Alistair went to a guest room where those old librarians were enjoying food and drinks. They kept asking Travis to bring more and more.

Alistair: I'm glad that you like our hotel signature dishes.

Librarian-C: Delicious! All of them!

Librarian-A And, what do you want from us?

Librarian-B: You won't feed us for free, right?

Alistair: A truth.

Librarian-A: About what?

Alistair: Yourself.

Librarian-A: ...

Alistair: Travis, serve them dessert.

Travis: As you wish, your majesty.

Librarian-C: ...A blueberry tart!

Librarian-B: We want something else.

Alistair: How about raspberry pie?

Librarian-A: ...

Alistair: Don't tell me that you are berry allergies.

Librarian-A: ...

Alistair: Oh, sorry. Let me compensate you with this broken ring.

Librarian-A: ...

Librarian-A: You know our secret, don't you?

Alistair: Not much but enough to know who you really are... King Leonard.

Leonard: !!!

Leonard: What are you talking about!?

Alistair: Leonard, you are truly incredible but not legendary.

Leonard: ...

I see. There's no need to hide.

Three old men merged themselves into a tiny ugly man. He was arrogant and acted like he was still a king. He sat in front of Alistair and drank wine slowly.

Leonard: That ring... so, you met Helene.

Alistair: Your wife told me that you were seeking an eternal life and...apparently, you failed.

Leonard: So you want to know the secret of this body.

Alistair: No. I don't want such a failure experiment.

I've already told you that I want to know about yourself.

Leonard: ...

Leonard: I was a great king, but still not enough to be an emperor.

Alistair: Why?

Leonard: I don't know. It just told me that I was not the one.

Alistair: Who told you?

Leonard: I cannot tell you much. It was sort of sacred force.

Alistair: ...

Leonard: I've heard that you are a rare archmage but you won't stand a chance with the emperor. The emperor is gifted.

Alistair: I shall keep in mind. By the way, who did tell you about me?

Leonard: A fool.

Alistair: Hmm...

Leonard: I want to know about Helene.

Alistair: Before that, tell me... who is your assistant?

Who did help you to do experiment?

Leonard: I did all by myself. You have to believe me.

Alistair: It makes me surprise that you have such a talent.

Leonard: Ha ha ha! Young man, there is a lot of amazing things about me that you don't know.

Alistair: *Sip wine*

Leonard: Now, tell me about Helene.

Alistair: She was the one who raised him, Travis.

Leonard: So, did she teach you everything? Are you her successor?

Travis: No. She didn't teach me anything about alchemy. Although she fled to Easteria but she still kept her grace as Queen of Westernia.

Leonard: I see. She could not take revenge on her homeland.

Travis: Yes but to you is a different story.

Leonard: !!!

Alistair: That's right.

Leonard: What do you mean?

Alistair: Do you know what is this yellow gem on my hand?

Leonard: A summon gem!

Alistair: Correct.

Leonard: Did Helene make it? Did she succeed!?

Alistair: No...no...no. Someone gave it to me. The one that always want to meet you...

Leonard: Who?

Alistair whispered to the gem to turn it into a silver fog. The fog had wrapped around Leonard before they vanished together. Leonard found himself in the midst of rainforest. In front of him, a beautiful woman was playing harp. She closed her eyes and smiled while Leonard kept screaming. His body was cut as the music played. She was satisfied but did not let him die. She restored his lost bodies and re-cut again and again viciously. Before she finished him, she opened her eyes and told him a reason for this torture.

It turned out that she was the Queen of Sacred Forest, Aurphilia. Long time ago, she wrongly accused Easteria for a missing nymph and cursed the southern part of Easteria to be a waste land. Hence, Alistair promised her to find a real culprit in exchange of lifting a curse.

At the hotel, Alistair saw the final summon gem was shaking so he put it on the floor. The gem was shinning brighter and brighter. The light brought Alistair and Travis to a hall that was full of vines and trees where someone was waiting for them.

Aurphilia: Alistair, I has removed the curse as I promised.

Alistair: ...

Aurphilia: Are you not happy?

Alistair: Could you please restore what it had lost too?

Aurphilia: No.

Alistair: ...

Aurphilia: It will take many many and... many years to restore that waste land.

Alistair: It was not Easteria's fault. Why do we have to carry this burden for someone's sin?

Aurphilia: Today, you're not happy for the result but in the future... it will be different.

Alistair: I don't understand.

Aurphilia: Send your daughters to that waste land.

Alistair: What!?

Aurphilia: They are the one that should get a reward not you, Alistair. Am I right, Travis?

Travis: Well...

Aurphilia: You lied to them.

You used them.

You guided them to that dangerous place.

Travis: Did you know everything?

Aurphilia: Of course, I know everything.

Did you forget that Helene's soul was in your eye? Whatever she saw, I saw it too.

Travis: ...

Aurphilia: Travis, did you find a secret of the blue flame?

Travis: !

Aurphilia: I don't care about your scheme. I just want to know...

Aurphilia: Alistair, do you feel guilty?

Alistair: ...

Alistair: What were they looking for in that library?

Aurphilia: I cannot answer. But, I believe that...

Aurphilia: Everything that they did, somehow, it will benefit to you.

Alistair: ...

Alistair: The girls, who are they?

Aurphilia: In my vision, they will make your dream come true, but...

Alistair: But what?

Aurphilia: They can make you doom as well.

Alistair: ...

Aurphilia: Be careful about the choice that you will choose from now on. Every choice comes with a price.

Alistair: Do you know why they are here?

Aurphilia: I'm not sure. But, when you figure out, it all will end.

Alistair: ?

Aurphilia: People deserve to get what they did, not what others think they deserve.

Alistair: What are you trying to tell?

Aurphilia: *Smile*

Aurphilia: Time for me to go. I'm looking forwards to see your lovely daughters.

To be continue . . .