NOVEL WEB Chapter 98: Even If You Become a Herrscher
As its hazy eyes slowly opened, it was unclear how long it had been since it last saw the world.
"Hello, adorable human! I'm Elf Ellie from the La-La Land, here to meet someone as special as you!"
The doll floated in midair, a delighted smile on its face.
It was just like…
Mei cast a casual glance at Elysia beside her, only to realize that not only did the doll resemble her in appearance, but even its speech and personality were identical.
It really was...
"It's like having two Elysias, double the cuteness. Am I right?~"
Elysia picked up the adorable doll, leaning in to nuzzle its hair. Her hands pinched its slightly chubby cheeks, clearly enjoying the soft and bouncy texture.
Even the doll seemed to find this enthusiasm overwhelming, trying to push her away with its small hands.
Too close! Grow up a little, me!
After a bit of playful chaos, Elysia reluctantly let go of the doll, allowing it to return to its primary function.
As previously mentioned, the doll seemed to serve as an Archive Administrator for the Elysian Realm.
Right now, though, Mei was most interested in learning how to use it. Floating in the air with its magic wand, Fairy Ellie proudly introduced the device,
"First, let me explain! This is the Interactive Output Console for Data Collection and Archival of the Elysian Realm… uh."
"…"
The program seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
Mei, thinking the doll had crashed, looked at Elysia in confusion. But Elysia just pretended not to notice, casually gazing out the window.
"… Let me just call it a typewriter for you."
With dimples forming at the corners of her mouth, she said this with a serious expression.
"So… it was just that you couldn't remember the name?" Mei sighed inwardly, silently watching her.
Elf Ellie then explained the typewriter's magical features, such as manifesting written records in black and white…
"Tell me the truth about the Thirteenth Herrscher."
Mei asked plainly, going straight to the point of her visit.
A sheet of white paper slowly emerged from the typewriter, but no typing sounds could be heard. When Mei took it, she found it was blank, without a single word written.
She looked at Elf Ellie, who didn't seem surprised in the slightest. Floating in the air, Ellie shrugged and said,
"For such a broad question, it can't find anything in the archive that could summarize it."
"...Then let's start with Elysia's past."
Mei sighed lightly and said.
"Hmm, that's doable~ Keep your expectations up! It'll even show memories that Elysia herself couldn't have predicted~"
Elf Ellie gave a definite response, while gesturing for Elysia to place her hands on the keyboard.
"How touching, Mei. The first thing you think of is always me, just like how I always think of you first~"
"…No."
She replied coldly, but couldn't maintain her composure under Elysia's teasing gaze. With a slightly helpless expression, she realized what Kevin had meant about situations he wasn't good at handling.
She could only concede—it was true.
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[The clueless fairy admin who forgets names.]
[Two mischievous women—one big, one small—just enough to hug me and for me to hug back.]
[Where can I buy one? I want to touch it!]
---
In the Golden Courtyard,
"An autonomous device that can write down the major events of the Elysian Realm without human intervention? Hmm, this sounds like it might be on the exam. Better take notes."
Kiana frowned slightly, her fingers curled under her chin as she carefully analyzed the situation.
At some point, she had become a model student, which was nothing short of astonishing. Now, she even knew how to summarize key points independently.
Was this the result of academic pressure, or the degradation of free spirit?
That Kiana, who once lived a carefree and rebellious life, now spent her time furiously scribbling on tests, unleashing her wild imagination, had finally succumbed to disciplined learning?
"…Kiana, you've changed."
Luo Mo sighed in resignation.
"Of course! I'm passing all my classes now! Of course, I've changed."
Kiana placed her hands on her hips proudly.
"Ah, the environment really does have a huge impact on people," Luo Mo said, shaking his head in amazement.
There was a peculiar feeling, as if the groundwork carefully prepared had been unexpectedly noticed by Kiana—almost like… a personal failure.
"Hmm?"
"Even someone like Kiana, who usually doesn't like to think, is starting to use her brain."
"Hmph, of course… Wait, was that supposed to be a compliment?"
Halfway through her laugh, Kiana suddenly realized something, fixing a deathly glare on the speaker.
"Ahem—putting that aside, Bronya is more curious about that so-called typewriter. Is it really that amazing?"
Bronya's gaze lingered on the seemingly ordinary typewriter, her usually expressionless face betraying a hint of intrigue.
"It's because we're memory constructs. It pulls from our memories… Though, it's not as mundane as Luo Mo described. There are some unique features."
Elysia explained.
"Hmm… but that's still surprising. Doesn't that mean it can retrieve forgotten memories at any time?" Mei asked.
"Hua seems to have that ability—to remember every moment spent with me clearly, doesn't she?~"
"That old Timer remembers me, Elysia!" the Herrscher of Sentience retorted without hesitation.
"Uh… Hmm-hmm?~"
Elysia smiled faintly at her anxious response and chose not to argue further.
"So, what's the name of the typewriter?" Kiana asked, as was trying to memorize everything she learn for her (imaginary) exam,
"It's just called a typewriter."
"Then why did it call itself the Elysian Realm Information Archive…"
"I've asked that question before too, but every time, it gives a different answer.~"
-----------
During the typewriter's operation, Mei saw many memories of Elysia—her life and battles, mundane daily moments spent with her companions, and how hardship and despair seemed to never linger on her.
Every moment, she faced life's many facets with a smile.
From the beginning, Elysia approached each day with optimism, even rating her own smiles. She'd casually erase the increasing numbers on her scale with a light tap.
She greeted everyone she met with a smile and a warm hello, and after training, she'd write down just four simple words: Today was a great day.
She welcomed new MANTIS with curiosity, donned stunning dresses for balls, and of course, her first meeting with Kevin, who had reportedly joined the Fire Moths to chase after his girlfriend.
However, just as the typewriter had printed a few pages, it began to make clicking sounds, and the paper got stuck. The group exchanged puzzled looks, and naturally, Elf Ellie.stepped in to handle the issue.
Hovering over, she examined the typewriter's thick repair manual, which was as dense as a dictionary.
After a few circles, her confused gaze betrayed her lack of understanding. In the end, she resorted to pulling out her magic wand and striking the typewriter at a 45-degree angle.
"BANG—"
A loud crash echoed, and, as she wished, the typewriter stopped making clicking sounds.
However, it also completely stopped working.
"…Now it's completely dead."
Mei sighed, rubbing her forehead. From the moment Ellie had pulled out her wand to "fix" the typewriter physically, Mei had felt this wouldn't end well.
But since she didn't understand the device any better, she had chosen to trust Ellie and let her give it a try.
"How strange… Why isn't it fixed yet? Based on past experiences, this is supposed to be the most efficient repair method."
Ellie looked at the typewriter with wide, puzzled eyes, confirming that no paper or text was coming out. She scratched her head and blinked innocently, making it hard to blame her.
Still, Ellie firmly insisted her repair method was correct.
Maybe… probably… Yes! It must just be out of paper. Without paper, it naturally wouldn't work.
Thus, Mei and Elysia were sent off to find some blank paper. Though Mei didn't have much hope for Ellie's abilities as she fiddled with her magic wand, she still complied.
"Trust her, Mei. Let's go!~"
Elysia, unconcerned, pulled Mei along to search for paper. After all, treating even the smallest matters in life with sincerity was an essential lesson, wasn't it?~
---------------
[Out of paper? Could it really… just be out of paper?]
[Physical repairs: they either fix everything or render it completely useless. Truly efficient.]
[Am I the only one curious about the numbers on that scale? Why won't you let me see?!]
-------
"I heard that Elf Ellie was modeled after Elysia? Using a magic wand to repair things—she's completely different from me… cough, I mean, completely different from you, right?"
Kiana had initially looked mischievously at Elysia, ready to use Elysia Ellie as a way to tease her. But then she recalled her own methods of repairing electronics.
Not exactly identical, but… indistinguishable in their lack of sophistication.
So, she wisely swallowed her words.
"Yes, Kiana. Do you want one too? Isn't she adorable?"
Elysia didn't mind, her lips curling up as she glanced at the screen showing Elf Ellie. A hint of guilt flashed across her face as she remembered she'd left the doll in some corner somewhere.
After the collapse of the Elysian Realm, she didn't plan to wake it up again—what a sin, what a sin…
Meeting it again in the context of a game in the real world was truly awkward.
Before Kiana could say anything, someone nearby voiced their interest.
"I-I-I want one!"
Luo Mo raised his hand, expressing his stance.
He genuinely wanted to raise one and wouldn't mind if it ate a few more meals. Compared to the electricity-stealing Ai Yi, the adorable, affectionate Elf Ellie was clearly much cuter.
"You want one? Too bad—uh… don't look at me like that. If there were more, I wouldn't mind giving one to you, Luo Mo, but I only salvaged one from the Elysian Realm," Elysia said apologetically, embarrassed. She had considered the embarrassment of the girls present but hadn't accounted for someone directly asking for one.
"How about… asking Mobius to make a couple more?"
"Scram. I'm not doing it."
Mobius immediately voiced her opposition, coldly refusing. She seemed curious about how Elysia planned to handle this. After all… if she could get either of them onto her experiment table, it would be worth it.
Then she could…
"Oh, I understand now. We'll just have Vill-V make a Mobius doll instead~ She must be jealous! Jealous that there isn't a doll of her to spread her joy to others," Elysia exclaimed, as if suddenly enlightened, tapping the back of her hand.
Mobius froze, staring at her in disbelief.
This explanation…
"Mobius, huh… that works. I could hug it every night, though it's a shame I wouldn't be able to place it on an altar anymore."
Luo Mo sighed heavily, a bit regretful.
(TL: I remember seeing a video of a player bowing and kneeling in front of Elysia's picture or statue. And I laughed at him. Now... I think I would do the same as that guy)
Mobius turned to Luo Mo with a mix of confusion and suspicion, her mouth opening slightly as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately remaining silent.
Arrest them—arrest them all!
Meanwhile, Elysia was confused. "Eh? What do you mean by putting it on an altar? Charging doesn't require that!"
"…I just want to worship Elysia every day. She's my goddess. I hope she blesses me with good luck so I never have bad gacha rolls or hit pity again."
(TL:.... that's exactly what I do when rolling gacha. *shy*~)
"Hahaha! Boss, you're just like everyone else, hitting pity too?" Kiana teased from the side.
"?? Luo Mo, go back to what you said earlier." Elysia back at him.
"Mobius works…?"
"Stop, I don't work! Only Elysia is qualified for that," Mobius protested indignantly.
"Ahem, go back one more sentence," Elysia said, pointing awkwardly at the ceiling.
"I want one?"
"There's none left, sorry. None of us have the means to produce them. Truly unfortunate," Elysia said, politely rejecting him with a regretful look.
"...…"
Luo Mo stared at her in silence, wondering if it's true or is she shy to make him one. Or.... should he just make the doll himself?
-----------
After finding the blank paper, surprisingly,
Elf Ellie didn't turn out to be as unreliable as Mei had thought. In the end, she successfully repaired the typewriter.
Though it turned out they didn't need the paper at all.
Mei continued browsing through Elysia's memories. As Elysia had mentioned, she had a way of appearing in everyone's lives in the most wonderful ways, adding a unique flavor to those memories.
The later segments, however, focused on the Fusion Warriors and the struggles they faced. These warriors grew stronger, matured, and gradually blurred the lines between humans and Honkai beasts.
Mei saw a dressed-up Sakura and Mei, a time when Kosma hadn't yet grown his horns, and a young Griseo nestled in her parents' arms. Even Kevin, at a birthday party, showed a gentle smile to those he knew well, standing next to a girl who looks alot like Mei, but wears glasses.
On one hand, they were powerful, protecting the public and fighting calamities on the battlefield. On the other, they held simple, human desires, pursuing beauty and happiness.
These two aspects were not contradictory.
They were ordinary people, pushed to the forefront by the tides of their era.
At that moment, Sakura entered the room. She glanced at the messy scene, then at Elysia and the typewriter, and asked curiously.
Elf Ellie proudly replied, "Humph! Prepare to be amazed! They're experiencing the Elysian Realm's Ultimate Data Visualization Terminal."
The name was completely different from before. Mei's expression turned a bit odd as she watched Ellie speaking so eloquently.
For some reason, Ellie reminded her even more of Elysia.
After understanding the typewriter's function, Sakura maintained her composure and left the room without lingering.
This made Elysia sigh in relief. After all… she, or rather nearly all the Flame-Chasers, couldn't bear to let Sakura know about that matter.
That event… her real self's final act before transmitting her memories.
A tragedy involving her sister.
---
Although Mei and Elysia seemed to enjoy a peaceful and meaningful conversation in the archive, not every corner of the Elysian Realm was so serene.
Sakura had already met with Vill-V, collected the repaired Judgment Seven Thunders (third divine key), and silently resolved to wield it again.
Elsewhere, Kalpas and Mobius were already locked in battle, taunting and wounding each other. Mobius sneered coldly, stating she had never considered the Flame-Chasers to be a unified group.
Meanwhile, Mei and Elysia were discussing this very topic, the origins of the Flame-Chasers and the meaning behind their name.
Elysia enthusiastically introduced each area within the Elysian Realm, recalling how she proudly announced the formation of the group and its name to the world.
She had acted as a bridge, easing the tensions between members, and between the MANTIS and the higher-ups of the Fire Moth organization.
That process had been anything but easy. In fact, without Elysia's persistence, the term "Flame-Chasers" would never have existed.
History often misinterprets the Flame-Chasers as heroes, honoring them with the title of "The Thirteen Flame-Chasers." But the Fire Moth organization had never officially acknowledged this.
Nor did they consider all thirteen to be heroes.
At least, not all of them.
Some could be called heroes. Some couldn't. Some even deserved to be locked away.
The previous civilization was fragmented, and so was the Fire Moth. Even the Flame-Chasers themselves were no exception.
If Elysia didn't exist…
(TL: they say humanity won against Honkai because of Kiana and her friends, some say it's because the 2nd chance given by the pre-civilization, others say it's because of Otto, and he would say because of Kallen's flame of Heroism... for me, they won because Elysia exist.)
"The Flame-Chasers are just ordinary people with complex emotions and 'flaws,' just like any other humans of their time."
"They have their selfish desires, and most of them can't claim to have any grand ideals. But sometimes, moved by a moment of inspiration or a surge of passion, they would do impulsive yet remarkable things."
"They were never perfect heroes—only people who happened to be there, in that time and place."
Elysia ran her hand across the sofa in the Elysian Realm's main hall. Shadows and lingering memories of the Flame-Chasers revealed traces of their past. Many days and nights had been spent here, serving as a center for discussions and meetings. Yet never had all members been present together.
The stories of the Flame-Chasers had played out in this hall. Their joys, sorrows, struggles, and challenges were all reflected here.
As they returned to the pavilion, gazing at the orange clouds and the pink, misty islands in the distance, Elysia quietly turned around. She looked at Mei with a playful smile in her eyes.
Mei had already experienced a part of the Flame-Chasers' lives. Their journeys were the most important trials Mei had faced in the Elysian Realm.
Everything she saw, heard, thought, and felt made her reflect on the question that had always existed in her heart.
Now, could she face her conclusion with peace of mind?
"You don't like lying, yet you told me a lie about your Herrscher identity… Herrscher of the Thirteenth, there's no need to hide it anymore."
Mei opened her hand, the refreshing seaside breeze brushing against her fingertips. She looked at the pink-haired girl, who casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Maybe… I really did tell a very big lie," Elysia said softly. "The only lie I've ever told in my life."
Her expression was tinged with melancholy and even unease. Mei rarely saw such emotions on her face.
Elysia smiled bitterly. "After all… I'm capable of being afraid too."
"If you knew I was the Thirteenth Herrscher, would you still greet me with a smile like before?"
"Would you doubt me? Would you… distance yourself from me?"
"Am I… a disappointment to you?"
Her gaze dropped, uncharacteristically avoiding eye contact. She had always made a point to meet the eyes of those she spoke with—a gesture of respect and a way to see their true emotions and thoughts.
But now, she hesitated, showing a rare moment of timidity.
"So what if you've become a Herrscher? Am I not a Herrscher as well?"
Mei looked at Elysia's trembling expression and lowered gaze. Her response was both amused and serious. "Is that answer good enough for you?"
She hadn't expected Elysia to be troubled by this.
"Yes… It's enough."
The girl smiled.
That girl, who was always seen as having ulterior motives, perhaps had revealed all her intentions and actions before Mei, simply for this one answer.
In the distant past, on the night she donned her pure white dress and walked toward her inevitable fate, had she received the answer she wanted?
Even if… she had become a Herrscher…
(TL: this line... know one catch this small hint~)
"'Even if you've become a Herrscher…'"
"...Am I not a Herrscher as well?"
The radio recorder behind them crackled with the same line. Elysia raised her head, her somber demeanor fading as she glanced at the mist in the distance. Turning back, she saw Mei's stunned expression.
She stuck out her tongue playfully, as if her earlier emotions were nothing but a facade.
"Elysia!!" Mei shouted angrily.
She knew she had been fooled again. But were Elysia's earlier emotions all fake?
---
As night fell, the two agreed to uncover the final secret tomorrow.
If there was a tomorrow.
-------------
"Mei…"
Kiana tugged on her sleeve, looking at her pitifully.
"Hmm?" Mei looked down at her, puzzled. Even though the scene they'd just finished performing embarrassed her, she couldn't help but think about it.
Were her scenes with Elysia a bit too much?
And why did the girls around her always seem so… peculiar?
"Don't leave me. Don't get tricked by that pink-haired woman."
"What nonsense are you talking about…"
Mei quickly waved her hands to stop Kiana's words.
"Exactly, exactly! What nonsense! I, Elysia, have never lied!" Elysia proudly puffed out her chest. She was a Flame-Chaser, a bearer of the Ego Signet—how could she do something like stealing someone's heart?
Besides, everything she said earlier… was true.
(TL/C: I think I now understand where Otto learned not to 'Lie'. If Kallen has Elysia's pure heart, then Otto must have Elysia's mischief)