Chapter 29
“The Unrecordable Crisis.”
It was an unknown threat—something no one on the continent knew about, existing only in ancient texts.
Like the locust swarm that signaled the end times in the Bible, this world had its own signs of an approaching disaster.
And the first sign was a plague.
The news Loti had just delivered, about the horrible death of the first victim, started in a tiny village called Elahi on the far western edge of the Rohia estate, near the sea.
One week later, half the village was dead. Not long after, they said every villager had been found dead.
Panic spread through the Rohia estate and the entire Western Empire.
As soon as the Imperial family heard about the plague, they summoned Duke Rohia and his family to the capital to protect Yubel Rohia, who was born as a [Materia].
After that, the plague didn’t just stay in Rohia territory. It began spreading across the entire continent—from coastal areas outward—killing countless people. Then suddenly, as if it had never happened, it disappeared… leaving the continent in total confusion.
“But it’s not really a plague.”
That terrifying “plague” was actually a wave of evil energy released by a sealed being deep beneath the ocean—The Unrecordable Crisis.
And if we’re talking about that, we have to explain what it really is.
In the later part of Wings of the White Dragon, it’s revealed that the crisis is actually the evil god Abilisk, whose true form is none other than the god Huerion, the one said to have created the entire continent.
Huerion was the creator of all things, the source of the world.
Even the powers of the continent’s three great saviors—[Igrio], [Materia], and [Ampelos]—all came from him.
Huerion saw a future where he would become evil. So, to stop that future version of himself, he gave part of his power to humanity in the form of those three saviors.
But this caused a problem.
No matter how powerful they were, the three saviors were still only weaker versions of Huerion. That’s why Winter Orsheus had to repeat countless regressions—living life over and over—to finally find a way to seal Huerion.
“He only learned that the plague was really Huerion’s evil energy after dozens of regressions,” the original novel said.
Once Winter learned the truth, he tried to prevent casualties every time he regressed.
But it wasn’t easy. Even as a chosen one like [Igrio], he couldn’t just tell people to pack up and leave and expect them to listen.
He had to die and rewind time over and over until he managed to create a future with zero victims.
He died dozens of times at this very first hurdle.
…And yet this time, Winter was doing nothing.
The only time he had ever acted like that was when he’d lost his mind—when he’d become so unhinged, he wasn’t saving people anymore… he was killing them.
“He met me and told me to go away… what if he really wants to burn me with his breath?”
What should I do? What can I possibly do?
I need to take Ragria with me when I go to meet Winter Orsheus.
Casualties from Huerion’s “evil” will only increase from here.
“I have to save them. I must!”
Winter might have infinite lives… but I don’t.
In the novel, when one village was wiped out overnight, the entire continent was thrown into panic.
And I didn’t need much imagination to guess how people would react.
I’d already seen it in my past life—witch hunts, hate, and violence… It would all happen again.
And this time, with gruesome medieval brutality added in.
I looked at myself.
Just a skinny 10-year-old girl.
Oh right. Yesterday was my birthday.
Of course, no one remembered. I wasn’t even sure if it was my real birthday. But I thought it was, so it counted.
That’s how invisible and powerless I was.
And yet, how was I supposed to evacuate the people of Elahi, all the way across the territory?
Not just them—everyone living near the ocean?
***
“More importantly, Young Lady,” Loti said. “Young Master Yubel has had a slight fever since yesterday. The Duke and Duchess are very on edge right now. Please, try not to be seen. If anything goes wrong, I’m the one who’ll get punished…”
Her words came while I was already overwhelmed, and I ruffled my hair in frustration.
“I bet they called ten doctors. And still, none of them thought to treat your injuries. How ironic.”
“Not ten, but I heard His Majesty sent one of the Imperial Court Physicians to the Rohia estate. But apparently, he’s a bit of an oddball. Told the Duchess not to make a fuss over a little fever. She went ballistic.”
“Was he trying to get himself executed?”
“He’s from a royal side branch. His name is Pereth of Hordel.”
Pereth?
That name sounded familiar.
As I tried to remember the original story, suddenly a solution to all my problems came to mind. I jumped toward Loti.
“Loti! Where’s Yubel’s room?”
“I heard it’s the central room on the 5th floor. Right next to the Duke’s study. So he can check on Yubel while he works.”
“Next to the study?”
“Well, some say it was also to keep him away from Young Master Boris. That kid gets weird whenever Yubel is mentioned.”
The 5th floor wasn’t a place most people went.
But I knew a shortcut there.
I told Loti:
“I’m going to sneak into Yubel’s room at dawn.”
No one listens to a worthless illegitimate child like me.
***
“You’re crazy! I’m not helping! I’d rather die!”
“You will help me. You have to.”
But maybe they’d listen to a [Materia].
Even a newborn baby.
Loti couldn’t resist for long. She was already in trouble anyway.
“You can tell the Duchess it was all my idea if we get caught.”
“But I’ll get punished too! I’ll die! You’ll just be grounded!”
“That’s fine. This is a threat.”
“Wait… I don’t even get a choice?”
“Now you get it? From the moment you hit me, you’ve been stuck on this sinking ship with me. Just do as I say and pray I succeed.”
Loti sighed and slumped her shoulders. She nodded in defeat.
“My life is over. Might as well confess to Alfred before I die. Can you write me another love letter?”
“What’s the point of a letter no one can read? Didn’t you reject Alfred just recently?”
“He can read, actually. And I didn’t reject him. We were just… kind of staring at each other, that’s all.”
“Oh? Then I better make it a good one. Or you can just write it yourself. I’ll teach you the letters.”
“No way, I hate studying.”
Since sneaking into Yubel’s room was risky for Loti too, I decided to write her the letter sincerely.
“This time I want to know what it says. Read it to me.”
“Alright. Ahem. ‘Oh my sweet spring breeze, my azalea of summer, my rose of May—Alfred! Love is not seen with the eyes, but with the heart… even if I cannot see you, my love for you burns—’”
RIP!
Without hesitation, Loti tore the letter and threw it into the fireplace.
I stared at her in shock.
“Are you crazy?!”
How dare she destroy Shakespeare?!
“You’re right. I was crazy. Asking a little girl for help with love letters… I must’ve lost my mind. You don’t even have any friends, let alone a boyfriend…”
