Maydare Volume 6 Chapter 5 - The People in the Coffins

 So fun fact the "voices" at the end of this chapter are actually a separate chapter in the book's table of contents, but I decided to add them here because I feel like making them a separate chapter would lose the impact

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Return.

I heard a voice. The voice of someone calling me.

“.....Who’s there?”

As soon as I heard that voice, I woke up. 

I sat up in the bed of the Vabel guestroom and looked around.

What time was it? It was still midnight.

I thought I heard someone’s voice, but only the gentle spring breeze came in through the open window, and there was no one else there. I could smell the faint scent of sweet flower nectar riding on the breeze.

Which flower did this scent come from? I felt like I smelled it somewhere, sometime before.

It was so nostalgic that it somehow made my chest tighten.

Return.

I heard it again. The voice.

A whispering voice that was calling me.

“Who? Who is it…?”

Still in my nightgown, I left the room, guided by the voice that still echoed in my head. 

I couldn’t stay there.

For some reason, I felt like I had to respond to that call.

I walked down a dark hallway with the same scenery no matter how far I walked. Strangely enough, I didn’t run into anyone.

Eventually, I ended up in front of the big green door.

“This door…”

This was the door leading to the courtyard of the cathedral that Bishop Eska brought us to on the day we arrived in Vabel.

When I touched the door, my fingertips felt a bit numb.

But it opened. Without hesitation.

It was a heavy door, but it swung open smoothly.

“...”

Countless small, white butterflies were fluttering about.

Even though it was nighttime, there was bright sunlight shining, like it was daytime. 

I lifted my head and saw a dome-shaped ceiling of sparkling lacrima. When I came here during the day, there was no ceiling and it looked like an open courtyard, but there was such a beautiful ceiling at night. It was like a glass greenhouse.

The lacrima ceiling emitted soft sunlight like it was midday.

Even though it was fake sunlight, it somehow smelled just like the real thing. The place felt like it was filled with more mysterious and magical power than when I came here the other day. It was very, very quiet…

“Wah!”

When I stepped into the courtyard while looking up at the ceiling, something tickled my feet and made me jump.

That’s right. I came here barefoot.

I looked closely at my feet and saw that the grass on the ground was growing densely at an amazing speed. Small flowers were popping out of the ground.

The smell of spring was in the air, just like the scent of fresh flower nectar that the wind carried into my room earlier.

What was the name of these flowers?

“Good evening, Makia.”

When I heard that voice calling my name, I looked up and ahead. 

A girl was standing at the base of the giant World Tree.

A girl with bright green hair and jade-colored eyes.

I didn’t realize she was here until now. Her coloring caused her to blend into this space, so that was probably why. 

However, her very presence was integrated into this space. She had the same mysterious magical power.

Even though I was feeling a little dazed, my eyes became clear in front of the Priestess and I hurriedly curtsied. “Good evening, Lady Green Priestess.”

She must be the one who called me.

I was a little nervous about meeting her alone.

“Don’t call me by that stuffy name. I have a name. It’s Perselyse.”

“Huh?”

“If you don’t call me by my name, I’ll sulk. I won’t listen to you from now on.”

“Eh, eh?”

The Priestess crossed her arms, puffed out her cheeks, and turned away from me.

I panicked at the Priestess’s unexpected order.

“Okay. I understand, Perselyse!”

“Fufu, that’s right. I’m Perselyse. I really like this name. So please call me by it.”

“O-Okay.”

Come to think of it, Airi once told me to call her name in a similar way…

“Um…were you the one who called me here, Perselyse?”

“Yes, that’s right. I felt like you are on the verge of remembering everything more than Thor.”

“...Are you talking about the Scarlet Witch’s memories?”

“Yes.”

Perselyse nodded like it was obvious.

On the other hand, I think I looked a little hesitant.

“Are you afraid of returning?”

Perselyse peered into my face. Her smile was filled with gentle compassion, but on the other hand, I felt like the color of her eyes made it difficult to figure out what she was thinking.

Return. That referred to recalling the memories of my previous life.

I had heard that word many times before. I was told it.

By the great magicians who had already returned.

“N-No. I just don’t have much awareness of being the <Scarlet Witch>. I have used her magic several times, but it felt like I was borrowing power from someone else. …I can’t think of her as being my previous life.”

“Fufu. That might be the case. It seems that you have already developed your own full-fledged personality. That’s amazing. I especially think so, because I’ve had my past life memories ever since I can remember.”

“...The others all remember their past lives at a young age.”

“That’s right. Ulysses said he remembered when he stood in front of the World Tree and touched the base. I remember that it was the same for Shatoma and Brother. This tree makes a lot of people recall.”

After saying that, Perselyse urged me to look at the World Tree.

A huge, sturdy trunk. 

Roots that clung tightly to the ground. 

The silent World Tree would teach me everything. I still didn’t quite understand that feeling.

However, I did know that the huge tree in front of me was filled with unimaginably great power and was watching over us from a great height. 

When I stood in front of this tree, I felt very small. 

“Come here,” Perselyse pulled my hand.

Then, we leapt and jumped over the roots that spread all over the area, heading for the other side of the World Tree.

“What do you think is on the other side?” Perselyse suddenly asked.

I thought about it for a moment, then shook my head.

“I can’t even imagine.”

“Fufu. It’s coffins.”

“Pardon?”

“Cof-fins.”

At first, I thought I heard wrong.

Coffins…oh no, now I’m getting scared.

As I pressed my hands to my pounding heart, I was taken to the other side of the World Tree by the Green Priestess, Perselyse.

“...”

They were there, blending in with the young grass at the base of the World Tree.

――The coffins.

Rectangular coffins with glass lids and edged with fine gold work.

Indeed, they were embedded into the earth, lined up at equal intervals.

“Please check them one by one.”

“...Y-Yes.”

Although I was a little hesitant, I braced myself and peered into each of the coffins, starting with the one in front of me.

One person per coffin.

Young and beautiful men and women were lying there quietly.

The people in these coffins hardly looked like dead people. 

There was color to their skin, and I could sense the blood flowing through their veins, like they were just sleeping there.

My heart was pounding wildly. It was so loud that I imagined that it echoed in this quiet space.

A saint with wisteria-colored hair was there.

A white-haired magician was there.

A green-haired priestess was there.

A gray-haired bishop was there.

An orange-haired military commander with a dragon-shaped birthmark was there.

A silver-haired young man wearing a crown was there.

Someone with blue hair and a mask over their face was there.

A dark-haired man with an eyepatch was there.

I stopped in front of that man’s coffin.

I couldn’t move an inch from there.

Two feelings were swirling around within me: How and I knew it.

Because that man looked incredibly similar to Thor.

“This…is…”

My voice was trembling, shocking even myself.

I quickly covered my mouth and noticed that tears were already wetting my face.

“...”

Tears were falling from my eyes.

No matter how much I wiped them, hot tears kept flowing.

What was this painful, sad, heartrending feeling that cut deep within my heart? 

Why did I feel this way?

“Who…who are…you…?”

I didn’t know. I didn’t want to know.

“No. You should already know. The people sleeping here are the bodies of the ‘Lord-class magicians.’”

I heard a familiar male voice and turned around.

A blond-haired man in a Frezier military uniform was standing there.

Perselyse, who led me here, was nowhere to be seen.

“General…Kanon…”

Kanon Pachelbel.

He was a general of the Frezier Empire, and to us, he was like a god of death. 

When that man came up next to me, he looked at me and frowned a little. Then, he took out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and handed it to me. 

“Eh? Ah…”

That’s right. I was sobbing.

I probably looked horrible right now.

“S-Sorry.”

I never thought I would end up borrowing a handkerchief from this person.

With mixed feelings, I obediently accepted the handkerchief and wiped the tears that wetted my face.

General Kanon took off his military hat, put it to his chest, and spoke matter-of-factly as he looked down at the coffin I was staring at.

“Nine out of the ten magicians of the <Lord-class> are supposed to have their remains brought to the base of Vabilophos by the <Retriever> after they die.”

His voice was low and uninflected, with no emotion at all. 

“The gods of the creation myth. Even after death, the magicians who are their reincarnations have enormous magical power in their bodies. Therefore, they are managed at the roots of this great tree and used as magical fuel to protect the Holy Land.”

“The bodies are…used as magicial fuel…?”

“That’s right. When the remaining magical power in the body is exhausted, they will naturally sink to the bottom of the coffin.”

Even though there was no emotion in his voice, General Kanon’s eyes seemed to be tinged with sadness.

He seemed to notice my gaze and looked at me sideways.

Being looked down on by those sharp garnet eyes, I started to shake.

He was the one who killed me in my previous life.

Now, I was terrified and nervous about being alone with him.

“Did you see the Green Curtain surrounding the Holy Land?”

“Eh? Ah, yes.”

My voice cracked as I responded. How pathetic for the descendant of the worst witch in the world…

However, General Kanon carried out without minding it.

“That is a great barrier that is constantly deployed using the magic power left in the remains of the <Lord-class magicians> who sleep here.”

“Is that also a law of the world?”

“That’s right. When the gods remade the world, they bound Maydare with many laws. One of the laws stipulate that the bodies of Lord-class magicians must be placed in these coffins.”

“...”

“No matter what kind of history this world follows, I don’t want the World Tree Vabilophos to be monopolized by the powerful people of the age or one of the great magicians. This is for the sake of protecting it from all the conflicts of the world.”

I could feel General Kanon’s strong will in those words.

He was entrusted by the gods with the task of killing <Lord-class magicians>.

“Makia O’Drielle.”

“!?”

I was startled again when General Kanon called my name.

“Do you know who the man sleeping in this coffin before you is?”

“He’s…”

I looked down at the coffin again.

The black-haired man wearing an eyepatch.

There was a dragon’s claw emblem on the eyepatch, identical to the one engraved on my magic basket. 

I squeeze my hand tightly against my chest and managed to speak.

“I believe this is one of the of the great magicians from five hundred years ago…the <Black Demon King>.”

“You’re exactly right.”

General Kanon turned his head to the coffin next to him. “Look at the next coffin.”

“...?”

That was the ninth coffin. 

This was the coffin I didn’t see because I stopped in front of the coffin of the <Black Demon King>.

Told by General Kanon, I walked up to the coffin next to the Black Demon King and peered into it.

To my surprise, it was empty.

“It’s empty…? Why is this coffin empty?”

“Why?” General Kanon turned to me and gave me a strong look, as though appealing to me for something.

“Makia O’Drielle. When you look at these bodies, do you think that there is someone missing?”

“Huh…?”

I thought about it for a little bit, but I knew the answer right away. In fact, why didn’t I notice sooner?

“...Is it the <Scarlet Witch>...?”

Among the bodies lined up in the coffins, there was no one matching that person. 

She–the worst witch in the world–was famous for her fiery red hair.

“Yes. Why do you think the Scarlet Witch’s body isn’t here?”

“That’s…”

It was a very famous story.

The witch caused a huge explosion in the center of the world, dragged the Savior of Fraxinus into it, and died.

In other words, there was no body left behind.

Even though it wasn’t cold, I couldn’t stop shivering, so I wrapped my arms around myself.

I didn’t understand the significance of the empty coffin.

But I had a bad feeling about it.

Because I felt like the empty, rectangular coffin was waiting for “me” at any moment.

General Kanon seemed to understand my confusion, but continued talking without concealing anything.

“The Scarlet Witch died in the explosion without leaving a single piece of her body behind. That’s why I was unable to place her body in this coffin. This is my…mistake as a <Retriever>.”

General Kanon never placed any blame on me, but simply said that it was his fault. After all, this was a role and job for him.

“Do you…want to put me in this coffin?”

He was about to say something, but closed his mouth.

After a while, he spoke in a calm tone.

“It’s true that I will kill you one day. Because the Scarlet Witch’s body couldn’t be stored here, the Green Curtain is in an incomplete state. If someone were to penetrate the imperfect part of the Curtain, Vabel will fall in the blink of an eye.”

“...Eh…?”

“But we’ll keep hiding that fact. Now is not the time to kill you.”

If that was the case, when would it be? When will I be killed?

General Kanon talked about it matter-of-factly, so it didn’t really feel real to me.

I had only the vague information that I would be killed one day.

However, when I saw the empty coffin where the Scarlet Witch was supposed to go, I had something like a premonition or certainty, that I would be in there one day…that was what I felt.

“Putting that aside, I need you to recall your memories as the Scarlet Witch as soon as possible. Whatever those memories are, I need you to return and remember all of the Scarlet Witch’s magic. Before a large war starts in Maydare.”

The Scarlet Witch’s memories.

All of the Scarlet Witch’s magic…

“But, but what should I do?”

“Ask the World Tree.”

Those were the same words that the Green Priestess Perselyse said earlier.

General Kanon looked up at the great tree.

“This trees houses all of Maydare’s memories. It will tell you everything as well. Things you wanted to know, things you don’t want to remember…everything.”

That was all he said before he put on his cap and left.

But just as he was about to leave, he stopped and turned around. “You should try touching the roots of the World Tree,” he said. And then he walked away again.

I guess he told me how to do it because I was still confused about everything. He was surprisingly considerate.

Nero adored him as an older brother.

Bishop Eska said that he was “too kind.”

I would never be able to forget the horror of the moment I was killed, but at least I was beginning to understand what the people around me were saying a little more. That he also had serious circumstances of his own.

“Ah. The handkerchief.”

I forgot to return his handkerchief.

But it was all wet with my tears, so I’ll wash it properly and return it afterward.

I looked at the lined up coffins once again and thought, they look exactly like this person and that person…

Then, I crouched down in front of the <Black Demon King’s> coffin and peered into it once again.

“You really are the <Black Demon King>. I bet…you are what Thor will look like ten years from now.”

They were so similar that I could picture it clearly.

“You really are Thor’s past life, aren’t you?”

The reason why I cried when I saw him.

I’m sure that I would know it if I remember the Scarlet Witch’s memories.

I slowly stood up, walked over to the roots of the large tree on the other side of the coffins, and took deep breaths.

I breathed in the scent of greenery and nectar, and then reached out my hand.

I gently touched the roots of the World Tree that told me everything about this world.

Slowly, slowly, slowly, my consciousness was drawn in…

I can hear it.

The innocent laughter of children.

Echoing from far away, the ten magicians’ wailing–voices.

“Hey. Do you remember what anemones mean in the language of flowers?” ――The Scarlet Witch

“I’m sure that I’ll never be loved by you again.” ――The Black Demon King

“You see, I want to create a magic school where everyone can learn magic.” ――The White Sage

“Please answer. Are you saying that this is the will of Vabilophos.” ――The Green Priestess

“How pitiful you are. Even though you remember everything, you forgot everything about yourself.” ――The Wisteria Princess

“When I’m reborn next time, I’ll definitely save you.” ――The Archbishop of Holy Ash

“Do you trust…me?” `――The Blue Jester

“It’s a dragon! I knew there was a dragon here! Ahahahahahaha!” ――The Yellow Dragon General

“I found it. This is…the world’s border…” ――The Gold King

“I am the creator of demons. Just shut up and kill the Gold King!!!!!” ――The Silver King

“I’ve always wanted to meet you.” ――The Savior of Fraxinus

“Why… Why are all of you forcing everything on me and trying to forget everything on your own? I can’t do it… There’s no way I can do it… I don’t want to kill anyone.” ――A nameless Savior

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