[IYFILWATIP] Chapter 49

Kirona had a haunting dream. It wasn't because of discomfort; just having a roof to keep the night dew off was something to be grateful for. Sleeping rough had become the norm since entering the forest.

In the dream, she walked endlessly down a dark path. The cold seeped into her bones, and her strength drained away. Eventually, even her sense of self began to fade, and at the edge of the dream, Kirona transformed into a translucent ghost. Ever since she had fallen ill, such nightmares had become frequent. 

It felt like she was experiencing her impending death in advance. 

Loneliness, cold, eternal darkness. 

Finally, Kirona awoke early, gasping for breath. The hut, filled with the first light of dawn, was as quiet as it had been the night before. Nothing had changed. Sonia was sitting in her armchair, watching her just as she had been. 

"Princess, you’ve sweated quite a bit. Would you like me to bring you some water?" 

"Didn't you sleep?" 

"Wizards don’t need much sleep, Your Highness. Especially not at night." 

Kirona nodded, understanding. She was familiar with the lifestyle of wizards; they were a nocturnal breed. Her younger brother, Pine, who had just turned thirteen, was also living by that pattern, making it difficult to see him unless it was a special occasion. 

"Why did you come to the forest, Your Highness?" 

"......" 

"Please don't tell me it's for Nadalin’s flower. I already know that." 

"Did I mention that?" 

"Some types of wizards can figure out things even if you don’t say them. My question is more fundamental." 

"......" 

"If you tell me, I might be able to help. Wizards live a little longer than ordinary people, and I’m a wizard who has lived for 130 years. Even a fool gains some wisdom after living for over a century." 

Kirona hesitated but eventually spoke. Technically, she shouldn’t say anything, but Sonia didn’t seem like the type to spread her secrets. Besides, she didn’t seem like someone who would ever leave the forest. 

"I'm here to find life. Because I’m sick." 

Kirona didn’t bother to specify who was sick. She had a feeling Sonia already knew. 

"But now, I’m not so sure if there’s anything here that can extend a life." 

"Princess, on your way here, did you see a single ordinary wildflower?" 

Sonia asked this out of the blue while looking out the window of the hut. Kirona, puzzled, thought back and then suddenly realised something strange that she hadn’t noticed before. 

"No, now that you mention it, I haven’t seen a single normal flower in this land." 

The East was a vast jungle covered in vegetation. Even deserts bloom after the rain, so it was odd not to see even a single humble wildflower in such a fertile place. The only flowers Kirona had seen were those artificially bloomed by magic in the markets of the East. 

"You wouldn’t have seen any. The plants here can’t even form proper buds." 

Sonia lifted the edge of a rug that had been carelessly spread on the floor. The floor of the hut was just bare earth, the same black soil that covered the East. It was very different from the soil Kirona had seen in the capital. This land had no life force. Even the hardiest crops withered quickly here. 

"Are you saying that even a legendary flower wouldn’t bloom here?" 

"After all, a flower is still a flower. It must be found in a field of flowers, and no flowers have bloomed in the East for a very long time." 

"Do you believe the Flower of Nadalin exists?" 

"It's not just belief. That flower exists. No one believes me, but... I’ve seen the Flower of Nadalin. 100 years ago, here in the East." 

Sonia’s face, wrinkled and leathery like dead bark, still bore sharp, bright green eyes that seemed untouched by time. Like a drowning person, Kirona grabbed Sonia’s hand desperately, urging her to continue. 

"Tell me. Anything you know. I came all this way with only an old legend to believe in. Why wouldn’t I believe you?" 

"A hundred years ago, a monstrous creature as terrible as the basilisk awoke in this very forest. The great-grandfather of the current Count of Rohatyn was far more warlike than the present count. Back then, the people of the East were fewer, but... they were brave. We weren’t settlers; we were pioneers of new lands, warriors. The bravest and strongest joined the hunting party, and after three months and ten days of bloody battle, we were victorious. But we lost many lives in the process."