Maple Sugar, too, felt she could not die with her eyes closed.
All of Zelan's surviving leaders had gathered in Daybreak City.
The four Undead Monarchs held 42 World Fragments between them. As long as Maple Sugar handed over eight Forest Sea fragments, Zelan could assemble a World Skill.
Even Tao Mian had come.
There were no threats, but their presence was a silent form of pressure-give up that unreachable, meaningless dream.
At that moment, Maple Sugar actually thought how wonderful it would have been if all of Oak Owl had followed Song Gui to Zai Jiu back then. She could have dragged Zelan down to hell with her.
But she could not.
When she was young, she had valued her dignity above all else.
Only when dealing with her own people could she exercise some restraint, but even that restraint had its limits. After [Afternoon Tea] grew established, she had taken Feng Mu with her to prune away every branch and shoot she disliked.
During the final Descent Stage, even after Kufu used a War Skill that halved every Oak Owl member's attributes, she had refused to admit defeat...
She hated the Captain to the core, but how could she not know that even if she had been able to choose [Tranquil Dusk] back then, it would not have changed Forest Sea's fate?
-"You're always like this. You always think there's still time, always think you can turn the tide, always cling to things when you shouldn't, and turn ruthless when you shouldn't."
That was "Rong Shan's" assessment.
-"Maple Sugar, I admit that a leader should uphold the dignity of their entire people. But what you're upholding is your own dignity, not theirs."
Those were the first words Song Gui had said to her after Forest Sea shattered.
Maple