The Stone of Days Chapter 26

Ryujia continued to speak. Even the part where she knew of my destiny the most compared to 100 different other people gathered. Despite being lost in the fog of my obscure state, I understood all of what she had said. I wonder if the Ryujia who had said all of those things was really younger than me. What uncanny hards.h.i.+ps could a prophet have had that could cause that kind of speech, that kind of expression, that kind of tone to appear.
She finally ended off after calming down with that firm, unique voice of hers.

"I will prophesy your fate one more time."

"One… …more time?"

"Not now. After a bit more preparation, at a certain time. I will, deeply, do it to the best of my abilities with all my devotion. I need at least one more month to prepare, so please don't go anywhere until then. Although this prophecy may be important in your life, but it's a ceremony equally crucial to me as well. As a prophet, my fate is bound in it as well. If I say something wrong, then that influence will befall onto me as well."

Concluding what she said, she rose from the bed. Then, without much of a goodbye, she headed out the door.
The door closed.

Turning point. So you call this a transition period. It's as if all the original contents were spilt out, and changed anew. I can feel that ripple.
How do I say it – the thing that's waiting for me?
Complicated.
I just want to return to the beginning. I want to revert everything back.
Waking up early to manage the store, to go deliver, I want to do that.
This world is too cruel.
I want to go to the place…where my mother is….

[Fabian.]

[Yes, Mother.]

[Have some of this. I boiled some chicken soup. With that body, how are you going to properly deliver things?]

[If I can't make any delivers, then it'll get complicated for the store. That's why you're making this, right?]

[This boy…….]

Although I could hear my mother's voice, I couldn't see her figure. After looking around restlessly, I called for Mother.

[Mother, Mother, where are you?]

[You don't have to know.]

[Just stay there. Just concern yourself with your own work, boy.]

[What, what are you saying, Mother? Your work is my work as well, what nonsense are you saying?]

Inside my dream, I angrily searched for Mother as I circled the surroundings. But, despite it being my dream, I had no strength in my body.

[Mother, it's too tiring. Just take me to where you are. I think I'm just too sick.]

But, my mother didn't reply. Exhausted, I collapsed where I stood. If only things could happen as I wanted.

[Fabian.]

Suddenly, my mother had called, causing me to spring back up.

[Yes, yes, Mother. What's wrong?]

[If you're sick, you need to get better quickly.]

[Help me get better, Mother.]

My mother started to get angry. It was scary despite it being a dream.

[Do your job yourself!  If you're sick, hurry up and have some soup so that you can get better and come to your senses!]

[Soup……?]

I didn't see any soup. But then, I could smell it. Where could it be?

[It's in front of you! Hurry up and eat it!]

My surroundings became faint.
I could feel myself slowly starting to wake up. About half of my conscious had returned back into my body. But, not all of my consciousness had recovered. I was stuck between the boundary line of dreams and reality. Already a couple of times, my mind was still in a blurred state.
In spite of it being a couple of times, what emerged in front of me was that familiar background of our store, my mother's corpse lying down lifelessly like a broken doll on the floor, and the large frozen bloodstain as if a sword had pierced through a hole in the middle of that chest……this was reality, a reality I couldn't avoid.

Ahah, Mother. Can't you stay in my dreams like this?

"That is… this wave suddenly swept across the area. Whether it was a type of walking undead like a zombie, or type of species like that of a specter, there's no way of me knowing for now. What's certain is that of these species' intention, 'purpose' if you like to call it, they possessed such a thing. I'm not sure what situation it is, but it's appropriate to say they have probably traversed over the White Mountains. Especially if you consider there was no information of these creatures in other places. Shut up and kill, you can't communicate with those at all……."

"What was their appearance like?"

"If you follow the reports of the eyewitnesses, their outer appearances were variously shaped, as if they were lumpy mixed plaster. Although their outer frameworks were similar to a human, half of it was rotting, and that vile smell … … there's some that had admitted that these weren't originally human, but of a different species. In reality, it was as if the orcs had made a promise with those things when they attacked Ember. Of course, most of the orcs were cleaned up by the soldiers, but still … … those things were very different from regular undead as fire had no effect, and they had organised planned movements as others have repeatedly reported.

"Was there no sort of hint as to what their purpose was?"

"Their purpose……hmm, it would be appropriate for it be to be something like shut up and kill. And they were extremely strong, as tools and swords had no effect at all. As to parts of their body well, it was reported that as if they had a will of their own, they started to attack humans."

"How did they attack?"

"It was truly appalling, for they used weapons. Although the majority were empty-handed, a few had knives and spears which they flung people over their heads. It was commonly pointed out they their strength was two or three times stronger. Even those without weapons would rip a person apart with their bare hands… is what the witnesses reported."

"Mm… And their numbers were very large?"

"Yes. I'm not exactly sure, but there should have been over a hundred……."

"And not even one had died?"

"We can't know for sure. But, it seems there's no corpses… … it should be correct to say that nearly all of their forces were intact when they moved out."

"And there was no commander?"

"There were those that wielded swords on horses. Since their bodies were covered in dark clothes, we're not sure if they were of the same species, but anyways, it seemed that they were the ones giving out orders. There were some eyewitnesses that had seen this from afar. As those on horses trod there and back, as if they were encouraged to do so……."

"Where have they headed towards?"

"Honestly, I don't even know. We can't even determine where they had come from in the first place……"

Next door, I could hear two people having a conversation. That voice, who was it again? Amongst the two, one voice was quite familiar, no the tone in which he spoke…….
It was Doctor Nauke.

It's a good thing that not many had died.

On the table besides my bed, someone had left a bowl of soup. As I had fallen asleep again, though I didn't see who had brought it here, there was still steam rising from it a.s.suming that it hasn't been that long since it had arrived.
It was the smell of chicken soup.
As my body was in a better state (don't ask whose a.s.sistance it was), I lifted myself up halfway. But, even with just raising my upper body up, my head spun as if my surroundings were shaking.

But still…… I can't just die, right?
Considering how relieved I was at knowing that Doctor Nauke was alive, I wonder how delighted my mother would be in knowing that I'm alive.
I could recall my mother's voice in my dream telling me to come to my senses and have some soup. But, other than that, I can't remember much else.
Ahhhh, I guess I must live on like this.

I tried to hold up the bowl, but it was too heavy as I couldn't pick it up. Embarra.s.sing, considering how I had wielded a sword that was over 3 cubits long. Come to think of it, where did that sword go?
I looked around the room carefully, but it didn't appear before my eyes.
Huh, I can turn my head it seems.

This time, I was determined to raise the spoon. I wonder if I can hold this up somewhat. It would be nice if the soup bowl was on my lap. What an impossible task.

"Fabian? Are you awake?"

Ahh, that questioning voice is so pleasing to hear.

"You're awake, huh."

TL Afterword

You can do it MC, be strong!

Translator: Calvis
Proofreader: Sai101, Kajin