"You overpraise me, your highness," Ancil said as she took a sip of the tea. "I only tend to you as a part of my maid work."

"To take care of me for weeks, it must have been difficult. How can I not acknowledge your effort?"

"Your highness, you've already given me the reward."

"The ring is for Consimia, not you." Princess placed her teacup and stood up. Her hand reached for Ancil and touched her lips. "You can't refuse. Take it as the payment for your next task."

Ancil pulled herself back and expressed a defeated smile. Though Princess was an Arachna, Ancil had been with her long enough that she had regarded her as a precious companion. Deep in that pair of the once azure pupils, Ancil saw something which reminded her of Consimia, for whom she cared the most.

After the tea time, Princess led Ancil into the Hall of Roses. Without the golden Arachna, Ancil relaxed her demeanour and curiously appreciated the surrounding. The roses swayed despite the absence of the wind, filling the room with a refreshing fragrance. The red carpet beneath her feet caressed her every time she took a step.

"Your highness, is it all right for me to enter the room?"

"I won't force you if you don't want to. However, I must warn you that there is no going back after you accept my request."

Ancil paused her movement for an instant before she resumed her pace, her expression determined. "Your highness, anything I can do for you?"

Princess glanced at her and smiled. A relief filled her body and relaxed her mind. "Thank you, Ancil."

Ancil stopped in front of a gigantic gate and nodded at Princess as the last confirmation. With a gentle push, Princess opened the gate. A creaking noise resounded as a soft glow seeped from the gap and permeated the dim Hall of Roses. The cool mist crawled from the inside and spread its chill to the surrounding.

Ancil stared at the lifeless body of mechanical beauty inside a cylinder. Angelica remained suspended in the warm, liquified Fons. Her body occasionally gleamed as light reflected against her smooth skin. Despite being an android, her expressionless face was life-like.

Princess silently walked to Angelica and caressed the cylinder, her eyes staring at the asleep face. Without any utterance, she conveyed her emotions with her sense of touch, transmitting everything she wished through her gentle brush.

"Ancil, do you think that I'm hopeless?"

"Your highness, whatever happened to you must be unimaginable. Still, I believe in your choice."

"Isn't it pathetic? No matter how hard I try, I can't sense her at all. Though her body is here, she has long since gone. Why can't I move on?"

Princess fell silent, her hand slowly moving away from Angelica. She turned to Ancil before gesturing for her.

"You've seen my ugly side. I'm no perfect Princess of Resolution," Princess said.

"Isn't it because there is still hope? Your highness, you're a good person. Your reward will be due."

"I don't know anymore. Did you know that I've tried to experiment with your life and death? Do you still think that I'm a good person?"

Ancil reached out to Princess and grasped her cold, trembling hand, staring into her dull eyes. She slowly moved closer to Princess and hugged her, patting her back.

"Your highness, it is undeniable that you've saved her highness and me. If you intend to kill us, you would have done it already."

Princess gradually stopped shaking. She returned Ancil a hug which lasted comfortably long. As she pulled away, her expression returned to joy and resolution.

"Ancil, you're crazy. One day your personality will come back to hurt you."

"Your highness, I'm not crazy. I'm a maid, and that is what a maid should do. To die for my belief is more than I could ask." Ancil raised her gaze to the ceiling, her eyes staring at the darkness above her. "Aren't you also the same, your highness?"

Princess stared at Ancil as a faint silhouette of Angelica superimposed onto her. Though she was looking at the sky, Princess knew she was waiting for her, waiting to wake up from the fever dream, waiting to reunite with her.

"You two are too alike," Princess said. "I'm lucky to have you."

"Your highness, it isn't luck but Fate that brought us together. Whatever your pain is, please let me help you. The world isn't for you alone to protect. It's for everyone to preserve."

The imagery broke into pieces as Princess reached to Ancil's head and stroked her hair. The soft, brown silky strands grazed her fingers, fluttering with her motion.

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"Silly girl, I'm not doing this to save the world. I'm just a stubborn woman who fights against her Fate. I only want to see her again, to fix my mistakes and clear the knots I created."

"Your highness, may I ask something?"

Princess nodded. "Ask away. I feel like I might not have another chance like this."

"When everything is over, when you fulfil your dream, what will you do? Your highness, what is your place in your ideal world?"

Princess remained silent as she closed her eyes and leant onto the cylinder, her mouth forming a smile.

"Ancil, do you know about the tale of the Countryside Man and the Elven Maiden?"

...

Somewhere in the Rocky Mountain Range, the Countryside Man rushed down the hill as a dark shadow slowly enveloped his figure from behind. He glanced back and saw three monstrous living formations of rocks chasing him, reaching out to a handful of stolen shiny ores.

Though he quickly approached the dense jungle, his speed never decreased. He skillfully swiped his stone dagger, cutting through vines then grabbing onto them, using his forward momentum to propel himself skywards.

As he shot towards a thick branch, he let go of the vines and gripped onto it, diving into bushes of leaves. His fast and concise movement allowed him to slip into the greenery, escaping from the pursuit of the three Rock Golems. Because of their bulky size, they didn't venture into the enclosed jungle and returned to their cave. Their roars faded into tranquillity as they moved away.

After a moment of silence, the Countryside Man fell from the tree, breaking a few branches on his descended. The splinters grazed his skins and stabbed onto his arms, creating bruises on his tired body. He gripped his shoulder and swung a snake which bit him against a lump of rock, repeatedly crushing it into a bloody mess.

As soon as the snake stopped moving, the Countryside Man sprung up and collected the splinters and the vines around him to bandage himself, fastening his bitten shoulder. Before he journey onwards, he checked his leather bag to ensure the safety of the books and the ores.

Despite his injuries, he continued to walk in the same direction, heading towards the Elven Kingdom. Though the jungle was full of deadly animals, they were also the source of countless ores and exotic plants. In the Rocky Mountain Range, there was an endless amount of strange sceneries and creatures.

In his daze, the Countryside Man gradually followed a trail of the glowing crystallized flowers and the lumps of shiny crystals. A warm, soothing fragrance guided his body towards its source, inviting him to stumble deeper into the jungle.

Though the sun was at the peak of the sky, the unending dome of leaves provided shade for the inhabitants. The hot sunlight gradually softened through countless layers of natural curtains and landed onto the ground like a warm radiance.

Despite the thick greenery concealing the path, the Countryside Man saw a flickering light. Unlike the stationary reflection from the crystals, the refraction he saw was in constant motion, waving through the air and moving ever so slightly.

As his vision slowly blurred, his thoughts wandered towards the sky, searching for the same moon. Though it wasn't visible during the day, he knew it was always there, hiding in plain sight.

"Love, do you believe in Fate? I too believe in Fate. If not for it, how could I ever get these beautiful gems for you? I know I might die, but if Fate is real, then I shall survive and meet you in the end. My life won't end here."

Out of breath, he took a step forwards before his legs gave in. They collapsed and dragged his body along with the sloped ground. He clutched his bag as he rolled down.

He closed his eyes and gripped onto the bag, but it caught on a spiked tree and separated from his grasp. He instinctively reached out, but the thorns pricked his skin and forced him back. His body jointed and lost control of his direction.

In a painful clash, he submerged under an unending amount of warm, comforting water. It rapidly seeped into his clothes and caressed every part of him, filling him with a strange relief. A sharp pain pinched his wounds before it gradually faded into a blissful feeling.

Despite drowning under the pond, he didn't feel any suffocating dread. In a moment of silence, his strength magically came back. He opened his eyes to see the distorted reflection of the light above and swam upwards. He broke through the thin membrane of water and emerged woundless.

After he got out of the magical spring and found his bag, he carefully examined his body before collecting the magical water with him. Before long, he found himself resting under a big tree nearby, changing into a pair of new clothes.

"Love, I've always known that Fate is real, but today, I also learn that Fate approves of my journey. This magical spring is proof of my affection."

As he sketched the scene in front of him, he stared at the ores he collected and decided to incorporated it into the sketch.

...

"Specria, there is no need to recite the myth of Rocky Mountain Range to me," the Crown Prince, Akulas Memorae, said, his crimson eyes staring at Specria.

Despite being merely mortal, his majestic aura left an impression in the air, fluttering with his raven black hair. His neat suit complemented his build with its tightness, in contrast to the messy study room.

"Your highness, I know you're an ambitious man who has not the time for insignificant matter, but the tale of old needs to be examined closely, for it conceals the morals of the world."

"There is no need to remind me that the future is full of uncertainty. The fact that I'm standing here is already proof of that."

"Please pardon my crude way of words, your highness. I can't keep up with the political way of words. Allow me to ask you directly: do you intend to overthrow his majesty?"

The two Arbiters behind Akulas moved their hands and generated hidden formations under their cloaks. Though most of the Arbiters wouldn't see their actions, Specria who studied the power of Divinity easily spotted their intention. She faintly smiled but remained unmoving.

Akulas stopped the Arbiters. "I don't mind your manner, Specria. I too am tired of the boring politic. I'll succeed Royal Father."

Specria stared at the pair of ambitious eyes. Her hands paused from her paperwork. "Do you wish to live forever?"

"If I answer yes, will you take me down this instant?"

"Please consider your choice seriously, your highness."

Akulas checked his pocket watch before gazing into the horizon. The orange sunlight tapped onto his handsome face, reflecting off gleams from his eyes.

"Immortality is stagnation, and stagnation means death. I won't be the slave to Fate, but I also won't yield to Heaven."

"Your highness, I admire your determination. If only you have the talent to become an Arbiter."

"I don't the time to think about what the past could have been. I've been working hard for this moment, and I won't let it out of my grasp again."

Specria stood up and performed a bow. Her silver hair flowed with her motion. "Your highness, her highness sends her regard to you."

Akulas nodded and turned around before strolling out of the study room. "Unfortunately, she won't be able to see Royal Father."

"Specria, send my regard to Medoria. Tell her I hope she recovers from her illness soon."