Chapter One Hundred and One: The Tepid Lake Water and Moonlit Pine Forest (Part Two)
Someone jumped off the building.
Realizing this, I shoved the bowl into the nun’s hands, slowly walked to the window, and opened a pane. For some reason, my legs felt a bit wobbly. I leaned on the windowsill and poked my still-dazed head out, peering down.
Below the castle, a dark red stain spread out from a sliver of white dress amidst the rain puddles.
The dress belonged to a young woman in a white frilly skirt.
Her head was noticeably squished in, her neck tilted unnaturally, her eyes wide open, staring up at the sky—clearly, she was long gone.
Nearby, people were starting to gather, and a disheveled, soaked woman knelt beside the body, trembling and reaching out, crying uncontrollably.
“Noya, you’re so foolish… so foolish…”
Someone else was clapping their hands, laughing maniacally: “She’s dead, hahahaha, dead…”
Dead…
I took a slow breath and lifted my head.
Not far away, in the square, many women were moving in toward the inner castle with the knights and nuns. The crowd was pretty dispersed, making things a little chaotic, and there weren’t many knights to maintain order. Lots of people were still arriving from afar, and several knight riders were rushing through the rain. The leading captain waved his arm and shouted, “Hold the strong walls! Don’t let anyone up there—!!!”
In the midst of the chaos, one woman suddenly veered off to the side when no one was watching, pushing aside a nun who tried to stop her, stumbling toward the high tower with her green skirt twirling in the wind and rain. Without the slightest hesitation, she charged straight into the cold, hard wall of the tower.
Perhaps because she was too weak or just didn’t run fast enough, she slammed into the wall and stumbled backward a few steps, bl**d trickling from her forehead and mixing with the rainwater. She held her forehead, surprisingly not collapsing.
At this point, the nun who had fallen had gotten back up, limping as she chased after her, urgently shouting, “Stop her! Don’t let her do anything stupid—”
Coincidentally, two nearby knights finally caught on to the commotion and immediately rushed toward the tower. They wanted to tackle the woman to the ground, but she must have found some last burst of strength; before the knights arrived, she wobbled upright and dashed into the tower.
Everything happened so fast, it was almost a blink of an eye.
I stood by the window on the castle’s second floor, heard the nun’s shout, and looked over just in time to see the woman crash into the wall before sneaking into the tower.
After a moment of stunned silence, two thoughts filled my mind.
She wants to jump from the tower.
I can’t let her jump from the tower.
As soon as those thoughts sparked, my body moved instinctively.
I leaped onto the windowsill, crouched down, and suddenly executed a Moon Step. My petite frame shot through the air like a loose arrow, slicing through the rain-soaked night sky, with a gust of wind trailing behind, and I could faintly hear gasps from below.
In my hazy vision, I saw the woman, limping along, hotly pursued by two knights—she had already reached the top of the tower.
The knights behind were quickly closing the gap; one of them dove and with a “rip,” tore a corner off the woman’s skirt. She stumbled and fell to the ground, and the other knight quickly lunged forward, gripping her ankle.
He was shouting something, but she heard nothing; her feet kicked desperately as if they were trying to escape from the grasp. Perhaps due to the rain, the knight’s grip slipped, and the woman broke free. She quickly crawled toward the tower’s edge, grabbing the ledge with one hand as she prepared to stand up and jump down.
“Stop—”
In the next moment, I fell from the air, landing on the ledge with one foot, lunging forward to wrap my arms around the woman’s waist, rolling aside with her.
“Stay alive!”
In the midst of flying rain, I yelled with all my might, my voice cracking, and filthy water splashed into my mouth.
“Be brave! Strong… stay alive…”
I couldn’t help but tremble with tears.
After rolling a few times with the woman on top of me, the movement halted. She pushed herself up, looking down at me, and screamed in desperation, “Let go! Let me go!”
I gripped her waist tightly, not daring to exert too much pressure. The woman thrashed above me, kicking with all her might while one hand tangled in my hair and the other pushed against my cheeks to pry me off her.
bl**d dripped from her thick, sticky hair, one drop, two drops, landing on my face.
“Let go of me!!!”
I refused to let go…
“I can’t go on living…”
“Please…”
The woman’s voice broke, her struggle growing faint.
She was tired.
“Let me d*e…”
Hearing her heartbreaking, desperate words made my heart feel squeezed and suddenly, I struggled to breathe, words escaping me; instead, I shook my head vigorously: “No…”
“Why…”
“Please, stay alive…”
“Why can’t I even d*e…”
“Why…”
“Ahhh—”
Her cries were heartbreaking.
I began to cry as well.
It felt like all the suppressed emotions inside me erupted at once. It was like the woman’s heartbreaking screams had touched the softest strings of my heart, and I couldn’t stop crying. Warm tears streamed down my cheeks, mixing with the cold rainwater, and I could no longer see her face clearly. The sorrow inside me surged like a violent tide, wave upon wave rising up.
I sobbed softly, using my frail voice to speak to her—or perhaps to myself, haltingly saying, “If you’re dead, I’ll feel so sad… if you all d*e, I’ll feel so sad…”
“Please don’t d*e, please…”
“I’m really, really sad…”
Two knights quietly approached us.
“Lady Silvya…”
They pulled the now non-struggling woman off me.
I lay on the stone floor of the tower, letting the rain soak me, slowly turning my head to the side, not wanting the knights to see my tear-streaked face.
“Take her away, don’t let her d*e…”
“Understood.”
The knights stood silently for a moment, seemingly bowing to me, then their footsteps descended the tower, gradually fading away.
I kept crying, unable to stop.
Sniffling softly, I slowly closed my eyes.
Below the tower, Lady Alanster’s voice rang out from the square.
“Want to d*e, do you? Do you really desire to seek d*ath this badly!?”
“You can!”
“Before you d*e, just take a look at the heroes around you! Look at those knights who drove out the demons for you, look at those nuns who took care of you! Do you see their faces? Do you see the sorrow in their eyes?!”
“They went through great pains to save you, to heal you; the knights punished those who were violent! You’ve taken your revenge, but now you only think about ending it all, dying is the easy way out… but can you repay them for everything they’ve done?!”
“How will you repay them?!”
“With d*ath?!”
“Cowardice!”
“Self-pity!”
“The knights and clerics worked tirelessly until dark for you. Who even thought they hadn’t had dinner yet!”
“Get inside the castle! Those who can still move, use up every ounce of energy you have left to come help! Prepare a feast for the knights, for the nuns, in gratitude for their kindness! Even if you want to d*e, wait until they’ve left, think clearly about it before you d*e! No one is allowed to d*e in front of them!”
“Are we clear!?”
Lady Alanster’s words rang out strong and clear, her seemingly frail yet sturdy voice echoed through the rain over the castle.
After a moment, I stood up from the tower.
Rubbing my eyes, sniffling, I shook my cloak and patted my skirt.
I was soaked…
This is terrible.
But the rain seemed to lighten a little.
I leaned against the edge of the parapet, watching as the crowds in the square gradually dispersed. The knights were busy cleaning up the chaos left behind, and most of the women had already entered the castle with Lady Alanster. I didn’t know if it was due to her earlier words, but they seemed to be lost in thought, immersed in endless pain and despair. However, after watching for a while, it appeared that nobody was inclined to commit s*icide anymore.
Boom, boom, boom…
Heavy thunder rumbled through the sky.
Mounted on a striking white horned horse, Angel was dressed in golden robes, flanked by the tall, burly bald deputy commander. They led a group of knights, riding across the square, dismounting to head into the castle. During this time, Angel seemed to notice me up there, waving his arm at the tower.
Once they went inside, I jumped down from the tower, walked to the inner castle front, and directly leaped onto the second floor.
The work of saving lives still had to continue…
But there was no time to keep crying.
…
The moonlight was hazy.
The castle square was lined with white tents, and awnings were set up outside to keep off the rain. Under the canopies, knights who had shed their armor sat gathered around fires, while women moved between the tents, bringing food and hot soup for the knights. Every time, the knights would momentarily hold them back, inviting them to sit down and have something to eat, drink a bit of wine, or tell them a not-so-funny joke.
Tonight’s dinner was the most sumptuous in recent days. Even though the granary in the Silence Castle had nearly been emptied, there were still not many people left in the city, so there was enough to eat.
Dinner included a variety of vegetables, roasted meat seasoned with all sorts of spices, and fragrant beer. The women of Silence Castle had remarkable cooking skills, leaving the knights and clerics satisfied. If it weren’t for the weather and the women’s moods, they might have even invited them to dance, as the women here were excellent dancers.
The nuns didn’t sit with the men; most were inside caring for the injured. Lady Alanster instructed the women to take dinner to them. The condition of the injured was stabilizing, with most improving after treatment, and they only needed short or long-term rest from here on out.
But still, some women endured unbearable pain during the treatment and sadly passed away.
After a tense period of busyness, I cleaned the bl**d off my hands and face, hanging my cloak up to dry in the hall. Alone, I walked out of the inner castle, through countless tents in the square, and climbed up the towering castle walls. With the faint moonlight, I gazed toward the vast plains in the distance, focusing on the mountains and pine forests beyond.
The rain fell in a delicate drizzle.
The sound of water continued softly in my ears.
Behind the curtain of rain, the mountains and lakes responded to each other, like shy maidens, half-hidden in the mist. Under the dim sky, the outlines of two moons reflected upon the lake, shimmering alongside the ripples. The sprawling pine forest along the ridge swayed gracefully in the wind, dancing like waves, elegant and secluded.
If it were sunny, how much more beautiful this scene would be.
I couldn’t help but think of that song.
“Hm… hm-hm~”
I didn’t remember the lyrics, but I could vaguely hum a couple of bars. Just as I began to hum, cries of the women echoed faintly in my ears again.
I think I’ll never forget those sounds.
The Gate of Truth…
The Jester.
“Lady Silvya.”
A gentle voice called from behind me. I turned around to see Lady Alanster, draped in a rain cloak, walking toward me.
“Sorry to intrude… I saw you here by yourself. Aren’t you going to eat something?”
I shook my head gently: “I can’t eat.”
This was probably the first time in over a year that I felt “no appetite.” Truthfully, I was a bit hungry, but just didn’t want to eat.
Hearing this, she smiled lightly.
She walked up beside me, resting her hand on the battlements, gazing into the distance for a moment before turning to look at me: “Isn’t it beautiful here?”
“It’s lovely…” I nodded.
“If you had come to Silence Castle before this rain and stood upon these high walls, gazing at the distant mountains and pine forests, it would have been a completely different experience… So serene, so peaceful, unfolding like a painting before your eyes. The sunlight rising with the sounds of songs, that feeling of being submerged in tranquility… what a pity, I fear there may never be such moments again.”
“…There will be.”
I looked at Lady Alanster and said earnestly.
She smiled again.
Her smile was refined and lovely, like flowers blooming in spring.
I found myself suddenly admiring her.
Admiring how, after experiencing such events, she could still show such a refreshing smile.
“Lady Silvya, if you have the chance in the future, would you still wish to return here? I could take you to see this view again, and if you wish, I can teach you all the flower arrangements the House Alanster specializes in.”
Flower arrangements…
Victoria really liked those.
“Sure.”
I nodded to Lady Alanster again: “I will come back.”
Her smile broadened: “Then I shall await your return.”
A brief silence followed.
Lady Alanster gazed silently toward the lakeshore in the distance, lost in thoughts I couldn’t guess.
After a moment, she finally spoke: “Those… guilty ones, were they all beheaded?”
I was stunned at her words: “Lady, didn’t you see?”
After all, that was to send her son off one last time.
She shook her head.
“What good would it do to see? Just more grief.”
…That was true.
Adding only sadness.
“They have all died,” I replied.
“…Yes.”
After a long while, Lady Alanster softly nodded.
In her gaze, there seemed to be a mix of sorrow yet also a sense of release.
This topic wasn’t suitable to continue, so I asked her, “What about your daughter? How is she?”
“She ate a little while ago and has gone back to sleep,” Lady Alanster replied, then gently took my hand, her face softened with a warm smile. “No offense intended, Lady Silvya, but please, come with me.”
“Where to?”
“Your complexion doesn’t look very good; eating something, sipping a little wine might help soothe your spirits.”
Um…
But I can’t eat…
Forget it, I’ll just go along with her.
“Lady, you can just call me Silv.”
“Let’s go.”
Lady Alanster pulled me down from the castle wall, strolling across the square.
“Tonight’s dinner is a small token of appreciation from us women. To express our gratitude for the lives you saved, they really put in a lot of effort; if you don’t eat, then their hard work would be for nothing.”
Lady…
You’re really persuasive; now I can’t refuse to eat.
I felt a bit helpless: “Alright…”
“Lady Silvya—”
A loud call came from not far away. I turned and saw Safiros sitting with several knights, eating under a makeshift wooden frame, waving at me and Lady Alanster: “Oh, Lady Alanster! Come sit over here with us!”
She pulled me over.
The knights brought over two round stones for us to sit on.
“Lady, I heard this spice recipe was provided by you? It smells so good! I can’t even find beef this fragrant in the Holy City!” Safiros lifted a piece of meat, grinning at her.
“Just a little hobby of making snacks, as long as the Captain enjoys it,” she replied.
“Lady Silvya, give it a try!”
Safiros offered me a large piece, and as I took it, I hesitantly bit down.
…It was indeed delicious.
Much better than what we had at the academy.
I chewed slowly, unable to resist taking another bite.
“Lady, can we drink?” Safiros asked, raising his cup.
“Not much of a drinker, but I can’t dampen the spirits of the others, right?” Lady Alanster took a cup of beer from the side, filled it for herself, then filled another for me. Standing up, she clinked her glass with the knights: “Cheers to all of you for saving Silence Castle from the hands of demons. To the heroes!”
“Lady, you’re too kind. As knights, it’s our duty that you had to go through this…”
“Don’t say that; no one wanted to see this happen… The wicked are those demons, and those who dance with them; it’s not your fault. I wish for the knights to have triumph in battle, driving heretics out of the Western Continent…”
Everyone raised their glasses. I didn’t even have a chance to refuse, so I stood up with them, lamely stuck out my tongue to taste a sip of the beer, then set the cup down and returned to nibble on the beef.
The Captain and Lady Alanster exchanged stories with laughter.
Suddenly, beautiful singing floated down from the castle above.
“The silver moon hangs over the blue lake, the fire’s warm glow comforts the cold tea, the pine forest of the deep night~ the new day is yet awake…”
That female voice was ethereal and smooth, like water trickling through the mountains, seeping into one’s soul, the elegant melody calming everyone’s minds.
It was that song “Silver Moon”…
Compared to that song, Safiros’s singing was absolutely unbearable!
“Whose voice is this…?”
“Even without accompaniment, it’s already far more pleasant than those tavern bards…”
Everyone appeared entranced, gazing in the direction of the castle, while Lady Alanster briefly paused at the sound, then smiled faintly.
“It must be my daughter, she’s awake.”
“I said it! So it’s the young lady… she…”
The Captain seemed to want to compliment her, but recalling her past, his words stumbled and fell silent.
Lady Alanster smiled it off, setting her cup down and standing up: “I’ll go see her, please enjoy yourselves, gentlemen.”
“Lady, take care.”
The knights watched her leave.
The singing continued: “The stars hang high in the sky, this night will never end~ this land is rich and beautiful, and we are fortunate to face its wonders…”
“She sings really well…” Safiros murmured, “She’s a girl who should be cherished in the palm of someone’s hand…”
After that remark, the atmosphere grew slightly somber.
I paused my chewing, placing the leftover beef back onto the wooden frame.
“…Just now, the command from the Pope came down.”
Not long after, the Captain broke the silence: “Tomorrow morning we set off, but the entire knights’ order needs fifty to remain here, and we’ll need to draw five from my squad. I thought about it and well, Mobus, Francis, you two have sustained some injuries, so you’ll stay here for the Holy City’s assistance… I’ll think about the other three.”
“Captain—”
The two named looked a bit taken aback, wanting to say something, but Safiros waved his hand, cutting him off: “I know you’re unhappy about this, and I’m not happy either. You’re my men, warriors of great honor. After what you’ve seen here, I can understand your emotions; you want to fight in battle again.”
“But staying behind doesn’t mean you lose your honor. You saw tonight’s scene, so many women lost the meaning of living. They need time to calm down, to dispel thoughts of s*icide; a day or two won’t be enough… You need to stay and look after them. Of course, some of the more medically inclined nuns will also stay behind. For those painstaking tasks, you won’t have to do them… And when necessary, rescue those poor women; that’s also part of a knight’s duty.”
“I’ll talk to Lord Isaac to see if I can get more people reassigned from elsewhere… no guarantees, but for now, let’s go with this distribution…”
In the square, under the awning, the Captain was speaking to his subordinates. Far back on the castle terrace, the singing still flowed, and in a red dress, the girl danced lightly like a fairy, her movements graceful and delicate, like a figure out of a painting—her slender form exuded elegance, swirling to spread her flowing sleeves, sketching alluring arcs.
“Gray boulders, moss and heather, the dawn is gradually revealing… banners fly, blue and white intertwined… the grass glistening with morning dew, shining bright… the pine forest of the deep night~”
“The new day is yet to awaken… the silver moon… hangs over the blue lake…”
I listened to that song, feeling drowsy, my eyes closing.
In my daze, it seemed like I saw another scene.
Bright blue skies stretched clear above, and a breeze blew over the prairie and pine forest. The castle by the lake stood tall, flags of blue and white fluttering in the wind atop the walls.
Under the warm sunlight, knights entered the city in droves, and the ones within the castle erupted in cheers, celebrating the arrival of heroes. Children chased after the procession, elders smiled contentedly, and the kindly lord of the castle came forward to greet us, introducing us to his beautiful wife and daughter.
By nightfall, the bright moon hung over the clear lake surface. The knights sipped hot tea and warmed wine, bards played music, and the women danced joyfully, laughing and teasing the knights. The beautiful Lady Alanster got drunk, prompting her sweet daughter to tease her, pulling funny faces… she and I were probably the same age, and perhaps we could be friends, sitting together, listening to her sing those lovely songs.
If it could be like this, how wonderful it would be.
“Hey, hey, hey…”
Faintly, I heard someone shouting.
“She’s at the terrace…”
“What is she doing…”
Around me, it grew a bit chaotic as I opened my eyes.
My head felt hazy, bewildered, and I instinctively turned toward the castle—my view was blocked by the awning, and I couldn’t see anything.
But an intense feeling of unease surged within me.
Someone just said she was at the terrace…
“Be careful!”
“It’s dangerous—”
!!!
No…
I noticed Safiros springing up suddenly and running toward the castle; knights around us began to react. They looked toward the castle’s fourth floor with expressions of unexplainable confusion and panic. In the distance, the resonant hum of a divine miracle arose, and a figure floated up from the square, glowing with blazing golden light.
My heart sank.
No…
Bang—
With a swift kick, I dashed forward into the wind.
The wooden frame collapsed with great force, spilling food and drink onto the ground with a loud crash. The canopy above flew high into the air, and the drizzle rained down heavily upon my face. I put everything I had into my Moon Steps, darting between the tents, racing towards the castle.
In my sight, a girl in red bent over the railing of the terrace, leaning out, looking up with her right hand raised high as if trying to grasp the moon in the sky.
The ethereal singing persisted.
But the girl couldn’t reach the moon.
She flipped off the terrace on the fourth floor, plummeting toward the ground—
“Tilia!!!”
In a hoarse roar, Lady Alanster’s figure instantaneously appeared at the terrace, leaping down like a bird taking flight.
My pupils dilated.
At that moment, my Moon Step reached its peak, tents on either side whizzing past like swatting flies, but it still felt like the castle was so far away.
So far, so far…
“Ahhh—”
I saw Lady Alanster, catching her daughter’s body in the air, holding her tightly.
Twisting downward.
The golden light flared. It seemed like their forms slowed for a moment mid-fall.
Then, they continued to drop.
Time appeared suspended in that one second.
All I could hear was the howling wind, nothing else.
I can make it…
I can make it…
I—
Bang.
In an instant, the dull thud echoed as warm bl**d splattered across my face.
My body lost balance in that moment; I smashed through the castle’s flowerbed railing beneath and upturned the soil and flowers, leaving a ten-meter-long skid mark. Muddy water and debris covered my body, my knees and right elbow screamed in pain, but at that moment, I couldn’t care less.
“Lady—”
I crawled and staggered to my feet, hobbling over to the two fallen figures, choking and trembling, kneeling down before them.
“Lady…”
Lady Alanster tightly embraced her daughter, her eyes half-opened, lacking light.
bl**d spread out beneath her.
“Lady…”
I called softly.
She didn’t respond.
In this moment, an overwhelming sorrow flooded my heart; it felt like my chest was contracting fiercely, and I gasped, suddenly unable to breathe.
“…Ugh… cough, cough—”
I began to cough violently, tears completely blurring my vision.
“Ugh… uh…”
I could distinctly hear the creaking of my teeth; I felt a bead of hot bl**d trickle down from the corner of my mouth.
The Gate of Truth.
The Jester…
The Jester…
The Jester…
“Jester—!!!!”
Someone was gradually approaching.
“Lady Silvya—”
“Are you alright…”
“Lady…”
Their voices drifted in and out, sounding like a hallucination.
Then, a healing light of a miracle illuminated before my eyes.
“…Mom?”
In Lady Alanster’s arms, the girl pushed her body up, looking bewildered.
She then spotted me and sweetly smiled.
“I caught the moon…”
Someone exhaled a sigh of relief: “The child is fine…”
“Quick, help them—”
The rain stopped.
But the dawn still needed to wait a little longer, until the night had completely receded, before being seen by people.
