Chapter 271

Raiden Mei's time in the Previous Era Elysian Realm wasn't short, but she spent the most time with Elysia.

Even with a deep understanding, it's far too unrealistic to try and recreate Elysia's entire life using only her memories.

One by one, the Thirteen Flame-Chasers departed, but Eden remained until now.

Eden already knew clearly how the Vill-V Project should end, and how the Signet of Gold should conclude.

Durandal: "Eden, are you saying you'll disappear like the other Flame-Chasers, but won't fight the Herrscher of Corruption?"

Eden: "Miss Durandal is exceptionally intelligent."

Raiden Mei: "Is it because I can't depict all of Elysia with just my memories?"

Eden: "Hmm, Elysia's life was so eventful, how could it be reconstructed from fragmented memories? Miss Mei, you've completed ninety-nine percent of the steps; the final step should be mine."

The essence of Memory Body is data.

The missing data in one set must be filled in with another. Eden, as the person who has been with Elysia the longest, has spent a long time with her.

Therefore, among the Flame-Chasers, Eden is naturally the most likely to complete Elysia's story.

Elysia: "But Eden, if you do that, you'll disappear completely and become a part of me!"

Eden: "Isn't it romantic?"

Elysia: "Yeah, it's just like a date."

They once gave their lives for their mission; the long years were but a long drama, used to weave their own poems.

If that's the case, why not use the rest of your life to embellish this poem with the most magnificent strokes?

In the scene, Eden tells Raiden Mei why she came here and her plan to use her own existence to bring back Elysia.

Eden reached out her hand, and the crystal flower she was keeping slowly fell into Mei's hand.

Four dazzling crystal flowers gathered together at this moment, and four keys unlocked a buried past and a hidden truth.

Uncovering the truth behind Elysia's ball is the answer Mei seeks to find.

Raiden Mei slowly opened her eyes, waking from a long period of memories. Before her eyes was Eden holding a golden cup, reclining on the sofa.

"Eden, may I ask you one last question?"

Before parting, Raiden Mei couldn't help but ask.

Although she already had the answer to this question in her heart, if she missed this opportunity, she would never have the chance to ask Eden again.

Eden nodded. "Of course, Miss Mei, the rest of my life belongs to you."

There's something I just can't understand.

Raiden Mei frowned and said seriously.

"As the Fire Moth was shattered and she herself faced existential doubt, Elysia volunteered to become the Thirteenth Herrscher, standing against humanity, in order to unite the remaining people."

Ultimately, she sacrificed herself to restore order to the world.

Raiden Mei pieced together the history from the records in the Previous Era Elysian Realm and the fragments of Flame-Chasers's words, and this is the answer she arrived at.

But is this really the truth?

Raiden Mei had such doubts the moment she passed Apponia's test and pieced together the truth.

But the longer she spent with Elysia, the more she understood Elysia, and the doubts hidden in her heart were magnified to the extreme at this moment.

"Regardless of how Elysia willingly became Herrscher, or how she will use a sacrifice to awaken everyone to the truth."

"If this is Elysia's true ending, then why is the story of the Thirteenth Herrscher a part of history that has been erased?"

Raiden Mei expressed her doubts, hitting the nail on the head and directly pointing out the inconsistencies in the story.

Eden smiled. "Miss Mei, you are very clever."

"As you've already noticed, there are many inconsistencies in this account, because it's merely a statement, a way to explain to others and future generations why she left us."

"And there is only one way to turn all the irrationality into rationality, and that is the truth you have been searching for."

The truth is often hidden in the fog, and the answer is often concealed beneath the surface.

Raiden Mei closed her eyes, her mind beginning to wander, recalling the subtle clues and emotions Elysia had expressed in her few words.

The video ends here.

Raiden Mei: "Hmm? Is the story of the Thirteenth Herrscher also a lie?"

Surprised, Raiden Mei said she hadn't expected this at all.

She wasn't that delusional, guessing-obsessed Mei; from the very beginning, she never imagined that the stories the Flame-Chasers told her would be false.

Durandal: "I hadn't thought about it either."

Descriptions of the Thirteenth Herrscher are almost nonexistent in later records.

Although Durandal had harbored suspicions about it, he only considered it a painful memory, a stain on the Previous Era, and thus it was deliberately deleted.

In the end, you actually told her it was fake, and that the Flame-Chasers had been fooling them from the very beginning?

Raiden Mei: "Elysia, don't you never lie?"

The True Self —she was so pure, so radiant; Elysia never told a lie in her entire life.

That's how they've always viewed Elysia.

Elysia: "Yes, that was the only lie I ever told in my life. Thinking about it now still scares me a little."

Despite bearing the True Self, she went against her own wishes and betrayed it with a True Self lie.

I wonder how others perceive me at this time?

Kevin: "... Never mind."

Eden: "Kevin is right, Elysia. That wasn't a lie, just an answer hidden beneath the truth. Only those who haven't yet encountered the truth can call it a lie."

When the Fire Moth torn apart, Elysia indeed transformed into Herrscher, becoming everyone's common enemy.

Based on the order of the Herrscher in the Previous Era, he was given the title of the Thirteenth Herrscher.

This is both a lie and a fact; as for the answers hidden behind the fog, only those with a discerning eye can decipher them.

Elysia: "Eden, I'm so happy you said that!"

Eden: "If even you, Elysia, are not pure and sincere enough, then there is no one in the world more pure than you."

Pardofelis: "We unconditionally trust Sister Elysia."

Raiden Mei: "Uh, it's not that we don't believe you, we're just curious about the truth behind it."

Whatever Elysia's so-called lie may be, her pure heart will not change. Her purity is not something that can be distorted by an Elysia lie.

Chapter 441 What is Elysia's secret?

The True Self is sacred because of its purity, and the legacy is great because of trust.

Elysia: "Mei, I've always felt that you're incredibly curious, especially for a girl."

Raiden Mei: "Really?"

It seems there really is such a thing. Back in the Previous Era Elysian Realm, she was like a curious child, grabbing any Flame-Chasers she met and asking him all sorts of questions.

Even Chakravartin became a long-time viewer of Raiden Mei.

However, Raiden Mei felt that this was definitely not her problem.

The reason for this is that these Flame-Chasers are all riddle-makers, expressing only fragments of information, and you can't even tell whether their words are misleading or not.

If she hadn't been persistent and curious, she probably wouldn't have even been able to figure out the first layer of the answer.

Bronya: "In any case, one thing is certain now: Elysia did cover up the truth about a certain incident, and we've been kept in the dark all along."

Welt: "Moreover, this truth also involves the entire story of the Thirteenth Herrscher, and the reason why she wasn't recorded."

Kiana: "Tell me, Elysia, what secret plan are you hiding?!"

Now, not only Raiden Mei, but almost everyone was intrigued by what Elysia had been hiding.

That's Elysia! Elysia, who has lied her whole life.

So pure of heart, she would lie even if it meant going against the motto of "True Self".

Aren't you super curious?!

Elysia: "Kiana, why are you like this too? Are you influenced by Mei's curiosity? You two seem so close. I'm so envious."

Raiden Mei: "I don't think there's anything to envy about that."

Kiana: "Elysia, don't change the subject. The public has discerning eyes; we need to know the truth today!"

Everyone turned their heads in unison, staring at Elysia. Even those among the Flame-Chasers who were unaware of the truth of the matter cast curious glances their way.

Elysia felt immense pressure.

Elysia: "Everyone, don't be so enthusiastic all of a sudden. I'm getting a little embarrassed by all your stares. What do you think, Pardofelis?"

Pardofelis: "Huh? I don't know, Sister Elysia."

She's just a cat trying to take advantage of the situation; it's perfectly normal for her to be curious about Sister Elysia's earth-shattering secret, right?

Durandal: "Could it be that it's not that Elysia is unwilling to say, but rather that she cannot say?"

She's refused twice already; this isn't something Elysia would do.

Then there's a high probability that there's something they can't say about it.

Elysia: "Personally, I can tell you that I never refuse anyone's small wishes."

Elysia: "However, if this matter is made public, it will gradually uncover a series of truths, and how should I put it... it might not be good for you."

The secret she was hiding wasn't actually something that couldn't be told, but one truth often leads to another truth coming to light.

Other truths, however, are not as [friendly] as the secrets she hides.

The plans laid out by the Previous Era, whether it be the truth about the Herrscher, the meaning of the so-called Stigmata Project, the whereabouts of Mobius, or the nominal [Honkai Consciousness].

For people in Current Era, these are all stages they have not yet encountered.

Like a frog at the bottom of a well, lifted out to see the world outside, and then thrown back in.

Although I have witnessed the splendor of the outside world, seen clear blue skies and waters, and even the terror of raging storms, I no longer have the strength to jump into the well.

Knowing the so-called truth before possessing the strength to cope with difficulties is not a good thing.

Durandal: "In that case, let's preserve our curiosity for now."

Himeko Murata: "Miss Elysia doesn't want to say, and there's naturally a reason for that. I believe you mean well."

Elysia: "It's so good that you all understand."

Elysia breathed a sigh of relief. If she continued to be the center of everyone's attention, she feared she might lose her composure and reveal the truth to the public.

Kiana and the other curious girls were still very curious and couldn't wait to get the answer.

But since Elysia was hiding it for their own good, they could only suppress their curiosity, though they felt a tickling, uncomfortable feeling inside.

[Q&A begins.]

[On her way out, Elysia told the world a lie: thirteen was just a fictitious number. What secret was she hiding?]

[Quick Answer Question]

Elysia: "..."

Elysia had just breathed a sigh of relief but was also a little annoyed that the secret couldn't be made public, now had an expression as interesting as if she had been fed a bitter pill.

Kiana: "Elysia, is there anything else you want to say?"

Elysia: "Sigh, in the end, can a girl's little secrets really not stay hidden forever?"

Let them announce it then.

Judging from the pace of this exposure, her little secrets will be exposed sooner or later, so there's no point in trying to hide them anymore.

Elysia has come to terms with it.