Chapter 76: Can’t Forget
Vikarn Port.
Once the ancient empire’s only stable link to Vikarn, it was now deep within the North Empire’s territory, even deeper than the capital.
The port had been all but abandoned, but after the chaos of the Imperial Festival and the Battle of Vikarn, it had been revitalized.
The mysterious building complex that had once been the entrance to Vikarn was now gone, along with the iconic Clock Tower Cathedral, destroyed in the battle between Bai and Glaimond.
The Vikarn Port of today was a place even Bai, who had spent countless lifetimes in its dream-like illusion, wouldn’t recognize.
But because it was so far from the front lines, it had been spared the ravages of war, though it was still a bit… desolate, like the other city-states.
The autumn wind blew, scattering the red and yellow leaves.
Lilia walked along the narrow, unpaved paths of Vikarn Port, her gaze filled with a quiet curiosity.
Erlya followed half a step behind, her massive axe on her back, though at Lilia’s request, it was now partially concealed.
“Your… Miss, have you been here before? Why did you suddenly decide to come to Vikarn Port?”
Erlya couldn’t help but ask. She had been puzzled by Lilia’s choice.
“No,” Lilia shook her head, her voice soft. “But… I’ve always been interested in this place. And I just wanted to get away for a while. It’s far from the battlefield, so you and my father won’t have to worry.”
Erlya’s expression turned serious. “Miss, it’s not that we’re worried. It’s that you can’t be near the battlefield… the Empire needs you. The people of the Empire need you. Your safety…”
“Alright, alright. We’re already here. Don’t be such a nag,” Lilia said, flicking her on the forehead.
“I know you’re all worried. But sometimes, when I think of the soldiers, fighting and dying on the front lines, while I sit here in safety… it’s hard to feel at ease.”
Although Lilia was not a traditional, wise ruler, her sensitive nature, her overly emotional strategic thinking, were clear flaws.
But she had retained her innocent, pure heart, the same Lilia from her princess days.
Erlya was about to say something else, but Lilia silenced her with a look. “Don’t say another word, or I’ll get angry.”
“Yes, Your Majesty…”
“Still ‘Your Majesty’?” Lilia raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, Miss,” Erlya corrected herself, a look of exasperation on her face.
“That’s better,” Lilia said, and continued her leisurely stroll.
“So, Miss, you still haven’t answered my question…” Erlya said, following close behind.
“What question?”
Lilia didn’t turn around. She was still looking around, as if searching for something, or perhaps just admiring the scenery.
“Why did you come to Vikarn Port…?”
“Oh, that,” Lilia said, stopping, and Erlya almost bumped into her. “Don’t you know? Vikarn Port is the hometown of a great hero.”
Erlya, caught off guard, was so close that her nose brushed against Lilia’s back, a faint, sweet fragrance filling the air.
Thankfully, her years of combat experience had given her a certain… agility, and she managed to avoid a collision.
She took a deep breath, then asked, “Hmm… which great hero?”
“Commander Xu Bai, of course,” Lilia said, turning to look at her, a smile on her face as she saw her flustered expression. “We were the ones who received his belongings from the Garrison Knights stationed here, and then escorted them to Heroes’ Rest. Have you forgotten?”
It was when they had first met, outside the capital, and had agreed to attend “Xu Bai’s” funeral.
“That… I don’t seem to remember,” Erlya said, scratching her head. “Hmm… we did get his belongings, from the Garrison… and then… hmm… we went back to the capital… and then… what happened?”
The memory was fragmented, the details hazy.
Lilia, hearing her, paused, then whispered, “That’s right. What did happen then?”
“No, I think I remember, but also… I don’t?”
A sad, solemn black dress, a small girl…
For some reason, she felt a sudden burning sensation in her chest.
The crimson rune pulsed, a strange feeling washing over her.
“M-Miss…? Your Majesty, what’s wrong?” Erlya asked, seeing her clutching her chest, her body swaying.
She rushed to her side, but Lilia waved her away. “I’m fine. And call me ‘Miss.'”
“Is it your old wound? Miss, we’ve told you before, you have to get rid of everything from the demons…” Erlya said, her voice filled with a desperate anxiety. Ares and all the Legendary Knights had urged her to use the Vikarn technology to remove the curse.
But Lilia, usually so agreeable, had been stubbornly resistant.
“It’s fine. The old wound… it’s fine,” Lilia said, leaning on Erlya’s arm, and slowly stood up. “I… I think I remember now, what happened then…”
“Miss, why are you still worrying about the past…”
Erlya was frantic. If not for her orders, she would have already summoned the medical team.
“Because it’s important. I can’t forget.”
Lilia closed her eyes, and the image of a girl with an indifferent expression formed in her mind.
A girl in a black dress, attending a funeral.
Yes, a funeral. She was attending…
And before her, a boy was being buried.
“She was attending Xu Bai’s funeral…”
“And she was…”
Lilia’s breath caught in her throat, a memory on the verge of surfacing.
Just then, a strange, yet familiar, ethereal voice whispered from behind her.
“Excuse me, is this Vikarn Port? It seems a bit… different from before…”
