Chapter 42. Reunion
— At least this love is real. I want to know the origin of my most precious love.
Sirius, finally calmed down with Geuse's help, made this request. Geuse hesitated for a moment, then voluntarily shared the memories in his mind with her.
Memories that did not belong to her gradually appeared in her mind. These were Geuse's memories of the days he spent with Fortuna. Looking at herself through Geuse's eyes, Sirius gradually recalled her life as Fortuna.
It was the era when the Divine Dragon, the Sage, and the Sword Saint—the Three Heroes—joined forces to seal the Witch of Envy, who had nearly destroyed the world. Even though the Witch had been sealed, people still feared her and resented her.
This resentment and fear eventually fell upon the Elf tribe, whose appearance was almost identical to the Witch of Envy.
Although the Elf tribe was not weak, they were far from being able to oppose the entire world. Judging by how Emilia is still ostracized by people 400 years later, and how people with Elven appearances are invisible in the world today, it's not hard to imagine the brutal persecution the Elves suffered at the time, especially since the Half-Elf Witch of Envy almost destroyed the world.
Eventually, the few remaining Elves followed the Sage's advice and hid in the vast Elior Forest. In exchange for guarding a certain seal, the Elves in this forest gained a secure living space. However, the Elior Forest was by no means a comfortable living environment. Not only did the huge forest contain many dangerous Mabeasts, but the available food was also pitifully scarce.
The ones who extended a helping hand when the tribe was on the brink of extinction were the equally notorious Witch Cult.
Unlike the Elves, who had the distinct physical feature of pointed ears, Witch Cult members could not be recognized if they took off their dark robes. Although they were disliked, they could move freely. Because their leader said he came to help under the guidance of the Sage, the Elf tribe ultimately chose to welcome them.
Fortuna, who was a child and the younger sister of the clan leader, naturally participated in the discussion. The leader of the Witch Cult was Archbishop Romanée-Conti. Unlike the imagined image of a villain, he was very refined in appearance and gave people a feeling of a spring breeze. At that time, there was mostly gratitude for the person who offered help in their desperate need.
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Days passed, and Geuse delivered the supplies the village needed every so often. Gradually, smiles appeared on everyone's faces. Today was another day for Geuse to arrive. On the main street, people of different races and the Elves could be seen chatting and laughing about the outside world.
"Geuse, thank you for your hard work this time, too."
"Lady Fortuna, long time no see."
"Are you done with your work?"
"Yes, the condition of the seal has been confirmed, and supplies are being distributed."
"Then please guide me with my training."
"If you don't mind."
To Fortuna, Geuse was a respectable person. Her fire magic, which she was skilled at, improved by leaps and bounds under his guidance, and he could answer almost all of her questions. Geuse's knowledge was vast, and the stories of heroes he told made her feel as if she were personally there.
"I once spent some time with a very powerful person. Compared to that person, my small amount of knowledge is insignificant."
Later, she learned that this was not modesty, because that powerful person was Echidna, who was known as the [Witch of Greed].
In any case, the joyful days were destined not to last. Even at their longest, Geuse and his people would leave the village after a few days. Every time Fortuna saw the backs of the Witch Cult members leaving, she felt as if she was confined in a cage.
— I wish everyone could live freely outside.
Fortuna, who had grown into a young woman, stood on a tree, searching for the traces of the convoy. Today was the day Geuse would arrive.
Nowadays, Fortuna was the only one left waiting here for Geuse. It could be said that his decades of punctual arrivals had completely earned him the residents' trust. Of course, Fortuna also completely trusted Geuse, but waiting here for him hours in advance had become her habit.
— Found them.
Fortuna slid down via a path of ice to the convoy, and then suddenly realized that the person in front of her was not the familiar figure. Her panic lasted only a second. Looking at the other person's eyes and feeling the familiar atmosphere.
"Are you... Geuse?"
He was a complete stranger, yet she was certain of it for some reason.
"Yes. Actually, I am an Earth Spirit..."
Geuse explained to Fortuna, who was following him. Geuse was an Earth Spirit with a long lifespan, and the current body was voluntarily offered to him by a follower in the Witch Cult.
Geuse talked a lot, but all Fortuna felt was the joy that Geuse would not leave her for a short time. Noticing this, Fortuna suddenly understood that she might have fallen in love with Geuse.
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Then came his help when her brother went missing, and his companionship when her brother died. Perhaps because her brother married a human girl, Fortuna also gradually stopped concealing her affection, but the guilt-ridden Geuse ignored all of it. It wasn't until the war that destroyed the village that the two finally confessed their feelings to each other.
— Outside —
Opening her eyes, a familiar yet unfamiliar young girl was radiating a healing light from her hands. Noticing that she was awake, there was a trace of vigilance in the girl's eyes.
"Lia?"
"Mother Fortuna? Are you really Mother Fortuna?"
Tears welled up in the girl's eyes, but there was still a hint of hesitation in her gaze.
"Yes, Lady Emilia."
Fortuna looked at where the voice came from. Even though his appearance had changed a lot, she could tell at a glance that the person in front of her was Geuse. She was about to get up, but Emilia suddenly collapsed onto Fortuna's chest and began to cry bitterly.
"Because of me, many people, including Archi, died, and the rest were frozen in ice."
"Mmm. But they would definitely smile with relief if they knew Emilia was still alive. And it's thanks to Emilia that the remaining 49 people could survive, right?"
"And Puck saved me, but Puck fell into a deep sleep for my sake!"
"Mmm. So, when we wake up Mr. Puck with a magic crystal, you must thank him properly."
"And Roswaal..."
In front of Geuse and Fortuna, Emilia finally turned into a child again. The mistakes she had made, the losses she regretted, the grievances she had suffered—she could finally pour them out to someone.
"You've been through so much these past years, but I'm so glad you grew up safely."
Fortuna gently stroked the weeping Emilia's back, and Geuse also shed tears at the sight.
"Mother Fortuna, welcome back."
"Yes, I'm back."
After more than 100 years, the three of them were finally reunited once more.
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