Seeing this scene, Aihuas's eyes widened slightly.

When he saw the elven harp, the clues finally joined in Ivus's mind.

“…… So that's what happened. ”

Ivus muttered under his breath.

In the original history, Yunus had no contact with Sherlock at all, so he handled Anastasia himself.

But apparently, he eventually messed things up.

One proof of this is that when the player returns with Yunus, they never see Maxim and Grace at all, either because they left, or because they refused to open the door.

In short, Yunus takes the player to a tree, tells the story of where he saw the "Girl Ghost", and shows the "Harp given to him by the ghost", hoping to let the player see if there is any ghost reaction here. In the end, it was discovered that there was indeed no trace of the undead here, and what he saw might indeed be just illusions or hallucinations.

So Yunus, who finally didn't get an answer, played a nostalgic song and sang a melancholy song.

From the end of that mission, the player was given a replica of the harp as a transmog for the main weapon, the "Instrument". Just as the transmog of a melee weapon affects the percussion sound, the transmog of an instrument changes the sound of the ability. And the timbre of this harp is very crisp, like a cold spring flowing water.

That instrument, it now seems to have been made of Anastasia.

…… Obviously, Anastasia didn't like being placed in the fairy realm by her parents.

That would have allowed her to live, but it was too painful to barely survive like that. What is the meaning of a childhood that is just "to live" and "to persevere until adulthood" for Anastasia herself?

That's why she misses Yunus and wants him to come to her house to find her.

With this incident as an excuse, Anastasia can use the excuse of "wanting to see Yunus again" to come out of the fairy kingdom.

When she re-entered into the material world, her arbosis soon set in. Sooner than Evas, and faster than her parents had expected—she was tired of the painful existence, but she didn't want to refuse her parents' kindness. Therefore, she chose to end her life in the material world in this way.

As a final gift, she made a harp out of her own trunk and gave it to Yunus.

But because Maxim and Grace claim that Anastasia is already dead, Yunus thinks that the girl who flashes before his eyes is a ghost.

In order not to cause trouble for her parents, Anastasia did not tell the truth about everything, let alone show Yunus her true identity.

Yunus took the elven harp for no apparent reason, and was then resolutely rejected by the grieving Anastasia's parents, thus "losing the possibility of continuing the investigation" and cutting off the follow-up quest line.

Only Anastasia's parents knew what was happening.

But they probably don't know either...... Anastasia insisted on leaving the fairy realm, not just because she was saved.

— but because when she fell outside, she saw the "outside world" for a moment.

It was that experience that made her tree disease so severe; If it hadn't been for this experience, Anastasia's heart wouldn't have become so chaotic.

After all, not long after Anastasia was born, she only survived at home and in the fairy kingdom, let alone abroad...... She hadn't even been in contact with outsiders in years.

Neither people of any other race, nor the culture of any other race or country—she had never seen it.

People who have never seen the sun since birth are not anxious about the lack of sunlight.

- In that accident, she met Yunus.

Yunus probably wanted to comfort the frightened girl, so he tried to make Anastasia laugh.

Anastasia had just spoken of the griffons of Avalon, of the desert and of the springs...... And for her, who hadn't left the fairy realm for decades, she could only know these things because Yunus had told her these stories back then.

From that moment on, the girl's heart flew to the sky.

The land of the fairy realm could no longer bind her soul.

At this time, just looking at Yunus's trembling gaze, he could also realize the shock and impact he was undergoing.

“…… Anas, Miss Tasia. ”

Yunus's lips moved, but he couldn't say anything, and could only stumble out his name.

He didn't know if he had done something wrong.

He looked at Anastasia, who was gradually becoming a tree, intellectually understood what was happening, but emotionally, his brain was in chaos.

"Mr. Yunus......"

Unlike Yunus, who hesitated.

Anastasia's voice gradually became sleepy and low, but it seemed firm and calm.

In terms of human lifespan, this is already older than the long-lived old man; The girl, who was too young for the elf to reach adulthood, already had a mature soul that neither her parents knew: "I know what you're worried about......

"But you didn't do anything wrong......

"—I appreciate you."

The girl took three breaths and expressed her heart.

Yunus carefully held the harp, took stiff steps, and slowly approached it.

And Maxim's originally scrutinizing and cold gaze gradually calmed down and regained its temperature. Only to become sad, he took off his glasses and wiped his eyes silently.

Obviously, he knows his daughter very well. Of course, it may also be because when he went to the fairy kingdom to meet Anastasia a few years ago, he learned about this and knew the outcome of today.

So when Yunus came to him, he entertained him very warmly; But when he asked to see Anastasia, his attitude cooled.

But apparently, neither of them knew that Anastasia's tree transformation was already close to a critical point - as soon as she left the fairy realm, the final stage of tree transformation would begin immediately.

If they knew about it, they wouldn't have let Anastasia leave the fairy realm.

But Ivas has another view.

But Ivas didn't speak.

But Sherlock, who had witnessed everything, spoke leisurely and calmly to the point of coldness, and said, "I'm afraid Miss Anastasia has already crossed the limit. She just wanted to wait for Mr. Yunus to arrive, and then give that gift, to say her last gratitude. ”

“…… She just didn't want to break her word...... I don't want to miss the appointment. ”

Ivus shook his head and added softly.

This is probably the reason why Anastasia became close to Ivus immediately after hearing his story.

Obviously, her pure soul that walked on the path of devotion made her want to do this for a long time.

But no one had ever taught her whether this was the right thing to do. That's why she got tangled.

She didn't just hear the story and feel the kindness from Ivus—but it was because her own bold ideas were recognized.

Under the silent gaze of several people, Anastasia, who no longer suppressed her power, grew at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Releasing all the power she had reserved, she no longer felt pain, and her expression immediately became calm.

Obviously, she hadn't revealed her status before. Even Lady Grace had only seen Anastasia under illusion, and rarely seen her in her true form.

“…… Am I doing it wrong, Mr. Ivas? ”

Grace muttered.

Aiwath shook his head slightly: "No." ”

There is no doubt that there is nothing wrong with Grace and his wife, they just hope that their daughter can survive on earth for a few more days; Yunus was not wrong either, he just told a little girl who was ignorant and lonely those stories she was curious about; Anastasia was not wrong, for she did not want to live like this, but was curious about the world she had never foreseen and had never had the opportunity to meet; Of course, there is nothing wrong with the giant tree, because it is a kind of ascension in terms of life form - Anastasia will enter the dream realm and receive true immortality before her parents, which is a kind of "early graduation" in another sense.

"—there is nothing wrong with everyone."

Ivas replied.

“…… But no one laughed. ”

Elblin Neriam hugged Ivus's collar and whispered cautiously, "Why? ”

For the goblin, the heavy, serious atmosphere in front of him seemed a little too painful.

"Because they don't know."

Ivus whispered, "They only know themselves, but they don't know others.

"Not knowing the past of others, not knowing the suffering of others, not knowing the abilities of others. Nor are the wishes of others known.

"If you don't say it with your mouth, no one can know that the other person is already in pain......"

As he spoke, he stepped forward suddenly.

Several people, including Anastasia, turned their eyes on him.

"Miss Anastasia," said Ewas, "I have a better way here. A way that you don't have to part, you don't have to sleep, and no one will grieve about it......"

As he spoke, he pulled out a box of tarot cards that were much emptier than normal from his bosom.

At that moment, Sherlock's eyes changed.

He remembered something.

A few months earlier, Ivas had demonstrated this mystical technique in front of him......

Ivus looked at the girl who had turned into a tree, "You only have to make a choice here...... It is to ascend into a dream and fall into a deep sleep. Until he was woken up by the singing of the next 'brave man'.

"—or follow me and see the world with your own eyes?"

(End of chapter)