.
She wasn't exactly good with children.
Before she could answer, Ben smiled.
"They're asking you."
The children looked at her expectantly.
After several awkward seconds...
Charlotte finally stood.
"...Only for a little while."
The moment those words left her mouth, the children erupted into cheers.
Within moments, they had dragged the usually dignified Blue Rose Captain into their game.
Although she maintained her composed expression...
A small smile gradually appeared on her face as the afternoon continued.
From the distance, Fana silently observed the scene.
The feared captains of the Clover Kingdom.
One acting like an oversized child.
One creating magical playgrounds.
One awkwardly playing tag with laughing children.
And the King himself...
Rolling on the grass after being tackled by half the orphanage.
For the first time...
Fana realized something.
These people weren't wearing masks.
This wasn't an act.
This was simply who they were when there was no battlefield forcing them to fight.
And somehow...
That realization continued to chip away at the hatred that had lived inside her for five hundred years.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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Guys My New Fic name is: Karuppan: King of Openings.
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