The Seed Thief

The lord was sentenced to death, having been found guilty of shifting blame for his own crimes onto others. Among those who had died unjustly was the woman who had taught Lulu about the ugliness of humanity.

The lord begged for his life, but the crimes he had committed during the war were too numerous and too grave.

Ervandas ordered that those who had died in his place be reburied with proper rites.

The lord wasn’t the only one punished. Those who had tortured Lulu beyond what was permitted, calling her a witch while she was imprisoned, were also punished.

“We were only following orders!”

They cried and begged for mercy, but evidence emerged that the guards had cruelly treated those who were imprisoned, simply for their own amusement.

They weren’t sentenced to death. Instead, they were made to walk across the burning pyre where Lulu had nearly been burned alive.

Naturally, most of them suffered severe burns. Ervandas ordered that they be well cared for, that they not be allowed to die.

It wasn’t an act of mercy. It was meant to prolong their suffering, to make them feel the pain of the one who had nearly been unjustly burned to death.

Ervandas, who had been about to inflict even crueler punishments, finally calmed down after meeting the High Priest, who happened to be visiting the castle.

The High Priest, upon seeing Ervandas holding the child, made a complicated expression. Thinking that the High Priest might be prejudiced against the witch’s bloodline, Ervandas became wary, but the High Priest chuckled bitterly and shook his head.

“There’s no need to be wary, Your Highness. I’m simply lamenting the fact that the fate that God had decided from the beginning has finally come to pass.

“Fate?”

“Indeed, Your Highness. You remember, don’t you? How you came to me several times, expressing your desire to follow the path of God, and how I refused you each time.”

How could he forget? While others had accepted him, the High Priest had been the only one who opposed Ervandas joining the temple until the very end.

“There’s no reason for me to oppose Your Highness’s conversion. You were a gifted knight, a worthy candidate to become a shepherd of God. However…” 

The High Priest’s gaze shifted to the child in Ervandas’s arms, her eyes wide with wonder. 

She didn’t cry, didn’t fuss, only observed, as if fascinated by someone who possessed a power completely different from her own.

“I tried to approve Your Highness’s conversion several times. But each time, I saw you in my dreams. I saw you turning your back on the temple and walking away. At first, I thought it was just a dream, but… after it repeated so many times, I realized. That it was a prophecy bestowed upon me by God.”

“…”

“That’s why I didn’t accept you until the very end. The you in my dreams, walking away, looked so happy.”

The High Priest, with a knowing smile, approached the baby. As he reached out, the child, mimicking his gesture, extended its tiny hand. And then, as if startled by a spark of energy, she quickly withdrew it. Still, she didn’t cry.

“What a lovely child. Please visit the Great Temple someday. This child seems destined to wield both magic and divine power.”

As the High Priest turned to leave, Ervandas stopped him.

“Please, look after my wife.”

“…”

“I know that divine power won’t work on her because she’s a mage. But…”

Ervandas’s voice cracked as he made his plea.

“If God led me to Lulu, shouldn’t He also take care of her? If she doesn’t wake up like this, then why… What was the point…”

The High Priest, listening to Ervandas’s desperate plea, looked at the child again. Then, he spoke.

“What is the child’s name?”

“We haven’t decided yet.”

Before falling asleep in bed with Lulu, the two often talked about the name of their unborn child. The names Lulu suggested were all names of ancient mages from books, and the names Ervandas suggested were those of great figures from the kingdom’s history.

They bickered, each claiming that the other’s suggestions were strange and that their own choices were better. In truth, Ervandas didn’t care what the name was. As long as the child was born healthy, he was prepared to do whatever Lulu wished.

But Lulu, who was supposed to name the child, still hadn’t awakened.

“I see.”

The High Priest smiled as he replied. Ervandas had to swallow the emotions welling up inside him.

Then, the High Priest said,

“God showed me various visions of you through my dreams. I don’t remember all of them, but…”

The High Priest continued in a calm voice,

“You were calling the child’s name in a very affectionate voice.”

* * *

The High Priest left, and time passed. The wind outside, carrying the chill of the north, battered against the walls. Snow fell, and everything fell silent.

The child grew healthier each day, nourished by the castle’s nurses, but Lulu continued to wither away.

Her body, still asleep and unmoving, grew thinner and thinner, almost skeletal. The physicians, unable to say it directly to Ervandas, whispered among themselves that it was time to prepare for Lulu’s final moments.

“Your Highness, we can do nothing more.”

One of the physicians, prepared to face death, finally revealed the truth. There was truly nothing more they could do.

In truth, Lulu should have already died. The harsh conditions of her imprisonment, the agony of the fire, and then childbirth. The fact that she was still breathing was a miracle in itself.

Another physician, who always meticulously cared for the child, bowed before Ervandas and pleaded.

“Please, at least allow her to pass peacefully.”

Lulu could no longer even swallow the food that was like water poured into her mouth. Because of that, she would let out pained gasps several times.

At the physicians’ words, Ervandas hung his head.

The next day, Ervandas held Lulu, still unconscious, in his arms. He also bundled the child securely in cloth and held it close. He left the castle, leaving behind the knights who offered to accompany him.

The fields were covered in the remnants of winter. Piles of snow, the ground withered and barren. Ervandas pushed through them, heading towards the forest.

He stopped halfway up the mountain path leading to the village, dismounted his horse, and entered the forest, carrying Lulu and the child.

Walking through the deep snow, he realized how quiet the forest was.

For him, this forest, where he had lived with Lulu, had always been a noisy place. Even though it quieted down at night, it was only because Lulu was asleep.

While Lulu was awake, this forest was alive with sound. Her voice calling out to him, the sound of her running, and the chatter as she headed somewhere with the golem and the scarecrow.

Now, with all those sounds gone, the forest was filled with a silence as profound as a tomb.

Finally, Ervandas arrived at his and Lulu’s home.

The house was in ruins. The roof had collapsed after being burned, the walls crumbled. Household items were scattered amongst the debris.

After hearing that the forest witch had been captured, the villagers had come and looted what remained before setting the house on fire. They had used the excuse of burning away something unholy, but what they truly wanted to erase was their own guilt.

Standing before their destroyed and desolate sanctuary, Ervandas held Lulu close and sank to his knees.

“Lulu, we’re home.”

There was still no reply from the woman in his arms. But he continued to speak.

“It seems there’s a lot to do after being away for so long. I don’t know where to even begin cleaning.”

“…”

“You can just stay put. You’ll probably just make things messier if you try to help.”

If he said that, she would usually retort in a grumpy voice, saying that she was good at cleaning now.

“But you have to help a little. There’s too much for me to do alone.”

Still, there was no reply. Instead, he heard her breathing grow fainter.

The physicians had told him to prepare for Lulu’s passing. The moment he heard those words, he knew he had to return to the forest.

He couldn’t let her final moments be spent in the castle, a place filled with unpleasant memories for her. It wouldn’t be much comfort, but he wanted to let her spend her final moments in her world, the world she loved most.

Ervandas placed Lulu’s hand on his cheek. Tears, already flowing freely, fell onto Lulu’s face.

“Please, open your eyes just one more time.”

He pleaded with her like a child.

“Please, don’t leave me.”

How could she leave him like this after bringing him to this forest?

“Please… let me continue to live with you.”

There was still so much he wanted to show her. Just as she had shown him a new world, he wanted to show her a new world as well. Without overwhelming her, without hurting her. Until her inquisitive nature was satisfied, until she had asked about everything in the world.

Lulu’s breathing grew weaker and weaker. And when it finally stopped, her hand dropped to the ground.

At that moment, the snow piled around Lulu began to melt rapidly.

“…!”

Startled, Ervandas held her closer and watched the scene unfolding before him. A complex and intricate magic circle was drawn on the ground where the snow had melted.

As the ground became muddy from the melted snow, the child, who had been quiet between Lulu and Ervandas, began to fidget and placed its hand on the ground. 

Instantly, green sprouts began to emerge from the thawed earth.

The sprouts grew rapidly, quickly forming a grassy patch. Unnamed wildflowers bloomed here and there. Bees and butterflies flitted busily among the flowers.

Ervandas was speechless before the unfolding miracle. It wasn’t a magic circle Lulu had created. He might not know much about magic, but he could at least distinguish Lulu’s magic power.

This wasn’t a magic circle infused with Lulu’s mana. It was fainter, and older…

“Forest Witch…”

Ervandas called out to the being who had helped Lulu survive in this world. As if answering his call, a gentle breeze blew. A soft summer breeze, carrying the faint scent of flowers. The same breeze that always accompanied Lulu’s voice.

“Mmm…”

As the breeze brushed past Lulu’s hair, she let out a soft moan and slowly opened her eyes.

Ervandas froze, staring into her red eyes, now filled with light. Her summer eyes, which he had missed so much.

“Er?”

Her clear voice called out to him. Ervandas nodded frantically. Lulu smiled faintly and murmured,

“…100.”

“…?”

He gaped at her, unable to understand the meaning of her words. Lulu reached out and cupped his cheek. As he lowered his head, she kissed his cheek and whispered,

“You’re back.”

He couldn’t tell if she was speaking to him or to herself. But it didn’t matter.

Ervandas finally burst into tears and embraced her.

They were back.

She was. He was. And so was their summer.