Nol stood up too fiercely, almost bumping into Teest, who was hugging him. Fortunately, Teest was agile enough. He dodged gracefully while his hand still rested on Nol's shoulder.
The same kind of confusion appeared in the eyes of the two Players. They couldn't understand why Nol was so agitated.
It was just a cursed item. Weren't they common?
Succubus Doni showed a hint of surprise. He paused, and his voice became slightly softened. "Yes, many people share your view. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' was personally created by Lady Hyacinth and has been kept by the rulers… The Great Queen wouldn't curse her subjects."
"The Red Magic Diamond used to make it was given by that human. If the human had tampered with it, Queen Hyacinth would have noticed. I personally don't agree with the notion of a 'curse'."
Nol didn't respond. He was staring intently at Doni's withered lips, as if trying to pry more words out with his gaze.
"After the death of Queen Hyacinth, just over a hundred and fifty years ago, we said farewell to six rulers. Before Queen Hyacinth, each ruler usually ruled for one hundred to two hundred years. The only difference is that the later rulers all wore the 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'… So suspicion is inevitable."
Succubus Doni looked slim, and his features still held the shadows of a man in his thirties, but his tone was incredibly old.
"Holy shit, aren't you clearly letting the Mad… uh, Teest be the fuel?" Solo's eyes were still red, and he carefully avoided looking at Teest.
This was a clumsy attempt to please, Nol judged. Like a trapped and helpless little animal, it could only tentatively lick the hand of the hunter, begging for some mercy.
The Players were his kind, and he should have felt displeased or sad for this, but Nol's thoughts were filled with "the curse of the A Midsummer Night's Dream". His heart was pounding with sharp pain, barely suppressing a surge of anger.
So Nol didn't intend to intervene in this conversation. He looked at Succubus Doni, signaling him to make it quick.
"I don't know what you are implying. This gentleman has explicitly expressed his willingness to dedicate himself to our tribe. We even signed an additional agreement."
Doni's voice quickly became cold. "Not only is Lord Teest participating in the 'Heir Selection', everyone has sworn to give their all—the ruler's protection must never be interrupted. It relates to the survival of the race."
"You talk a good game*, so why don't you do it yourself?" Solo muttered.
*What you say is better than what you sing (说的比唱的还好听) Idiom referring to although one's words are beautiful, they are deceptive and empty.
The corner of Doni's mouth twitched, and he sighed. "I'm already two hundred and sixty-five years old."
Equivalent to about seventy in human years, Nol quickly calculated. The appearance of succubi ages slowly, and Doni's appearance indeed matched.
But that wasn't the point.
"So you have seen Queen Hyacinth." Nol's hands pressed on the edge of the table. His fingers slowly closed as he looked at Succubus Doni with a mixture of sorrow and longing.
Solo was completely choked by that gaze and couldn't continue the conversation.
Back on Earth, he had seen such eyes—during elementary school, Solo had a particularly good friend who died young due to illness. Every time that child's father looked at him, the gaze was the same as "Ross'" now.
They treat the person before them as a puzzle, futilely piecing together the shadow of the departed.
"Bring out your memories." Teest suddenly spoke.
"No." Doni refused sternly.
By now, from the attitudes of those two humans, this "Succubus Teest of the Shiva Tribe" didn't seem as gentle as he appeared. But that was okay. An agreement was an agreement. Either he had to abide by it or pay the price.
"If you want to save this tribe—though I think you guys don't have the slightest worth to be saved—hand over the memories about Queen Hyacinth. I know you can," Teest said lightly.
"If you have questions, I am willing to answer. Memories are absolutely private, and my memories are unrelated to this matter." Doni frowned. "Why must you peep into memories?"
"Because that will make me very happy." Teest tapped his chin. "I will try my best to be your heir when I'm happy. If I'm unhappy, I can only break the promise—by the way, my husband is proficient in pain-relieving magic. I will just lose my legs and eyes for a while."
"Also, my blood will stain your floor. Bloodstains are hard to clean. You should be prepared." Teest's tone became serious, as if this was the most frightening threat.
"What are you talking about? This isn't a game!" Doni said in shock. "Are you going to put so many lives at the whim of your mood?"
"Aren't you doing the same?" Teest smiled.
Lunatic. Succubus Doni stood there in shock.
This was the first time he had seen someone spout such blatant nonsense with such righteousness, and somehow making a bit of perverse sense.
He instinctively looked at Nol. The handsome black-haired youth noticed Doni's gaze in an instant. Nol stared at him with a frightening determination burning in his eyes.
Doni slowly sat back on the stool. His face was numb for a few seconds, revealing a smile that didn't quite seem like a smile. He tiredly raised his fingers, not even avoiding the humans he despised.
"Alright… I beg you. Save this tribe." He sighed lightly and closed his eyes.
They were on the Dream Edge. Doni snapped his fingers, and his memories turned into scenes, appearing directly beside everyone.
Everyone saw a young girl.
The girl had satin-like golden hair, and her blue-purple eyes were like the sky at the Dream Edge. She wore no makeup, nor did she need it—like a delicate and pretty water lily, any extra adornment would be superfluous.
Succubus Queen Hyacinth.
Hyacinth wore a popular hemp dress from a human village. Her long hair was loosely tied behind her head, with a few fresh wildflowers pinned to her bun. Her gaze wasn't as naive as that of human girls, more like a blade wrapped in sheer silk.
Only when looking at her lover would that sharp blade completely sink into the silk, leaving only softness behind.
Decoste, a similarly beautiful human youth. They walked hand in hand, talking and laughing through the Dream Edge. Everyone watched them through Doni's eyes… They looked blissfully happy.
Nol almost reached out to them.
The young succubus Doni couldn't get too close to the Queen. His memories of her were just fragments. A new scene bubbled up, shattering the previous illusion.
Decoste transformed from a handsome boy into a robust and handsome young man, then from a handsome young man into a mature and elegant middle-aged man. He was much taller than Hyacinth and no longer held Hyacinth's hand. They were arm in arm instead.
Queen Hyacinth still looked like a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl. The unrestrained smiles on their faces were gone, replaced by worries.
…The inherent lifespan difference between the two races had already bared its fangs.
According to the arrangement of the production team, it was time for the Players to act—Players got lost in the Dream Edge, helping Hyacinth find the bewilderment grass.
Later, this pair of lovers would take the bewilderment grass, connecting their deepest desired dreams. After confirming each other's intentions, they decided to cherish the remaining time. The Player who successfully found the bewilderment grass would receive the "A Midsummer Night's Dream" from Hyacinth.
A sweet story tinged with a hint of sadness.
Unexpectedly to Nol, even if the Players didn't appear, Hyacinth still issued the task of finding fresh bewilderment grass. The first to complete the task was Succubus Doni.
In his memory, this was the closest he ever got to Queen Hyacinth.
A faint worry shrouded Hyacinth's face, but her eyes were filled with more determination. She took the fresh bewilderment grass from Succubus Doni with both hands, giving him a warm smile.
"Thank you, Adonis." She patted his head.
The bewilderment grass was green all over, topped with dense blue-purple flowers, somewhat resembling forget-me-nots. However, its flowers were shaped like tiny hearts, appearing more sparse.
"What are you going to do with it?" Young Doni asked. "Bewilderment grass cannot be taken directly. If you need bewilderment dew…"
Hyacinth shook her head with a smile. She gently held the bouquet, beautiful like a dream itself.
"These flowers are enough, young man," she said. "I just need to see two hearts clearly."
That day, Decoste wasn't by her side, and from then on, he never was again.
Why? Nol couldn't understand.
The Players only found the bewilderment grass for the couple. Considering the varying EQ of the Players, they didn't arrange any mandatory lines for them. The couple resolved their emotional entanglements completely on their own.
Since Hyacinth made the right choice at the right time, why… Why did they still face such an outcome?
The memories of Succubus Doni continued.
Hyacinth changed.
She was once a queen who highly valued freedom, encouraging everyone to adventure and enjoy life. Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, Hyacinth would be away from the throne for three hundred and sixty days.
But with Decoste's disappearance, Queen Hyacinth became a true queen, accompanying that exquisite throne day and night.
She issued several directives in succession.
Uncharacteristically, she strictly forbade tribe members from interacting with humans and prohibited everyone from leaving the protection of the Dream Edge at will. At the same time, she hid the succubus lair within a dream and established the rule that "the ruler must inherit the A Midsummer Night's Dream".
For the disorganized succubi, this series of changes was too sudden. Everyone was extremely puzzled, and quite a few people had directly jumped out in opposition. Succubus Doni was one of them—he had just made good human friends in an outside adventure team, and they had agreed to travel together.
"You have dealings with Mr. Decoste yourself. Why do you require this of us?" In the royal court, he asked in dissatisfaction.
"Decoste won't come here anymore," Queen Hyacinth calmly said. "If you have heard, the Eternal Church has been targeting the succubi recently, and several groups have completely lost contact."
"Next, our territory will enter a semi-closed state. Everyone, please form teams and take turns going out to hunt. Remember not to always take the same path."
The succubi discussed amongst themselves. They were all young and beautiful, complementing this beautiful lair.
"So suddenly?" another succubus voiced. "Our territory is on the Dream Edge, not as exposed as theirs, and everything has been normal recently…"
"By the time we realize it's not normal, it will be too late," Hyacinth said. "There will be no discussion on this matter."
"We need to know what exactly happened, Your Majesty." Doni tried to raise his voice while maintaining politeness. "Like what we are facing, and why the next ruler has to use 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'? We need a more detailed explanation. Otherwise, it's hard to explain to others outside."
"I also don't know what we will face." Hyacinth sat on the exquisite throne, her majestic tone completely mismatching her young appearance. "But I know, it will be fatally dangerous. Maybe in the future resistance, everyone will have the chance to understand."
The succubi looked at each other, then all looked at the queen on the throne. The confusion on their faces didn't decrease but increased.
"As for the reason for having to use 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'? I left it on that jewelry set. The moment you wear it, you will know the reason… Dear Adonis, if you are really so curious, please strive to become the crown prince."
Queen Hyacinth raised her leg, somewhat playfully supporting her cheek. "However, I have something to say in advance. The throne is very uncomfortable to sit on. You all have to think carefully."
"Alright, starting tomorrow, I will wear 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. It will become the new crown of the Black Forest Tribe."
Nol stood in the center of the royal court, looking at Hyacinth on the throne through more than a hundred years of time.
The loving couple had already separated, but Hyacinth acted as usual. It wasn't a pretense of strength. She sat there proudly, her eyes firm, her smile bright.
Why would such a person choose to end herself after so many years…
God knows how much Nol wanted to talk to his creation. He had too many questions for her.
What exactly have you experienced? What kind of pain have you endured? What were you thinking at the moment you left the world?
…Did you, despise this world very much?
The smiling queen was only a dozen steps away from him, but they were already separated by life and death.
He no longer had the chance to ask.
...
"As you all have seen, the Great Queen Hyacinth has protected us."
After scouring through his memories, Doni spoke with some resentment. "If it weren't for Lady Hyacinth overcoming all objections and insisting on early defense, the Black Forest Tribe would have been annihilated when those Nightmares attacked suddenly."
"How can 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' be cursed? Those who wear it are all prepared to die for the tribe. We have also tested it in countless ways… It's a treasure left by Lady Hyacinth—a proof of sacrifice…"
The room was very quiet.
"Let me see," Nol said. "Only by wearing 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' can the truth be known, so we must win the heir selection. The victory condition is 'bring back the mad queen'… I have only one question."
Doni took a deep breath. "Go ahead."
"As long as the queen returns to the tribe, it counts as 'bringing back', right?"
"…Yes," Succubus Doni answered perplexedly. Isn't this the basic definition?
"Then, if I bring you to the queen, it also counts as 'bringing back'," Nol said. "Good, let's do this. Next—"
He walked towards Anakin and Solo, who were sitting dumbfounded. "It's time to sign the agreement, friends."
"Whatever you want to know, I won't spill!" Solo shivered. "Ju-just kill me!"
"It's just to supplement the original agreement." Nol stretched out his hand indifferently, and blue fire sketched out two pieces of text in the air.
The flames burned slightly in midair. The writing was very clear. Anakin glanced at her cousin. The content of the two agreements was identical.
The agreement was concise and clear.
The four must cooperate fully to strive to save the succubus tribe. During the mission, they couldn't harm each other.
If they could obtain the "A Midsummer Night's Dream", these two perverted gays would give them the crown and necklace—exactly as they initially agreed.
In exchange, the two Players needed to keep two secrets. They couldn't disclose any information related to the Mad Monk to anyone, nor could they disclose the content of this agreement to anyone.
"That's it?" Solo lifted his head in surprise.
What kind of dream clause is this? It's almost like giving "A Midsummer Night's Dream" away for free. And the requirement was just to save the succubus tribe. This sounded too righteous… Had the Mad Monk been baptized by love and decided to turn back?
Anakin remained silent for a long time. Her eyes were fixed on the brief penalty for breach at the end of the agreement, and her heart was in turmoil.
Penalty for breach of contract: Revocation of "Player Permissions" of the two Players.
…Are you kidding me?
…This is way more horrifying than the Mad Monk! How could an NPC possibly deprive Players of their rights? No, why does this guy know about "Player Permissions"?!
She stiffly lifted her head to look at Nol behind the blue fire text. The latter pursed his lips at her, smiling somewhat apologetically.
"I didn't want to bind you all so strictly," he said, "but Teest's identity is really special. Please understand."
"This agreement…"
"Don't worry. As long as the magic of the covenant passes, it means the content of the covenant is true and effective." Nol returned to Teest's side, looking as usual.
"Sister, there's no restriction on that female knight above." Solo, oblivious to the anomaly, was still whispering to Anakin. "At least, we don't have to keep this secret."
No, it's not that simple. Anakin was still staring at Nol.
The point when the two NPCs turned hostile was precisely when "they found out something was off with the female knight Malvina". She didn't think they were unaware or indifferent to Malvina's anomaly.
If these two didn't specify it in the covenant, there was only one possibility—
After this matter was over, those two NPCs firmly believed that they would voluntarily keep the secret.
She couldn't imagine at all how they planned to achieve this.
"So, what do you1 plan to do?" Anakin couldn't help changing her form of address1. "You just asked about the definition of 'bringing back the queen'… You have an idea, right?"
1Clarity: She started addressing them as [nin] (您), which is a formal polite way to say "you". It's often used as a form of respect to elders, superiors, customers, or strangers.
"Yes, this matter requires your assistance," Nol said.
"…If this matter is resolved smoothly, we might even become friends."
The author has something to say:
Alright, the lunatic couple is about to create a person!!!
Ready—Go!
Kinky Thoughts:
In terms of meaning, Forget-me-nots represent remembrance but also have other meanings, including true love, devotion, and royalty.
Hyacinths symbolize peace, commitment, and beauty, but also power and pride. It is also a symbol of jealousy from the Greek mythology Hyacinth.
Hyacinthus was a Spartan prince of remarkable beauty and a lover of the sun god Apollo. He was also admired by Zephyrus, the god of the West wind, Boreas, the god of the North wind and a mortal man named Thamyris. Hyacinthus chose Apollo over the others. He visited all of Apollo's sacred lands with the god in a chariot drawn by swans. So fiercely was Apollo in love with Hyacinthus that he abandoned his sanctuary in Delphi to enjoy Hyacinthus' company by the river Eurotas. He taught Hyacinthus the use of the bow and the lyre, the art of prophecy, and exercises in the gymnasium.
One day, Apollo was teaching him the game of quoits. They decided to have a friendly competition by taking turns to throw the discus. Apollo threw first, with a strength so great that the discus split the clouds in the sky. Eager to retrieve the discus, Hyacinthus ran behind it to catch it. But as it hit the ground, the discus bounced back, hitting Hyacinthus' head and wounding him fatally. An alternative version of the myth holds Zephyrus responsible for the death of Hyacinthus. Jealous that Hyacinthus preferred the radiant Apollo, Zephyrus blew Apollo's quoit boisterously off course to kill Hyacinthus.