Does the mechanical girl dream of the Messiah?

The old man in black robe smiled and shook his head.

"The so-called 'compilation of destiny' is just a bluff, and the 'prediction of the future' is nothing more than inference based on the information recorded in the world. I can't write destiny. The most I can do is to preset enough conditions and let things develop in the direction guided by those conditions. It's just a little trick. What is there to thank for such a thing?"

"..."

Ashlee tilted her head and blinked, as if she didn't quite understand what the old man was saying.

"Okay, don't worry about it, little girl. You're probably in a hurry too, right?"

"...Yeah, that's right. I wonder what time it is now..."

Hearing this, the old man chuckled.

"Now, it's already the 'third day'."

The 73rd Opening

It was like falling into water.

There is no boundary, no end, no bottom that can be touched, it is the deep bottom of the water where one can only fall continuously and suffocate continuously. That is exactly what the girl is expecting, as long as she falls to the end of the abyss, she can find what she truly loves - at least, that is what the girl thinks and expects.

The girl had never seen the light of the moon, nor the colors of the stars.

She just looked up at the water surface from underwater, imagining that on the other side of the sparkling waves, there was something she longed for, and that at the bottom of the lightless sea, there was a path leading to the surface that she could never reach. That was the girl's desire, and it was the deep dream that the girl fell into day after day.

"Colette, Colette, dear Colette."

From the corridor that was only separated from him by a wooden door, he heard the dragon's call.

That was a tone that the girl felt very familiar with.

She knew, she understood, that was the lyrics of the song Call of Love that she had once taught to the dragon. It was originally just a joke, but she didn't know when it turned into reality.

"Ah...Rose?"

The girl knew who was outside the door without even asking.

The girl, who was sitting on the ground, pressed her body against the door. She couldn't help but look up and gently knocked the back of her head against the door. Perhaps because it is located on a high mountain, the winter in Muirand is colder than those cities in the south. It becomes even more unbearable at night, especially today when it is snowing - a blizzard that has not been seen in who knows how long. The fire in the fireplace seems not enough to completely dispel the cold. The sound of snowflakes hitting the glass windows composes a symphony of white noise. It is so noisy, but it can make people calm down, sink down, sink into their own hearts, spy on their own thoughts, and question their own hearts.

The bedside table lamp and the wall lamp on the corridor wall cast soft warm light around, so that this place would not become a dark soil, but that was all. The tiny light seemed not enough to illuminate the heart and the depths of the soul, but just floated on the surface, making herself feel falsely warm. Even so, the girl still told herself that it was okay, it was okay, she would soon realize her dream, and she would soon become the person in her dream.

It doesn't matter if it's cold, it doesn't matter if it's lonely, there's no need to hug yourself, it will all be over soon.

"I'm here."

"Ok, I know."

"...You've been with Colette all this time?"

"I know."

It was clearly the last day, and clearly there would be no possibility of seeing each other again after this night. Even so, the girl and the dragon were not allowed to see each other. It was clear that as long as they broke down this door, they would be able to see each other who occupied their entire hearts, see the face they had been thinking about day and night. But the girl did not do so, and even the straightforward and simple dragon did not do so. It seemed that it was a taboo, a taboo that people dared not touch. If they did so, they would face unknown punishment. Perhaps they would feel happy, perhaps they would have no regrets, or perhaps they would have lifelong regrets.

The "protected" sacrificial girl would not allow anyone to touch her before the ceremony began, not even Rose, who was closest to her. It seemed to be a meaningless thing done to sever the sacrificial's remaining ties with the world and to allow the sacrificial to offer herself in the tranquility of nothingness. Rather than saying it was for the success of the ceremony, it was just to ensure the psychological state of the sacrifice. After all, this kind of thing would not have any effect on the ceremony at all. As long as the tip of the sword was stabbed into the throat and life was dedicated to the gods, everything would come to an end.

Or maybe, the two people who followed this meaningless thing were actually just afraid to face each other?

"... Colette, Colette, my dear Colette."

"Yeah, I'm listening."

"Shall we... run away together?"

"..."

The sound seemed to disappear at that moment.

The sound of breathing, the whistling of the wind and snow, the crackling of the charcoal in the fireplace, and even Rose's voice seemed to have disappeared from this world. Was it the sound that disappeared, the quiet night outside the window, or was it just the girl's thoughts that disappeared? I'm afraid even the girl herself didn't know. How fast her heart was beating, that heartbeat that suddenly rose after it seemed to have missed a beat, but the girl would not admit it, and could not admit it, not now, not in the future, and never.

"Let's leave here together, leave Muirand... Let's travel like before, from the east to the west of the continent, from Mariai to Roklia, from Roklia to Letoni, from Letoni to Noron, from Noron to Zerhar, from Zerhar to Teriyadi, from the end of the north to the end of the south... Let's cross the many wonders of the world together again, let's go through the cycle from spring to winter together again, okay? Let's run away together, sing together, laugh together, spend the day and night together, just like we promised, stay together forever and ever, and never be separated, okay?"

"..."

The girl's breathing became rapid, and then calmed down again.

"Colette, my dear Colette... let's get away from here, okay?"

“…I can’t do that.”

"Colette..."

"I can't do it. I...I won't do it either..."

"Your voice is trembling. Why would you use that voice to say such hurtful words to yourself?"

"Rose, Rose, my dear Rose... I will not forget the people of Muirand. I cannot help but save their lives. Perhaps it is not my duty, but if I have the opportunity to do so, I will definitely be willing to sacrifice myself and become the burning torch... If I abandon all this, I will no longer be myself, no longer the Colette you love. If I abandon all this, someone will eventually have to pay the price. It may be others, or it may be yourself, my dear Rose... I will bear all this, I will... let everything end, my dear Rose."

Are they words from the heart or words against one's will?

Or maybe both?

"Forget me, my love - forget me. There has never been a witch in your life. Take this as the truth. This is my farewell and blessing for you. I am a witch born to lead you to fall. If my falling in love with you brings happiness and becomes a sincere wish, then falling in love with me is just a destined curse, a curse that will make you feel painful and unable to extricate yourself. It is a mockery of my struggle and the ending that unfortunate fate desires.

Forget me, otherwise it will only bring you great pain - forget me, I am the witch whose fate will be cut off, I am the apostle who will only bring you misfortune, I am your shadow, a shadow that will melt in the glory of love. Forget me! Only in this way can you get a truly happy ending. What you deserve is not the witch's curse, but the embrace of all people. That glorious place is your home."

Those are very familiar words.

Ah, yes, she is always like this - too shy to reveal her true feelings, so she sings the words in the opera, or speaks in the voice of the character she plays, telling the words in her heart. She has also expressed her love in this way, and now she also tells her anxiety in this way. Is she uneasy, uneasy because of love?

"How can I forget you, Witch of Ashes! If you are a shadow, then it is a shadow like a blazing fire that will devour me and melt my blood and bones. If you are a curse, then let the curse entangle me. I am willing to bear you and the curse together! Don't let go, my love! Don't regard this love as misfortune. The darkest thing has created your unfortunate fate. The gods will give you and me equal blessings. If this happiness will be fleeting, I will turn this moment into eternity to remember!"

Who wouldn't be moved by that moving voice and those lyrics full of true meaning? She is a dragon, a dragon that does not hide herself. Her singing voice matches her natural voice, and her true emotions make the voice even more touching. I want to offer my blessings and tomorrow's bouquet of flowers.

"Farewell, my love, my glorious lover. I will go away with the curse. Forget me, my lover. The witch of ash will bid farewell here. The road ahead of you is still long. May your life always be accompanied by flowers and hope..."

Are you trembling, Witch of Ashes?

Are you shrinking back, afraid of the overly bright emotion, the voice that makes you feel warm?

Colette's voice became softer and softer, and gradually faded away, as if she was reciting an epitaph for herself.

She was saying goodbye, saying goodbye to the scene in the opera that could not go on.

"...Colette..."

Long's fingertips lightly touched the mahogany door.

As long as she exerted a little force, she could break this confinement that she despised, this fragile and illusory cage, but what was the point? She could break the cage, but could she release the bird in the cage as easily as she broke the cage? Could her confused mind soothe the bird's heart? Could her broken words sing a peaceful and beautiful lullaby? If these arms took away her body, could they also take away her heart, her regrets, her sins and punishments?

"Colette, Colette, why are you Colette...?"

Is this a joke of fate?

To bring an end to the loneliness of the journey, but to take away happiness from the happy traveler?

God, why are you so cruel and why do you ignore my prayers?

——The gods will not do cruel things.

It seemed like someone had said this to me before, but who was it, where was it, and when?

It seems that someone once said to himself:

"I will definitely find a way to make you happy."

Are those real words, or are they just a joke from the paladin?

Is that hope, or is it just a sweet illusion caused by confusion and madness in despair? It is a hope that is too dreamy, too ethereal, and seems to be impossible to grasp. Even so, Rose will still regard it as hope, as the only remaining tenderness of the gods. The shadow of hope or despair makes her kiss the door gently, as if she is kissing her lover who is separated from her. Perhaps the girl has been discouraged, and her heart is harder to melt than the ice in the north. The dragon still does not give up, just like the persistent dragon that exists in every fairy tale dream.

"...Wait for me, Colette."

"..."

"I will definitely find a way to make you happy."

She is a simple and straightforward dragon who is not good at speaking. Compared with the dramatic singing style that Colette likes and is good at, she is more accustomed to speaking in the most straightforward way, expressing her wishes, her thoughts, and everything she is obsessed with.

There was no answer, only a long silence, but Long did not feel discouraged. She just gently knocked on the mahogany door with her tail and spoke in her usual pure and sweet voice:

"Good night, Colette, have a sweet dream."

There was no response. After the words, there was only a long silence. The corridor filled with dim light was silent and deserted. Only the remaining warmth could prove that someone had been here before. It was too familiar, so familiar that she would respond to it subconsciously. It was obviously like this, and it should be like this. However, Colette bit her lips tightly, as if she was restraining herself, restraining her instincts, her nature, her emotions, and restraining her vocal cords to prevent her from making unnecessary sounds.

"..."

The clothes, bedding, and the fire from the fireplace seemed unable to conceal the chill of deep winter. The silent girl curled up her body, hugging her arms with both hands. She did not cry, and it seemed that only the slight trembling of her shoulders could prove her sadness.

“…Rose…”

Want to be hugged.

I want to see the stars - the stars in the night sky that can only be seen in myths.

……

"...The Great Council is with us, and the blessing of God Alexander is with us. Today, the swords in our hands will cut through the darkness of Myurand, so that Myurand can become Myurand!"

In the afternoon, Galeazzo's voice still sounded full of energy. It was hard to imagine that this was the voice that could come from the mouth of a person who had been working intensively for two days. It was quite incredible.

"What do you mean, that?"

While raising the telescope, Regia pointed in the direction of the military camp.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Lunicia also looked bored. The intensity of today's combat was suddenly lower than before, which made her feel a little uncomfortable. Under the pretext of reorganizing the defense line, Galezo first pulled the reinforcements from the Church and the Guards Division to clean up the defense line, and then arranged them to other places to rest and wait for orders. So now, there were some gaps in the offensive on the northeastern front, which gave Galezo the opportunity to gather the troops and make the final oath and arrangements.

"Compared to 'last time', is there any improvement?"

"It seems there is no difference..."

Indeed, it seemed that apart from some minor differences in wording, Galeazzo's speech was basically the same as the one he gave "last time" - or it could be said that because the last time was actually infinitely close to success, this time, except for spending a lot of time looking for Colette and Rose on the second day, the other preparations for Lunicia were not much different from the last time. The traps under the Cathedral of Alexandria were also arranged, waiting to give the garrison marshal a "surprise".

Although it might be a bit unfair to him, after all, if he really fell into the magic trap in the northeast area as planned, there would be almost no possibility of survival - Muirand's defense force would probably be greatly weakened as a result, but it was better than being wiped off the map directly. After all, Lunicia and her group could not guarantee the situation on Rose's side, so preparations to deal with Sandria must be made.

The decisive battle will take place in the evening, and before that they must recover to full condition, so this period of time is a rare leisure time for Lunicia and others.

"Aren't you surprised to hear something like that?"

"What do you mean, Miss Paladin? 'You've been through this several times' that?"

"Yeah, I thought only Ashley and Ella would have no doubts at all..."

"I will believe everything Lady Luna says."

"Thank you."

"Surprised... Surprised... No, it's too surreal, so I'm not surprised at all."

This answer made Lunicia a little stunned.

“Is that so…?”

"Anyway, if we really have to do something, it doesn't matter even if there is no such reason. Since those bastards from the four major families want to use my beloved, adored, irreplaceable, shining, dazzling, and brilliant Lady Colette as a sacrifice, then I will shoot them to pieces with one arrow—"

"Ahem, Regia, watch your words!"

Seeing that the situation was not good, Leopold coughed twice.

"Oh, oh, sorry, sorry."

Her expression didn't look apologetic at all.

"Anyway, that's about it. The reason doesn't matter. What they are going to do is simply a heinous crime. That old man Lineiro must be criticized to death at the next meeting—"

"He may not live to see the next time..."

While talking, the group came to the isolation wall. Galezo, who had made the final deployment, was explaining something to other members of the Young Officers Club.

"Galezo! Very impressive!"

Regia punched him hard on the shoulder, and the latter chuckled and bumped fists with Leopold.

"The operation will begin on time. Before that, we... oh, wait."

The communicator hanging on his belt made a "beeping" sound. The people around him looked at each other, wondering who would contact him at this time. Galezo himself looked confused. He could only pick it up, put it to his ear, and pressed the answer button.

"Hello, who is this? This is——"

"——What stupid things are you still doing!!!"

Francesco's roar came through the communicator, almost deafening.

"The ceremony is about to begin! Do something quickly!!!"

Chapter 74: Dark Clouds