In the World of Midgar 10 — The Magic Country Svel (4) (2024)

꒰ঌ The Magic Country Svel 4

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There existed a single castle.

However, inside the castle it was crowded with monsters with no lord in sight. The throne was left empty, as if it was waiting for someone to return, and it was kept polished.

Beside that castle, a giant sheep sat quietly. Its name was Fiona.

Fiona was the monster that held the title of 'Guardian of Aries constellation', one of the Twelve Zodiac's Guardians that once served the Black Emperor and her country Zodiac.

The sheep was dreaming. A nostalgic dream of the past.

Fiona was weak. She was born weak and lived only to be hunted. She was prey and designated so by fate. She was born like that.

Fiona was a rainbow sheep. A legendary monster said to be born only once every five thousand years who grew wool that shone with the colors of the rainbow. More precious than any endangered species, a rarity among rarities.

Every strand of wool was equivalent to gold, and it couldn't be beat as an alchemical agent. If woven into clothing it would turn into something heavenly that surpassed any armor and yet remained lighter than cotton, and it was the highest quality catalyst for magic and rituals. Just being able to bring down one head's worth of wool would allow a person and their entire family to live a life of luxury for seven generations.

Rainbow sheep were the definition of a living treasure.

However, in other words, they were just a monster that had wool that glowed in rainbow colors.

No, not even a monster. Just a walking gemstone. Prey that only waited to be hunted.

Rainbow sheep were without any weapons to protect themselves or even the legs to run away from enemies. They didn't even have the means to deceive their surroundings. In fact, with the rainbow glow of their wool, they actually drew attention from their surroundings. From people, grimmfolk, and even their fellow monsters.

A rainbow sheep's surroundings were filled with enemies. All living things were their natural enemies.

That was Fiona, a pitiful specimen of prey to be hunted.

If the Goddess Naru, who created this world, also intentionally created rainbow sheep, could there be any crueler punishment? Just what meaning did this creature have?

All it could do was fear its enemies, hide, run, and eventually be reaped. Just what kind of meaning did such a life hold? Every day was a dance with death. Not even a moment existed where a rainbow sheep could truly rest.

The rainbow sheep feared its eventual demise and continued to weep.

That was exactly why that meeting was a miracle to her.

Long golden hair like those tails of a majestic bird, fluttering in the breeze. A pair of scarlet red eyes that burned. Looks that were perfection personified and pitch-black wings that symbolized god's abandonment.

Fiona remembered that meeting even now. There was no way she could forget. Even if she were to be destroyed and her soul reincarnated several times over, she would never forget.

Her salvation, its origin, was all concentrated in that one moment.

"Oh? A rainbow sheep? I'm in luck to find one here."

It was back when her great master was still immature and still referred to herself as "I" instead of "We." However, she was already showing glimpses of her future as a ruler.

Fiona, who was running away from everything as usual, met her.

I'll be eaten.

The first thing Fiona felt when she saw her was the overwhelming presence of a predator. She couldn't run, and she couldn't win. No matter what, she'd be killed and eaten. That was the future Fiona saw.

Compared to her as the Black Emperor, Lucifen at that moment was, of course, immature, but even so, to Fiona she was an unmistakable disaster. She was already too strong for any modern swordsman to even lay a scratch on her.

"What…? You're trembling? You won't fight back or even run… You, do you wish to be killed without doing anything?"

Lucifen approached Fiona, who neither ran nor put up any resistance. Fiona was frustrated.

Why am I so weak?

Why am I so miserable?

The weak had always been eaten by the strong. Unreasonably, the weak would end as simple food. Even now, Fiona's legs had given out, and she wasn't able to run. She was only able to wait for death.

This is too sad! … It's just… way too sad…

"… Are you… crying?"

Having been told so, Fiona finally noticed the droplets staining her cheeks. She was crying. She pitied herself, scorned herself, and used her voice that wasn't even a voice to scream out the world's absurdity.

But still, the predators never cared.

However, she didn't kill Fiona. Instead, she asked the weakling with its head hung low:

"What value do tears have? Is there some sort of self-satisfaction in lamenting how pitiful and unfortunate you are? How laughable — if you're going to lament your fleeting body, then try striking back at your opponent even once. Instead of hanging your head, try lifting your face and glaring murderously. Instead of weeping, use that mouth of yours to bite into your enemy's neck. Instead of grieving over what was taken, steal it back! At the very least, that's how I've always lived. And how I'll keep living."

What right do you have to say that?! Fiona thought. She gets to say that because she's strong. She gets to say that because she has the strength to not be stolen from. What right does she have to say that? She can't even understand my pain!

"Now, what will you do? Will you just sit there and be killed by me? Will you try to escape or put up some sort of resistance? If you say that you're a beast lower than some loser mongrel — then fine, I will kill you here and now."

Fiona clenched her teeth.

She thought, I don't want to be killed by someone like this. I don't want to die while being made fun of by this person! Betting her entire existence on not wanting to die like this, she roared from her heart, louder than ever before.

Yeah, that's right! I don't want to die! I don't want to die miserably like this!

Fiona, who took back her previously forgotten thirst for life, made her first 'attack' ever. Baring her unreliable teeth, which couldn't even be called fangs, Fiona bit into Lucifen's arm! She was convinced. Surely, she would die right afterwards. She would be killed by this scary one with black wings, angry that she was wounded like this.

However, that prediction never came true. Lucifen made no move to attack Fiona, who was biting into her arm. Then, in a voice that was strange in how kind it was, she said:

"… That's right. Be like that. So, you can do it if you try." Fiona unintentionally loosened her jaw.

She was no longer— No, she didn't have any desire to fight in the first place. Fiona just got scared on her own and sensed hostility out of her own imagination. When she realized that, Fiona released the girl's arm from her jaws.

"That's the correct choice, sheep. If you're living, roar and bite. No matter if you choose to run or fight, struggle with all your might. Don't become fodder just waiting to be eaten."

That was when Fiona finally realized. She was strong but also the same as her. The flugels prized whiteness above all else. There was no way those black wings wouldn't stand out. There was no way she wouldn't be shouldering something unreasonable. Something like unwarranted prejudice or slander. She probably experienced mountains of that, or something similar.

However, she didn't feel ashamed; she didn't pity herself. She struggled with all her might; she fought, and she was still here. She boldly laughed as someone strong and was standing right there.

Ahh, I want to be like that, Fiona thought.

Fiona shed tears as she cried out, "I want to be like you!" She — her great master — responded:

"Then come with me. I am still immature myself… I don't yet have the power to crush the unfairness of our world between my teeth. So then… Then I'll show you. I will become strong. I will turn into an even bigger tyrant than anyone else and dye this world in my rule."

"Become strong, Fiona. Along with me."

Fiona grabbed the hand that was offered along with those words.

That was the story of the meeting between Fiona the Rainbow Ram and the Blackbird of Death. It was a precious memory that would never fade, no matter how much time passed.

I won't forget. I'll never forget.

No matter what happens, I will not forget. Not this memory.

Fiona would absolutely never forget her only savior.

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