"Mmm…"
As her consciousness slowly returned, Meili woke up. At first, fear instinctively appeared on her face, but when she realized she had not been captured and taken back to the organization—instead finding herself inside a damp cave—she let out a sigh of relief.
However—
Looking around, she saw that the mages sent by the organization to capture her were gone. On a smooth stone not far away lay a single note.
She quickly picked it up. Written on it were the words:
{The people chasing you are dead. Escape somewhere else. You must stay alive first if you want revenge, don't you?}
A strange note, written in unfamiliar handwriting.
"Who…?"
Meili looked around in confusion. She still remembered the despair and helplessness she had felt when there had been no way out. Now, because someone had saved her, that despair had vanished. Who had done it? And who had left this message?
She pondered for a long time but could not think of anyone. Someone from the organization? Unlikely. She was only close to Elsa; with the other assassins, she had virtually no contact. If anything happened to her, they would hardly help—she would be lucky if they did not scramble to take over her contracts.
If it wasn't someone from the organization, then who else would know about her desire for revenge? Could it be… someone who knew her sister?
The explanation felt somewhat forced, but it was the only possibility she could think of. As for the words written on the note, she took them to heart.
"To seek revenge, you must first survive."
She knew that her trip to Roswaal's mansion had indeed been impulsive. Just as the blonde beastwoman maid had said, if Roswaal had been present, she would likely have died on the spot. And that twin-tailed little girl was also terrifying—far beyond what she could handle.
Whether it was the man called "Lillian" or the others in the mansion, she was no match for them at present. That was an undeniable fact. Therefore, the only thing she could do was stay alive and grow stronger.
Having made her decision, Meili departed without hesitation. She resolved to leave this country and head to the Vollachia Empire—a land where strength ruled above all else. There she would temper her power, and once she had grown strong enough, she would return to take her revenge.
---
While the girl set out on her journey, Lillian had already passed through the barrier known as the "Lost Forest" and returned to the Sanctuary.
There was little more he could do for Meili. Of course, if he had found a way to keep her by his side, he might have been able to protect her better. But she would certainly never agree to that, so all he could do was hope she would strive to survive. This time, he had simply been lucky to encounter the organization's assassins pursuing her. If she ran into danger again, she would have to rely on herself.
After returning to the Sanctuary, Lillian immediately sensed that someone was watching him.
He trusted his intuition. Following the feeling, he could only see a figure disappearing into the distance. Though he caught only her back, he recognized her—it was the same girl who had secretly observed him before he left, a girl identical in appearance to Ryuzu.
"How strange," Lillian muttered to himself.
He was certain Ryuzu knew about this. The next time they met, he intended to ask her and observe her reaction. Moreover, he could faintly sense a familiar aura from that little girl, though he could not yet confirm it.
With these thoughts in mind, he headed straight for the tomb he had visited when he first arrived. Having been there once before, he already remembered the route. After reaching the place, Lillian entered the passageway as before and walked all the way to the stone door at the end.
The last time he had stood before this door, the Witch of Greed had pulled him into a dream world. Now, as he reached out to push the stone door, the same phenomenon occurred. A dense aura of the witch surged from all directions, gently enveloping him.
"—Welcome back."
The scene shifted, and the endless rolling hills once again appeared before his eyes. Sitting in her chair, Echidna looked at him with a gentle smile.
"Would you like a cup of tea?"
"I'll pass."
Lillian pulled out a chair and sat down. "You said before that for every trial I pass, you'll answer one of my questions."
"Honestly," Echidna pouted slightly in dissatisfaction, like a young girl. "Did you come here only to ask me questions? Not even a bit of catching up?"
"…There's nothing between us to catch up on, is there?"
Altogether, the two of them had only met for about half an hour. There was hardly any relationship to speak of.
"Tch. Even a woman who's lived for hundreds of years like me finds that answer terribly unromantic."
"May I ask my question now?"
Lillian had no interest in idle chatter. Seeing her nod, he asked directly:
"Is there any kind of magic, spell, or special item that can extend a person's lifespan? Or remove all negative conditions from their body—whether injuries, curses, or anything else that suppresses vitality. In short, something that can eliminate everything that hinders one's life force."
Echidna had already provided the answer of "dragon's blood" regarding Elsa's problem. Next came the issue of the AOT world—Annie, Ymir, Marlo, Eren… those cursed by the power of the Titans all needed a solution.
Lillian did not know whether the power of the Titans was based on science, genetics, supernatural ability, magic, or something else entirely. Therefore, what he sought was a "universal remedy" capable of handling all possibilities.
"I see."
After listening carefully, Echidna suddenly said, "Combined with what you mentioned before—'if you could read the memories that come after, I might not be able to complete the challenge'—it seems that in your future memories there really is someone you wish to save. Has that person been afflicted by some curse? Extending lifespan… that's a question many kings and nobles would love to ask."
"…"
Seeing Lillian's silence, Echidna suppressed the curiosity and desire surging within her with great effort.
"The conditions you've provided are far too vague."
"Conditions?"
"What is that person's state? Is their soul intact? And… the person you want to save isn't from the 'modern world' in your memories, is it?"
"Why do you say that?"
Echidna took a sip of tea and calmly explained her reasoning.
"In that world, things like 'magic' and 'curses' do not exist. People only die from accidents or illness. Since you spoke of extending lifespan, that person must be nearing death due to some terminal disease. If that were the case, you would have asked directly whether there was a way to cure an incurable illness, wouldn't you? Rather than asking how to remove a curse that suppresses life force."
She was right. If it were his own modern world, he would not have phrased the question that way.
"That's right, I—" Lillian had just begun to speak when he noticed the strange look in Echidna's eyes. It was an utterly undisguised yearning. Not physical desire, but something else entirely. The light in her pupils shimmered with an almost dazzling brilliance.
"Besides the 'modern world' you came from, and this current world… there are other worlds. You've been to other worlds as well, haven't you?"
As the Witch of Greed, it was not particularly surprising that Echidna could deduce this from the information before her.
The notion of "other worlds" seemed to hold a fatal attraction for her. She rose from her seat, placed both hands on the round table, and leaned forward. A lock of her colorless white hair fell down, brushing against Lillian's cheek.
"Tell me… about that world."