Within the Temple of Nature, Elisa looked at Edwinna, who had peacefully passed away, then at Randall, who was clutching her and weeping bitterly. Standing amid the crowd, she suddenly felt as though none of it were real.
It was as if something incomparably precious had slipped away through her fingertips. Before she knew it, she had walked forward in a daze, arriving beside the princess, who now lay as quietly as if asleep. Tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes. "Hey, Edwinna... didn't we agree on the road that once this war was over, you'd come to the Northlands with me? We were going to visit Minas Tirith, weren't we?"
Though they had known each other only a short while, they had inexplicably hit it off. And since they were among the few women of the same age in the entire group, they had quickly become acquainted along the way.
Their looks and bearing even resembled each other somewhat, so people had often teased them along the road, asking whether they might be sisters separated for years.
Elisa had naturally only laughed it off. She was merely the adopted daughter of a small merchant from the Northlands. Though a group of adventurers had bestowed upon her the title of Queen of the Sword Coast, the other was the true princess of Moonshadow Island's Kendick royal family. Their statuses were as far apart as heaven and earth—how could they possibly be mentioned in the same breath?
As for her true origins, she had once asked her teacher Kevin to investigate them. Yet there had never been any news, and she had long since given up.
But at this moment, seeing this girl—usually so carefree, utterly unconcerned with distinctions of status—pass away in such silence, Elisa truly felt as though she had