Chapter 1513
Must the decision be made by oneself?
Isn't that exactly the scenario Princess Bemang has always dreamed of? Just like the protagonists in adventure novels, when she was young, she would lie on the marble floor of the royal library, engrossed in reading novels about dungeon exploration or deep-sea treasure hunts, and she would imagine herself as such, leading an invincible team with her charisma, gathering a group of like-minded companions with diverse personalities, gaining their trust, making long-term plans, and making wise decisions in times of crisis. Together, they would travel, overcome difficulties, and defeat powerful enemies. There might be danger and tears along the way, but more often, there would be laughter and touching moments…
Become the protagonist, the core, the pillar of the team, the backbone of everyone, an indispensable cog in the machine, and even the brightest star in the sky, Ovira, you can do it... She always told herself this, not considering it a child's joke at the time. After all, childhood ideals are always the most serious, aren't they?
Later, she did achieve her dreams, but not all of them. It wasn't until the story unfolded that she realized she wasn't the protagonist or the center of the story, but merely one of many characters. Everyone was gathered together because of Saint Charlotte, bound by a shared destiny through Ling, and unanimously trusted Alice's incredible magic, believing she could always turn adversity into victory and bring hope to everyone.
As for herself? She is indeed indispensable to this team, but everyone is the same. If anyone is missing from Cloud Whale Sky Island, even if it's not a person, but Saint Charlotte's lamb, Gloria's little white dog, or Hino's beloved horse Brandy, it will feel like something important is missing, leaving a sense of loss. If everyone is indispensable, then this quality is no longer unique.
However, Ovira did not feel dissatisfied or have any other thoughts because of this. In fact, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief in a corner unknown to others. Was it because she had long forgotten her childhood dream? No, perhaps it was because her later experiences made her remember this dream more deeply. But the reason she remembered it was not to realize it one day, but to constantly remind herself that she did not have that ability. She should recognize reality and recognize herself.
How could one take a child's words seriously? As an adult, Ovira convinced herself again with a completely opposite statement, and from then on, she became a member of the team with peace of mind, being led by others and looking towards the light ahead—it was much easier than she had imagined. Therefore, even when she decided to emulate the adventure novels she had read in the library as a child and write a story about herself and her companions, she never considered making herself the protagonist.
That seemed unrealistic and also contrary to her current state of mind. When Ovira thought this, she didn't realize that reality, like the weather at sea, was constantly changing, and so was one's state of mind. Therefore, when Xia left the team forever, Ling fell into despair, and Alice was powerless to help, she recalled her childhood dream. But this time, it wasn't about realizing it; it was simply about taking on the responsibility of being a member of the team. When she decided to take the place of the other three and lead the team forward, she realized she had long lost that courage and ability. Therefore, she had to force herself to do it through suggestion and self-questioning, and she was determined to succeed.
It's ironic that we don't have the opportunity to do what we most want to do at the age when we finally have the chance, only to discover we're incapable of it when we finally do it, and then we're forced to do it at the worst possible time. The scheming, plotting, and meticulous planning of royal power are merely a concealment of its true nature; it has never truly been overcome.
Just like her childhood dream, it was foreshadowed long ago.
No matter how many books she has read, how much knowledge she has acquired, or how many things she has experienced, when faced with difficult choices in life, Ovira always thinks of others first, wanting to know how they would view the problem, wanting to hear their advice, and sometimes... even wanting to give them the right to choose, letting them face the world's questions on her behalf.
But this was by no means because the princess was inherently weak, or because reality had made her weak; it was simply an innate habit. This habit can be traced back to the time when she was still an innocent child, yet she had already learned, without any instruction, to define her own destiny.
In the courtyard where violets bloomed, the teacher gently asked her if she wanted to learn about life, memory, and past lives. The young girl felt an irresistible, destiny-like force in this seemingly ordinary question, and dared not answer. Only when the teacher spoke again, his tone no longer questioning but inviting, did she timidly nod in agreement. When the colossal, dark castle was quietly completed thanks to the tireless work of the artisans of Beman, the king gazed at the rising shadow, seeking one last confirmation of his daughter's will. He wanted to know if she still had anything she cherished or couldn't let go of in the mortal world, even a vague answer, which might give him the power to overturn all his past decisions. She received some comfort, but the girl, who was gradually realizing that fate was unchangeable, still didn't speak, thus forever losing her last chance to be honest with her family. In the very end, after countless turns of time and the ups and downs of life, a complete stranger suddenly entered this ancient castle that had never had a visitor in all its long history. Whether it was Xia, who facilitated this wonderful journey, Ling, who was unwilling to embark on this journey from the beginning, or Alice, who wholeheartedly wanted to complete this journey, they all reached out to her, extending a patient, calm, and warm invitation. If she had nodded and agreed without hesitation at that time, perhaps the princess wouldn't still regret the hesitation and confusion rooted in her bones to this day?
As we all know, Ovira eventually left the castle and returned to the human world, going further and further until she reached a distance she could only look at in books and dared not even dream of. But in this process, she was always being pushed along until she witnessed Saint Charlotte's death, which made her finally decide to do something on her own.
This unwavering resolve enabled her to accomplish many incredible feats, from searching for the remnants of the evil dragon and the Holy Grail from the ancient, dark depths, to treating the land of Atorica as a chessboard and manipulating all living beings like pieces, to facing the awakened Plague Witch alone, defeating her with unimaginable rationality and a ruthlessness that would never occur again in her life… All of this is gratifying, just as mentioned earlier.
But perhaps this is where it ends?
The firewood will eventually burn out, and the passion of the moment will gradually cool down after the battle. So much so that at this moment, faced with a choice that has never been more important in his life, the omniscient and omnipotent mysterious king once again subconsciously, or rather intentionally, ignored the knowledge and authority he possessed, and still relied on his own feelings and habits to throw the problem to others.
She is also the most important person.
...If it were Linger, what would you choose?
The moment the question surfaced in her mind, even O'Viola couldn't help but laugh at herself, because she already knew the answer, didn't she? That young man was incapable of being deceived by appearances; he could clearly discern what he truly wanted and what he resisted, and always made the right choice between the two. At the same time, he possessed a compassionate yet sorrowful, gentle yet lonely heart—the most precious gift he had gleaned from family, friendship, love, the experiences of this journey, and even the cruelty of this world. Even the seemingly cold and indifferent Linger that O'Viola initially encountered was merely him using this tough exterior to conceal a soft corner of his heart.
How could a young person like this possibly deceive himself with so-called "victory" and turn away, ignoring the disaster unfolding before his eyes?
Therefore, if Ovira were to give him the choice, he would not offer any obscure or profound advice, nor would he bother to analyze the pros and cons. Instead, with the most sincere, passionate, and unwavering emotions, he would tell the bewildered princess: "Listen to your heart and make your choice, so you won't regret it."
……
However, sometimes giving up is not as simple as people imagine.
Often, people feel they possess courage and decisiveness, able to easily relinquish things as a price or reward, essentially because they never truly consider what they need to give up as something they possess, or rather, something they don't actually want. Humans are inherently both greedy and arrogant, greedily pursuing power, authority, and wealth, yet arrogantly believing they don't need morality, reason, or emotion. The former they cling to tightly, while the latter can be readily discarded in exchange for something else. Does discarding something unnecessary create a psychological burden? This is destined to be an unverifiable paradox, because the answer doesn't rely on logical reasoning, but rather on the laws of human nature.
So, when Ovira finally stood here, on the ruins of victory, under the gazing eyes of the creatures she had saved, within reach of this happy ending, she realized that she was no longer the little girl who longed to be the protagonist. That little girl wanted to be needed by everyone.
But at this moment, she needs everyone.
Greed is what is needed; destiny is what is required.
She needed Linger's gentle gaze hidden in his mournful expression, a gaze that held memories awakened from her long loneliness, beautiful though not as vivid as before; she needed Medion's careful embrace, as if afraid of breaking something, an embrace that held the warmth released from the curse, like the clear morning sun; she needed Alice's boisterous shouts every time she wanted to play games with her, those loud voices undoubtedly evidence of her rescue from silence; and she also needed Sister Xia's meticulous care and encouragement, even though the person who said those words was long gone, the courage born from her would never disappear.
According to the theory mentioned earlier, shouldn't we hold onto what we need tightly and not give it up easily? But if we do that, what's the difference between us and the mediocre, selfish people in the world? Perhaps the difference lies in the fact that ordinary people can choose to be selfish; the torment of conscience and the condemnation of morality are not the inevitable result of this choice, but merely insignificant interludes. But the rights of young female royalty cannot, because they are the ultimate, ruthless, yet most just enforcers of the law.
Therefore, what she has to give up is naturally more, heavier, and more important than what ordinary people have to give up.
Giving up the victory that is within your grasp and the cheers that seem to be ringing in your ears is just the simplest part of the story.
Giving up the care and comfort from peers, and the seemingly unattainable dreams of childhood, is just a slightly regrettable plot point.
Giving up the weakness and hesitation of being a mortal, and taking on the responsibilities that a true young queen should fulfill, is surely the natural ending, isn't it?
In the very end, what else will she have to give up, and what else can she give up?
The wind blows from afar.
Does the wind carry Ling's scent? She strained to discern it, but could recognize nothing. The young man was still in a dream, in the dream she had woven herself to isolate him from this battle. He knew nothing of what was happening outside, nothing of what she was facing, nothing of the princess who had once gently held his hand, praying for a happy ending in her dream, now standing at the crossroads of fate.
Perhaps this is better.
If he were still here, standing before her, looking at her with his usual calm and gentle expression, his eyes silently conveying something—a sense of warmth and emotion. Upon seeing him like that, the girl named Ovira might truly succumb to her weakness and relinquish the power of decision to him. But that would be absolutely unacceptable; it would merely be using the guise of trust to once again force the young woman into a dilemma.
In his life, he had experienced the same thing too many times, whether it was the death of his adoptive father and the closure of the Heavenly Heart Church, whether it was this journey or the war with the witch, whether it was his own wishes or the departure of Sister Xia, too many people, too many things and too many unrelated emotions had drawn him into it. Ovira only hoped that she would not be one of them.
Otherwise, what would be the point of her letting that young man drift into a dream?
Just this once.
This is the only time.
It must be decided by oneself. (End of Chapter)