After finishing the exploration of all the treasure chests nearby together with Pardofelis, the two of them temporarily parted ways.
At the moment of parting, they agreed to explore together again if there was a chance in the future.
Looking at Pardofelis's figure as she went farther away, Raiden Mei thought to herself, "With Pardo's skills, continuing to explore this area alone is still a bit difficult. Next time, if we move together, I'll have to protect her more."
Just as Raiden Mei was deep in thought, a familiar voice came from not far away.
"Hey, Mei, over here, over here!"
Raiden Mei raised her head at the sound and saw Elysia standing not far away, waving at her.
"Sorry, for making you wait so long."
"It's fine, by Eden's standards, it hasn't been too long." Raiden Mei said. "How did it go on Kevin's side?"
"Don't worry, it's all taken care of." Elysia playfully winked. "Now, no one will come to disturb us anymore. And you? Did you meet anyone else?"
"I met some of them. It seems the Flame-Chasers have all come to the Elysian Realm, and… more or less, they are all 'enjoying themselves.'" Raiden Mei glanced around.
"How should I put it… as expected of your 'memory space.'"
"Then I guess… Mei must already be impatient too, right? Come on, let's walk while we talk."
Elysia smiled as she took Mei's hand, full of energy, and walked onto the street.
The two of them strolled along the street paths, the scenery around them dreamlike and surreal.
"I know you want to know about the 'Thirteenth Herrscher.'" Elysia said softly.
"This topic is a bit big. Where should I start… hmm… why don't we take it step by step? The cause of everything has to be traced back to when I first joined Fire Moth."
She led Raiden Mei through familiar streets, meeting the people in her memories.
Those vivid and lifelike memories made Raiden Mei sigh with emotion.
"Look, Mei~" Elysia whispered as she walked. "They are just the way they are in my memory, and I am also the way I am in their memories."
"Some are older than me, some had to call me older sister. I carefully remembered the way each of them looked… didn't I?"
Raiden Mei stopped, looking at Elysia's back, falling into thought, "Memories… huh?"
———
The two came to a spacious and quiet room, and on the table in the center sat a striking machine.
"This place is…?" Raiden Mei asked curiously.
"Let's just call it… the 'Eden Archive Room'~" Elysia said with a smile.
"Isn't it a nice, simple name? As long as you read the files stacked beside the typewriter, clever Mei, you'll be able to understand right away."
Raiden Mei casually picked up a page and was surprised to find the handwriting on the paper shift from incomprehensible symbols into words she could recognize.
This file was exactly the same as the one she had read before, Red Ice, which told the story of Kevin's past.
"So you mean… those files stored in the 'Remembrance Vessel'… were all printed out by this?"
"That's right~" Elysia nodded.
"These files weren't written by anyone. They manifest the Flame-Chasers' memories into text through this typewriter, making it possible to record everything objectively and fairly."
"The originals are stored somewhere else. I spent quite a lot of effort to move it here."
"So… the reason you brought me here, is because for the conversation that's coming, you want it presented in the form of 'files'?"
"Exactly." Elysia said seriously.
"This way it's objective and fair, right?"
"After all… the story I'm going to tell may be a bit long. I hope that throughout this process, Mei can always get answers that she truly believes in."
"I see." Raiden Mei nodded in understanding. "I've read these files, and they really are accurate and detailed carriers. Then… how do you operate this thing?"
"Oh, that will be up to another friend, " Elysia spun playfully. "Alright, time for you to appear! Ta-da! The fairy manager of the Eden Archive Room!"
Raiden Mei looked at the fairy manager in front of her, who looked almost identical to Elysia, and said in surprise, "Her appearance…"
"Very cute, right?" Elysia said proudly. "After all, she was modeled after me, possessing beauty and wisdom no different from my own!"
But Raiden Mei didn't respond, instead noticing another issue.
"Never mind that, this manager hasn't moved at all since just now. Is that okay?"
"That's because Mei hasn't spoken the 'wake-up word.' She's still in sleep mode."
"Wake-up word?"
Seeing Elysia's mysterious smile, Raiden Mei suddenly felt uneasy.
That gaze, it was one she could never forget.
The last time she saw it was when she was being cornered.
Here, Elysia wrote something on a blank part of a file and handed it to Mei.
"Mhm-hm"
Raiden Mei took the paper, and her expression instantly became wonderfully complicated.
"..."
"..."
"...…"
Looking at Raiden Mei's troubled face, Elysia blinked playfully and smiled slyly, "Aww, Mei's shy and troubled expression is really cute too. Just to be clear, this is the only way to activate it."
Raiden Mei said helplessly, "Can I not activate it?"
"That's your freedom, Mei~" Elysia spread her hands.
"But… the truth is right before your eyes. Do you really want to just let it slip away?"
Hearing this, Raiden Mei fell silent.
After a struggle in her heart, she finally muttered softly, "Dear… dear… Elysia…"
"Hm? What did you say?" Elysia pretended not to hear and leaned close to Raiden Mei.
Raiden Mei took a deep breath and finally spoke clearly, "My dear… Elysia…"
However, the fairy manager still showed no reaction.
"…What's going on? There's no reaction at all." Raiden Mei frowned.
Looking at Elysia's expression, half about to laugh, half trying to hold it back, Raiden Mei even suspected she was deliberately messing with her.
At that moment, sensing Raiden Mei's gaze, Elysia immediately put on a confused look.
"Oh my, what's going on? I think… your voice was too quiet. Most likely it didn't hear you?"
Raiden Mei, '...'
Elysia, meanwhile, smiled shamelessly, "Oh my~ that means you'll have to do it again~"
Raiden Mei bit her lip, her cheeks unnaturally turning slightly red.
She glared at Elysia, then looked at the slumbering fairy manager, and finally, as if throwing all caution aside, shouted loudly, "DEAR, ELYSIA!"
———
[Elysia bad, I still love!]
[Kiana! (green hat)]
[Kiana in Anti-Entropy]
[Mei: My dear Elysia! (through gritted teeth)]
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