Fragment 6: Elena
I was praying.
Please let Big Brother’s illness get better soon.
Big Brother was brilliant—skilled in swordsmanship, capable of magic, an excellent horseman. Everyone held such high hopes for him.
And Big Brother himself worked tirelessly to meet those expectations.
Striving to become a splendid hero. Striving to become a splendid prince.
……But then, suddenly, he fell ill. He must have pushed himself too hard.
Now, he could barely even sit up.
I couldn’t do anything about it. I had never suffered injuries or illnesses like this before.
“You’re so full of energy, that’s good,” Father and Mother would say to me, but sometimes, it felt like they were blaming me—”Why is it you?”—and I couldn’t help but feel sad.
At the border, the war against the Demon King’s army raged on. Without Big Brother, the Ludonian forces were struggling, or so I’d heard.
Everyone was anxious. All I could do was pray.
“Please let Big Brother’s illness get better soon.”
To the spirits. Spirits were everywhere.
I had been able to see them since I was little. “There’s one over there,” I’d say, “and there’s another one.” But no one ever took me seriously. Some even scolded me—”Don’t say such strange things.”
So now, I never spoke of the spirits to anyone. This was my secret.
But even now, I knew people thought I was unsettling. That I wasn’t particularly cherished. The spirits were my only allies. And so, I prayed.
Then, one day, a spirit came to me.
[I shall grant your wish.]
This spirit was… nothing. It had no eyes, no nose, no mouth—or perhaps it did, in fleeting glimpses. Its limbs were twisted, impossible to count, and I couldn’t tell where its head ended and its body began.
—It had no proper form.
Yet I knew it wasn’t something evil.
This was simply what it was.
“My wish is for Big Brother to recover and protect Ludonia like he always has.”
[I see…]
The spirit seemed to ponder something. Perhaps my wish was too difficult.
[I cannot save your brother. His death cannot be avoided. But I can take his place. Would that suffice?]
My breath caught in my throat. Big Brother was going to die. That was terrifying. But if that was the case, then someone had to take his place, or everyone would suffer. Felip and Elliot were strong knights, but they could never replace Big Brother. They were the kind of people who relied on others to carry their wishes.
“……Then, please become the hero in Big Brother’s stead. Protect Ludonia.”
Maybe this was why people thought I was unsettling—because I could say such things so easily. But what choice did I have? If I didn’t, everyone would suffer. I was Ludonian royalty. Even if everyone usually forgot about me, I still had to do what was best for them. Because Big Brother had told me so. The only one who had ever been kind to me.
And so, as royalty, I had to make this decision.
[—Very well. Then I shall take your brother’s body and become this country’s hero. I shall protect Ludonia. However… there is one problem.]
“What?”
[This is not your own wish.]
“Huh?”
[I am a being that gains form in exchange for wishes. If the wish is not your own, I cannot take shape. For it is by fulfilling wishes that I gain form. Your desire to protect your kingdom is sincere, yes. But it is a wish for others—not for yourself.]
“My wish… my wish is…”
I thought desperately. My true wish.
……Maybe it was that? Was that it? But could I really wish for something like that? If Big Brother was gone, everyone would forget about me entirely.
“It might sound a little strange, but…”
[Speak.]
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“Well… I think when people are dying, they remember those who truly matter to them. Maybe their father or mother, or their children. But I think Father and Mother would remember Big Brother in their final moments. Not me. And… that’s only natural, isn’t it? He was so incredible. Compared to him, I’m just… strange. Because I can see things no one else can. But still… it’s lonely. So I want at least one person to remember me. To think of me as someone truly precious. To remember me at the end.
Big Brother is kind, so he might think of me too. But he doesn’t favor anyone—he’d remember Father, Mother, Felip, Elliot, everyone. But that’s not… that’s not what I mean.”
Even as I spoke, I knew it was a selfish wish. To want someone to think of me as they faced death—that was greed beyond measure.
But I wanted to be someone’s most important person. Someday, I would marry—not out of love or dislike, but duty. Even if I had children, as royalty, I would never be close to them. I knew that better than anyone. When I died, I probably wouldn’t think of Father or Mother.
And the attendants? I doubted any of them truly cared for me.
They were only at my side out of obligation.
If things stayed like this, I might die without a single person remembering me. That thought was terrifying.
[Why?]
“Huh?”
[There must be countless people who would cherish you—a girl who prays so sincerely for her brother and others.]
“I don’t think so. No one would…”
Care about me. I was unnoticeable. Unsettling. I had none of Big Brother’s brilliance.
[……Very well. I shall grant both wishes—your wish to be remembered, and your wish for your brother to become Ludonia’s hero.]
“Really?”
[But listen, child—silver-haired child. Wishes are not without cost. In exchange, I seek a beautiful form.]
“A beautiful form?”
[Yes. A beautiful form can only be born from a beautiful wish. I, who have no form, crave one. Just as the eternal crave an end.]
“……I don’t understand.”
[Understanding is unnecessary. Silver-haired child. Your wish is beautiful. And so, I expect a beautiful form in return. When that happens… your wish, too, shall be granted.]
TLNOTE:
Because of that volume 1 and 2 fan translation in this site will be removed in the near future
otherwise check the internet archive
As usual, please consider reading other novels written by Daken sensei listed below :
- Monster Meat Led Me to the Throne
- The Castle of Canaan ~ The Lost Kingdom’s Princess, the World’s Hidden Treasure, and the Grand Adventure of the Mightiest Band of Thieves Versus an Empire ~
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Suspects of Necromancy
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
- The Last Magic (translated by my friend narwhal)
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
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