The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 217

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 217

Among the people rescued by Jurlene, some wanted to settle down and live within the Black Forest itself. These were people who could no longer live in the Holy Empire for their own reasons.

“The Empire bastards call them devil’s children, heretics, demons, but in reality, none of that exists in this world! They’re just people born a little different or those with elf blood! It’s not some divine curse or heavenly punishment!”

Jurlene raised her voice. Sion subtly observed Rita’s reaction, then muttered in relief.

“You really didn’t know much about the Holy Empire.”

“Yes, now I understand why you were wary of Holy Empire nobles.”

“People who made it this far into the forest generally had circumstances that left them no choice.”

Rita grasped the general situation through Jurlene’s outpouring of anger, Sion’s accompanying words as his wariness slightly eased, and the artificial spirit’s commentary with its inputted historical knowledge.

‘The Holy Empire… is quite exclusionary.’

The Holy Empire was a polytheistic nation that worshipped pure humans, believing their emperor to be the ‘Sun God,’ one of the many deities they served, and a god who personally descended to earth for humanity.

They consistently oppressed ‘heretics’ who didn’t acknowledge their emperor as a living god, those with elf blood as descendants of a fallen race, and others with disabilities or deformities who weren’t ‘pure humans’ and were thus ‘devil’s children.’

‘People with skin diseases or unknown illnesses were also considered punished by the gods and driven out with stones…? Even if this was intended to prevent epidemic outbreaks, it’s too cruel.’

Moreover, they wouldn’t tolerate even slightly positive attitudes toward the fallen elves, so they rejected scholars studying pre-historical records or ruins, people maintaining customs left by elves, and even mages researching elven magic, branding them all as dark mages.

‘Even doctors who tried to study the human body for healing purposes were treated as blasphemers. It was truly an age of fanaticism. Now I understand why Kairam was founded.’

Doctors and scholars who committed such blasphemy, mages branded as dark mages, people born with deformities or disabilities and the families who hid them, patients suffering from unknown diseases—all these people branded as heretics would flee from the Holy Empire and, if lucky enough to survive, make it into the Black Forest.

Such people had nowhere to return to. The persecution within the Empire was so severe that a forest teeming with monsters felt safer.

Though she wouldn’t admit it herself, unlike her master who firmly drove everyone away, the soft-hearted Jurlene couldn’t completely expel such people from the Black Forest.

The place these remaining people chose became the cave that would later be called the Whispering Cave.

Even after realizing the existence of people settled in the cave, Jurlene didn’t drive them out. Rather, from that point on, when rescued people pleaded that they had nowhere to go, she would tell them about the cave or even escort them there directly.

“I’m not such a pushover that I’d take responsibility for all of them, so I just released them there.”

“For someone saying that, you visited quite often, didn’t you? Always dealing with the monsters around the cave too.”

Sion interjected with a smile. Jurlene’s eyes widened.

“That’s just because it happened to be near my walking route! Those cunning humans knew this would happen and deliberately settled around me!”

Despite saying she wouldn’t take responsibility, Jurlene regularly patrolled near the cave, dealt with dangerous monsters, and subtly taught the cave dwellers about the characteristics of the Black Forest’s flora, fauna, and monsters.

“They kept collapsing after eating poisonous mushrooms and such, so it was annoying and I had no choice but to tell them…”

Eventually, under her protection, the cave became a small village of Empire refugees.

‘So that’s how she also picked up and treated Prince Elision, who had lost his country and was being pursued by the Empire.’

With so many people she’d rescued, Rita couldn’t quite understand why the relatively recently rescued Prince Elision had become special to Jurlene.

‘The two seem to be very close friends already. Though it doesn’t feel like they’re lovers yet…’

From their conversation, it seemed that Jurlene had also found and brought to the cave, one by one, the scattered followers of Sion who had been separated after entering the Black Forest.

‘But that’s strange. The story about the Whispering Cave I heard from the Hunter didn’t mention anything about a witch. Isn’t that right, Gnewg?’

[Agreement: That’s correct, User. However, there’s an interesting fact among the information input to me.]

[Search: Information about the Whispering Cave in the founding myth contains the expression ‘the refugees were able to form a village because the Black Dragon that ruled the Black Forest tolerated them.’ There are also stories that the Holy Empire’s reach couldn’t extend to the Black Forest thanks to the Black Dragon’s protection.]

‘Ah… I understand what happened. In the process of adapting Jurlene into the Black Dragon’s incarnation, the witch’s existence was changed to the Black Dragon.’

[Affirmative: Baby Gnewg thinks the same as the User.]

Rita gazed with complex feelings at the black-haired elf-blood walking ahead. She was chattering in a slightly excited tone.

“Anyway, well, for a cave, it’s quite decent to live in. Everyone really works hard to maintain it, hmph. In the old days, I wondered how such weak kids could live in a place like that… Huh?”

Jurlene’s long ears twitched and then stood straight up. Rita also sensed something.

‘There’s a battle happening up ahead.’

Jurlene, who had gone pale, urgently shouted.

“There’s a commotion near the cave… Sion! This is terrible!”

At those words, Sion’s complexion also changed as he looked back at Rita.

“We need to go ahead first. Rita, please wait here for a moment.”

Without even having time to hear her answer, the two people instantly increased their speed and disappeared between the twisted trees.

Left alone with only the small Black Dragon hanging on her shoulder, Lillieta asked the artificial spirit in her bracelet.

‘Gnewg, are there any records of some incident happening at the Whispering Cave on March 3rd, 821?’

[Information: A detailed recording system by specific dates was only established around the time when the Shadea Church separated from the Kairam Empire and the system underwent rapid changes. Around this time, only myths, legends, and fragmentary stories were passed down, and such detailed records don’t exist.]

‘I see.’

According to the founding myth, Prince Elision, who met the ‘Black Dragon,’ would soon lead the cave people to leave in search of new territory.

‘The biggest reason was that the Holy Empire’s pursuit was closing in. Could it be now?’

Could it simply be a monster attack?

Growing anxious, Rita leaned against a nearby tree, closed her eyes, and concentrated on sensing. She sensitively analyzed all vibrations and flows that reached the Oaths she had spread out like rings.

‘…Sounds of armor and weapons. It’s not monsters, but combat between people. At least 200 of them?’

The number of people fighting up ahead was larger than expected. It was a scale of battle that didn’t suit this forest.

‘Did the Holy Empire form a large-scale pursuit force after losing the prince?’

If it were just a monster attack, that would be one thing, but if a Holy Empire pursuit force had come, it would be a great crisis for the cave people.

Rita recalled once again the role of the Black Dragon in the founding myth. And Sion’s wary demeanor too.

‘Given my physical condition, it’s difficult for me to help… Perhaps this might be the opportunity that makes the founding ancestors believe Gid is a great Black Dragon. Let me ask Gid.’

Having finished her thoughts, she opened her eyes and looked down at the Black Dragon hanging on her shoulder.

“Gid, can you return to your original size?”

The small head tilted. Rita explained in more detail.

“There seems to be a big battle happening near the cave. Return to your original size, carry me, and fly there.”

Gid nodded and spread his wings wide. The small Black Dragon that had dropped from her shoulder was enveloped in black energy and instantly swelled up.

Having returned to his massive original form, he extended his front paw to her. When Rita climbed onto his palm and clung around his index finger, he carefully closed his hand and soared into the sky with powerful wingbeats.

The surroundings, which had been dim due to the dense trees, instantly brightened. Blue sky shone through the gaps between the dragon’s fingers.

Rita hung onto the finger covered with thorn-like scales and examined the ground that had already become dizzyingly small.

A mountain slope jutting up among the treetops. Smoke was rising from near there.

‘That’s the place.’

Even without her saying anything, Gid flew there on his own. The distance that would have taken an hour to walk through the forest in her current physical condition took only 30 seconds for the Black Dragon to fly.

As a result, they arrived at almost the same time as the two people who had departed first.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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