The Narzissenkreuz Ordo.
Seymour was rejoicing that it actually wasn't that water-resistant after all.
It had almost been scrapped.
Yet it still followed An without hesitation into the rift.
Caterpillar said, "I'm glad you all returned safely, not a single one missing."
"Why is there an extra one?"
"Let me explain." An stepped forward. "This is Narzissenkreuz, or rather, the tiny bit of self he has left."
Caterpillar looked at the small water droplet in front of him. "Master…?"
"You've made progress. Caterpillar looks much more like a human than he did hundreds of years ago."
Caterpillar's expression remained calm, without the excitement that Rene had expected.
"Over these past few centuries, I've read many books and understood some of your teachings, as well as the theoretical aspects behind them."
"'Saving the world' is usually just a poetic way of saying 'treating one's own mental illness.'"
That was something Caterpillar had read in a book.
"Whether it's protecting a candle at the cost of completing the pilgrimage, or writing novels to let fiction invade reality."
"So in the end, has your mental illness improved, Master?"
Rene could naturally hear the sarcastic tone behind the word "Master."
But he didn't mind and accepted it.
What else could he do?
Caterpillar waited until Mu Yang, Lumine, and Paimon had arrived before stating his own wish.
He wanted to leave.
Because the upcoming journey to the Land of the Sleeping had little to do with his role. There was no need for him to appear anymore.
Seymour also chose to stay behind for the time being.
Because its command module could not understand what Rene meant by:
"Giving everyone an explanation."
[So this is what it looks like when the CPU is fried.]
[hhh It actually exists!]
Mu Yang, Lumine, Paimon, An, and Rene — a group of five.
They arrived at the Land of the Sleeping, the place where "Mary-Ann" had driven them away before.
The area had once again been submerged by water, returning to how it looked before An and the others had their adventure.
Under Rene's guidance, An once again cast the pure water magic, raising the water surface upward.
"An! You're so amazing!"
"Why don't I feel amazing at all?"
"Because to you, this is only natural. You've simply recalled a little of your own origin."
Although Rene said this, he actually valued An's talent very highly.
He secretly asked her if she wanted to inherit the mantle of the Narzissenkreuz Ordo.
An directly rejected the proposal.
Everything the Narzissenkreuz Ordo had done was unacceptable to the kind and upright An.
With An's growing mastery over pure water magic, it became impossible for "Mary-Ann" to stop them from entering the Land of the Sleeping.
"'Mary-Ann', I'm sorry, but we must pass through here."
"Resisting the truth is meaningless." Rene opened the portal leading to the true Land of the Sleeping. "It's time for the dream to wake up…"
"Mary-Ann" stood at the doorway. "Why? Why won't you just let us stay here quietly?"
She pleaded with everyone, "I don't need your help, I don't need it! Please go back, I beg you…"
"[Princess Lyris], at the end of the story, you should live a happy and joyful life. I won't give up."
After An finished speaking, she turned to Lumine.
The barrier here was formed by "Mary-Ann's" firm will.
Now, only the holy sword in Lumine's hand could shatter it…
"Mary-Ann" screamed hoarsely, "Don't come any closer! It's very warm here, it's good like this."
"Don't approach me with expectations. Don't walk over with that determined expression."
[Don't come over! .JPG]
[Wouldn't it be nice to just let her stay immersed in the dream?]
[Hard to judge]
"Let me stay here alone until the consciousness that constrains this form dissipates."
"No one needs to be saved. It's fine like this."
"Let me rot here alone until everything collapses into a pool of sewage."
"Please don't come any closer. This is our Land of the Sleeping."
Lumine swung her sword and shattered the barrier…
"Mary-Ann" kept shaking her head. "Is the truth really that important?"
"The truth may not be important, but all of you should keep moving forward…"
An, Seymour, Caterpillar, and the others should no longer remain stuck because of events from hundreds of years ago.
"Mary-Ann" wanted to say something in rebuttal, but she recognized Rene at a glance.
Even though he was now just a small water droplet.
Rene was naturally happy.
However, what truly made him happy was An's current state.
As a fusion of pure water and human will, she existed completely in the form of a transcendent.
He once again praised An effusively.
Even Paimon couldn't stand it anymore. "Is this really the time to be saying these things…? You're not considering other people's feelings at all!"
Indeed, weren't they here to wake "Mary-Ann" up?
Fortunately, An remained clear-headed.
She took out a group photo of the Narzissenkreuz Institute.
"Mary-Ann" recognized everyone in the photo at a glance.
The reason she wanted to stay in the Land of the Sleeping forever was to protect everyone in that photo.
To protect everything related to them.
She might never fully understand Narzissenkreuz as the Master.
But Rene — Rene was different.
He was her family.
He was family from the Narzissenkreuz Institute.
"The Narzissenkreuz Institute was our home. Why did our home end up like this in the end?"
"Probably from the moment that guy Alain insisted on acting out the Narzissenkreuz Brave and the Evil Dragon with me every time, it was already destined."
Rene had once dreamed of saving the world too.
However, in the end, it wasn't him who saved the world.
His dream had shattered.
Now it was "Mary-Ann's" turn.
Accepting what had already happened in the past and choosing what path to take next were not contradictory.
If it really didn't work, then let Lumine use the holy sword to separate "Lyris" and "Mary-Ann."
However, the premise was that she had to be whole.
An had to return to her body and complete the fusion.
"Mary-Ann" refused without much thought.
The current An had already found the meaning of her own existence.
She would not do that.
"No need. I am willing to accept this past. The adventures of the little brave An belong to her alone."
"I will live on as myself. I will go see what kind of world it is that you, Rene, staked everything on to save."
The moment An's will was conveyed, the light of the holy sword gradually began to fade…
Its mission had been completed. It no longer had any reason to exist in the story.
Paimon felt a little regretful about this.
After all, Lumine really didn't have any convenient weapons.
Mu Yang spoke up, "I see. I'll find someone to forge a new one for you later."
[As expected of you, Mu Yang]
[No, keep using the holy sword! Why throw it away after finishing the main story?]
[After all, something that can separate wills is way too broken]
[The appearance still matches. I hope they don't take it back]