Upon their return, the words uttered by the king and queen were weighty.
「No.」
「No, it’s not permissible.」
「Eh? An immediate refusal!? That won’t do, my King, my Queen!」
The first to react was Bonfire, the most enthusiastic about this matter.
「Bonfire, let’s not push it. If the king and queen say no, then it’s final.」
Urged Peacock who looked scared but still tried to restrain him.
「But… we’re talking about Cu Sith and Alraune! It’s a rare occurrence for them to be together. If we miss this opportunity, it may never happen again. Surely, we’d like to play together!」
Bonfire persisted.
「But why is it forbidden? My King, my Queen. Is it because of their association with humans? I must admit, we shouldn’t associate with them. But then, why do beings like Cu Sith and Alraune, who are ‘closer to our side,’ exist in the mortal realm?」
Bonfire’s question was not unwarranted.
Bonfire, curious and unafraid, was the most affable among them—a quality that extended even to the king and queen.
And so, they listened without stopping him from speaking with the king and queen.
「I heard that the elves used to be ‘close to us’ in the ancient times. We don’t remember because we’ve been replaced but the king and queen remember them, don’t you? Why were we separated from us? Why are we not allowed to talk to them? Why were we not allowed to talk about it?」
The king and queen did not condemn Bonfire. They sat side by side on their thrones, silently absorbing the words—acknowledging the sentiments.
—Of course, they did not affirm it either.
Bonfire is not convinced.
Not only Bonfire, but also Peacock, who tried to stop Bonfire’s outburst, and Yamaikada, who reluctantly accepted the situation, were dissatisfied.
And even those not present—Drizzle and Magpie—despite their outward demeanor and words, all longed for interaction, yearned to converse.
With those beings who had appeared in the forest.
However, even so,
The king and queen’s decision remained unchanged.
「Listen carefully, my dear ones.」
The king said, smiling as if addressing a child.
「This is a rule, not of our decision. It is a decision of the world. Thus, it is ordained—a law.」
Following suit, the queen furrowed her brow, admonishing like a stern parent.
「The laws of the world are beyond our influence. Do you understand?」
And so, the king and queen took turns, earnestly explaining the unalterable laws to them.
「The passage between the Netherworld and the Mortal Realm is one-way.」
「From the Netherworld, we can observe the Mortal Realm. But the Mortal Realm cannot perceive us.」
「And the things in the Mortal Realm that we can touch are only those without will. Plants, rocks, flowers, wind, sky, clouds—only such things.」
「The ‘will’ possessed by the Mortal Realm’s entities obstructs us. When sentient beings perceive us, we cease to exist. They no longer notice us.」
「True, we can interfere with these laws. That’s why we are the king and queen. However, to do so… to become capable of interference, there are conditions.」
「We must be recognized by the Mortal Realm’s inhabitants. Without recognition, we cannot interact. Without recognition, we cannot surpass the ‘will’ barrier.」
「…But, my King, my Queen.」
Representing everyone, Bonfire, with a sorrowful expression, countered:
「Merely having consciousness makes us imperceptible. So… in other words, we must be recognized by those without consciousness. It’s impossible, isn’t it?」
The king and queen, in unison, responded:
「That’s right. We are like a one way street.」
「No matter how much we shout, flap our wings, or flutter before sentient beings, they will never perceive us.」
「Therefore…」
「Yes, therefore.」
They spoke in harmony, with no other option.
「… give up on trying to interact with sentient beings.」
A moment of silence followed.
Each one, whether present or absent, hung their heads, their small bodies suspended in the air, weighed down.
Eventually, the king stood from his throne, crouching before the beloved children, smiling.
「Don’t make that face. Neither I nor Color* want to make you cry.」
And the queen, leaving her throne, looked down at the beloved children and sighed.
「That’s right. Four Season* and I would be troubled if you weren’t smiling.」
The beloved children clung tightly to the king and queen.
「We’re sorry. We, too, were selfish with the king and queen.」
「Yes, we should have known.」
「Indeed… we knew. Surely, in the past, we threw similar tantrums with the king and queen.」
「Yes. Although we’ve forgotten, we must have said such things.」
「Each time, we unintentionally troubled the king and queen.」
「We apologize, Shiki*-sama, Shiki*-sama.」
「We’re sorry.」
「We’re sorry.」
TN: The Queen and King’s names are both Shiki but they are written differently. The queen is Color while the king is Four Seasons.
※※※
The Fai▇ King, Four Seasons, and ▇ry Queen, Color, gently stroked their dis▇ ▇parts—frag▇ of ▇▇ existing far beyond.
Certainly, this was an irrevocable truth.
The grand magic that bound them to an unyielding contract with the tightly woven world—the constraints—persisted, even now.
By confining themselves within the prison named 「Ever▇▇▇ Castle, the Everlasting ▇▇▇」 they continued to exist alongside the ▇▇.
There was no regret. No weariness. They considered themselves content.
Yet, even so…
Within this eternity, at the far reaches of time’s unbroken flow, perhaps someday, or through some unimaginable occurrence—could something alleviate the boredom of these children?
—The king and queen remained unaware that such a possibility would soon become reality.
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