Chapter 242: Divine Spirit’s Whistle (1)
Chapter 242: Divine Spirit’s Whistle (1)
Sorry for the late post. I got too absorbed with reading Tomb Raider King yesterday.
Terms used in this episode:
Erofu – a combination of the words ‘erotic’ and ‘elf’ which usually means a beautiful elf girl that has a lewd body or likes to do lewd things.
The figures of Sirens based on Greek and Roman mythology were largely divided into two types.
Their first and original image was that they were half-human and half-bird. The other image they had that was created by later generations was that they were half-human and half-fish. In short, they were like mermaids.
In any case, both of these figures depicted them as beautiful women who were called the songstresses of the sea, but in fact, there were differences between the two that most people saw them as different races.
The Sirens in Legend of Heroes 2 adopted the latter image – the half-human and half-fish.
These sea elves roamed the ocean.
Their whole race was made up of only women, so they were more like dryads than elves. And in Pleaides, which was the setting of the Legend of Heroes series, the dryad was also classified as a type of elf.
“Huu… huu…”
Jude tightly hugged Cordelia and swallowed hard.
Sirens.
He could see seven of them right now.
According to Jude’s knowledge and common sense, they were all beautiful women who had the elves’ unique long ears that stood out from their colorful hair.
‘As expected, they’re still alive.’
There were two kinds of Sirens that one could meet in Legend of Heroes 2.
One were the sirens living in the sea on the side of the Argon Empire, and the other were the sirens in the sea on the side of the S?len Kingdom, who were enslaved by Malekith.
‘The latter were virtually monsters.’
The sirens, who had their minds eroded by Malekith and turned into monsters, were cannibal monsters that ate humans who were enchanted from their songs, just like the sirens in Greek and Roman mythology.
But they were not monsters yet.
Currently, Malekith had not yet resurrected and took control of the southern region, so the sirens on the kingdom’s side were beautiful and rational sea elves, just like the sirens on the empire’s side.
“In the eastern sky, in the western sky.”
“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”
“Shining beautifully.”
The sirens began to sing the song that Jude was singing.
As songstresses of the sea, they were able to sing it perfectly and in harmony despite it being their first time in hearing that song.
‘Stay calm, Jude. Stay calm.’
When Jude thought of Cordelia who was growing cold in his arms, he wanted to threaten the sirens so that they would move them to another place, but he had to endure it.
He used his reason to suppress his emotions.
‘I need to ask them for help.’
He was not in a situation to threaten them.
He should not forget that Cordelia’s safety was his top priority.
“Beautiful and strong human.”
As the sirens sang, the siren in the lead spoke and approached Jude.
She was a beautiful woman with black hair and blue eyes.
“I saw you fight off the demon of the sea.”
Jude observed the woman. Unlike the other sirens, she seemed to be of a high status, given the gold ornaments on her ears and neck.
‘I don’t remember her.’
The number of Named Sirens that one encountered in the game was seven.
None of them had black hair and blue eyes like the woman in front of him.
‘Is this similar to Princess Leica’s case?’
In fact, he wanted it to be similar.
In order to save Cordelia from this vast sea, the most obvious way was to be invited to the underwater realm of the sirens.
The higher the status of the siren in front of him, the easier it would be for his goal to be achieved.
“I am Jude August Bayer. We’ve been attacked by the Kraken just now. So I want to ask for your assistance.”
Jude spoke quickly, but instead of replying immediately, the siren turned to Cordelia who was in Jude’s arms.
A pale white face and purple lips.
She was obviously in a dangerous state, but the siren was not in a hurry.
She narrowed her eyes as if to observe Jude, who was struggling to suppress his impatience and anger, and then spoke again.
“I am Chloe Gallas, the legitimate successor of Electra Gallas, head of the Gallas family, and one of the 72 spears that protect the monarchy.”
She wasn’t royalty, but seemed to be an heiress of an influential noble family and a knight of the monarchy.
“Dame Chloe, please. My fiancée, Cordelia, is in a very critical condition.”
Jude pleaded once more and looked into Chloe’s eyes.
He was appealing for her sympathy right now, but he was willing to threaten the other sirens by overpowering them depending on her answer.
After all, helping Cordelia recover was his top priority.
Chloe did not immediately answer this time, regardless of whether she understood Jude’s thoughts or not.
She remained silent for a while, and only opened her mouth just before Jude’s patience reached its limit.
“Jude August Bayer, a strong and good-looking human. I will accept your request. I, Chloe Gallas, invite you as one of the 72 spears.”
Her words made him breathe in relief.
But Chloe’s words were not yet over.
She continued to talk as she still kept an eye on Jude.
“By the way, strong and good-looking human. Those invited to the monarchy of us sirens have to obey the rules. Do you know that?”
“I know.”
The sirens in the empire’s side whom one might encounter in Legend of Heroes 2 also had similar rules.
When Jude promptly replied, Chloe faintly smiled and nodded her head.
“Then it’s all right. From this moment onwards, you are a guest of the Gallas family. Please keep that in mind.”
“I understand.”
Jude was in a hurry.
Chloe smiled again and approached Jude, while the sirens who were singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star among themselves then also flocked to Jude and Chloe. They brightly smiled and began to sing a new song.
***
Cordelia was in a dark place.
She was cold, sleepy, and hungry.
She burst out crying amidst the sudden sadness she felt.
She stopped crying after doing it for a long time.
Because she was hungry from crying.
“Sob… sob…”
Cordelia tried to hold back her tears and looked around.
She unconsciously searched for Jude, but she couldn’t see him. There was only darkness all around her.
“Jude. Where are you, Jude? Jude.”
Cordelia spoke like a child and got up from her seat.
She had suddenly become a real child.
She was over ten years old.
Cordelia wiped away her tears with the sleeves of her white dress and began trudging.
“Jude. Unnie. Dad. Oppa.”
It was dark all around her, so she called them out in a low voice because she was scared to call them out loudly.
As she kept walking while calling for them in a small voice, she saw a wall. The white wall was full of pictures, so it seemed like she was in an art museum.
“Pretty.”
The young Cordelia had suddenly become smaller.
She was now around five years old and wearing red shoes. She then stood on the tips of her toes in order to look up at the picture.
The picture in the black frame showed a girl with a familiar face.
Hong Yoo Hee.
Her past life self.
She was around 145-150 cm tall and looked pretty, but had a sharp impression at the same time.
A girl with a catlike face who always liked to curse.
“She looks like a doll.”
Cordelia evaluated her past life self through the eyes of a child before she blinked her eyes. Because the picture moved.
“The computer in my room.”
Hong Yoo Hee was sitting in front of her desk. Her left hand was supporting her chin while her right hand was clicking the mouse.
‘Cordelia’ was on the screen monitor.
A lovely girl who was kind, pretty, and innocent, and seemed to be someone that came out of a painting.
The Cordelia in Legend of Heroes 2 was indeed like that.
Even when her life was in danger, she was like a saint as she sacrificed herself in order to save the children from the other 12 northern families.
Hong Yoo Hee liked Cordelia.
Cordelia then turned her gaze.
There were several pictures on the wall, and one of them caught Cordelia’s attention again.
“Cordelia?”
It was Cordelia.
There was a standing Cordelia in the picture with a big black frame.
She had definitely seen it before, but it felt strange.
Black hair and red eyes.
Her face was similar to the Cordelia that Hong Yoo Hee was looking at the monitor, but the atmosphere was completely different.
It wasn’t just because she was almost half-naked and had a bewitching smile.
In essence, she was a different person from the Cordelia she knew.
“The me who became a demonic human…”
Cordelia hated it so much that she only played it once. The Cordelia who became a demonic human could only be seen when one played as Lucas.
She was laughing hollowly as she raised her bloodstained hands. No, she was crying sadly.
Cordelia took a step back. She sank to her knees and tightly shut her eyes.
Why?
I’ve only played it once, but why is it so clear?
Why do I remember it as clearly as Hong Yoo Hee’s memory?
“Jude.”
She called out Jude’s name again.
She wanted to see Jude.
So Cordelia opened her eyes. The pictures in front of her suddenly changed.
Two large pictures hang side by side on a white wall.
Both depicted Jude.
But Cordelia knew. The two were different.
The Jude on the left was from Legend of Heroes 2.
He was attacking Cordelia as he had a very tired and painful expression like that of Kamael.
He was having a desperate struggle against the Cordelia who became a demonic human.
It was a painful sight to see.
Was there such a scene in the game?
There must have been one, right?
So that’s why I’m seeing a scene like that now, right?
Cordelia was about to cry so she forcibly turned her gaze. She looked at the picture on the right and widely smiled without realizing it.
“Jude.”
The real Jude.
The picture on the left was also Jude, but for Cordelia, the Jude on the right was the real one.
Unlike the one on the left, he was smiling.
He had a really sly smile in the picture, but for Cordelia who was already blinded by love, it seemed to be a very handsome smile.
“Hehe.”
There were many different images of Jude in the pictures.
When she closed and opened her eyes, the wall was full of Jude’s pictures.
From the time they remembered the memories of their past lives to the memories of their present lives.
Jude gradually changed in the pictures that continued like a panorama.
‘There were times like that.’
Cordelia laughed as she viewed the pictures.
And tears came out again.
She wanted to see the real Jude, and not the Jude in the pictures.
“Jude. Where are you…”
As she muttered, the wall in front of her disappeared.
Her memories of Hong Yoo Hee, Cordelia, and Jude disappeared again under the surface of her consciousness.
Hong Yoo Hee.
The Cordelia who became a demonic human.
The Jude who was attacking Cordelia.
The present Cordelia.
The present Jude.
“Cordelia.”
Cordelia raised her head. She turned to the voice she very much welcomed, and burst into tears as she ran towards that voice. She loudly called out the name of the voice’s owner.
“Jude!”
She opened her eyes.
The half-asleep Cordelia was in a fluster for a while. Her lips were then suddenly wiped with a sleeve without her knowledge. After the drool along her chin was wiped away, her tears were then wiped off.
‘Was I dreaming?’
She couldn’t remember the contents of her dream when she woke up, just like most dreams.
As if someone hid her memories the moment she opened her eyes.
Like the memories of demonic human Cordelia, and the Jude who lost everything.
“Huh?”
What was I thinking just now?
Cordelia unconsciously tilted her head, and then shook her head to get rid of her distracting thoughts.
She couldn’t remember the events in her dream, but only one emotion came to her mind clearly.
I want to see Jude.
I want to see Jude.
As her heart desperately whispered it, Cordelia realized.
The fact that his arms was holding her waist tightly. The fact that she was already in Jude’s arms.
“Jude, Jude.”
Cordelia moved her body and called out Jude’s name. She wanted to see Jude’s face, but she couldn’t because he was hugging her from behind.
“Jude?”
It was when she called him again. She suddenly felt Jude’s arms tightening his hug around her waist.
“Cordelia?”
She didn’t have the time to respond to his words. Because Jude had embraced Cordelia to the point that she felt like she was being crushed.
“Oww! It hurts! Hey!”
It felt both nice and painful, so she was flustered again. Jude then slightly loosened his tight embrace on her.
Just a little bit.
“It’s a relief, it’s a relief. I was worried because you didn’t wake up.”
Jude kept saying that as he tightly hugged Cordelia in his arms. She was hugged from behind until just now, but they were now suddenly facing each other.
‘It’s like I’m a doll.’
Cordelia unconsciously thought that and grinned before she raised her head while still in Jude’s arms. She saw Jude’s face that she had wanted to see so much.
‘Yes, this is my Jude.’
The real Jude.
The Jude that Cordelia knew and not the Jude of Legend of Heroes 2 who became a monster who only cared about revenge after losing everyone he cherished and loved… such as his father, brother, and Maja whom he treated like a real sister.
“Cordelia.”
Jude tightly hugged Cordelia again before kissing her forehead and head.
“M-me too.”
I want to do it too.
Cordelia raised her head as she tried to kiss Jude’s cheek, but sadly, that didn’t happen.
Because she suddenly remembered something.
“W-wait! Wait a second!”
Come to think of it, where in the world are we?
What happened to Kajsa and the others?
When Cordelia hurriedly asked, Jude tightly hugged her again and answered.
“They’re all right. This is the country of the sirens. A monarchy that has not yet been destroyed by Malekith, nor made its appearance in Legend of Heroes 2.”
“Siren?”
“Yes, Siren. Kajsa, Bentham, and Sebastian were also saved by the sirens.”
Jude slowly recounted on what had happened during the time Cordelia was unconscious.
His meeting with Chloe, a knight of the siren’s monarchy, and her invitation.
The facts that they were currently in a mansion of the Gallos family, that Cordelia had woken up after a full day, and so on.
“I see… That’s a relief.”
They saved not only Kajsa and Bentham, but even Sebastian.
“How did you come up with that idea anyway?”
I can’t believe you sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star in order to call the sirens.
Should I say as expected of Jude?
At Cordelia’s look full of admiration, Jude smiled and said.
“I was lucky. There was a high possibility that the sirens were present at that time, but it was only a possibility. I’m glad that they responded to my song.”
“Yes, sirens are sensitive to songs… wait. W-wait.”
“Cordelia?”
“No, wait a minute.”
Siren?
The sea elves – you mean, the ELVES of the sea?!
‘This crazy-!’
It’s been only a few days since we’ve ran away from the erofu of the Forest of Eternity, and now you’re saying that there are also erofu here!
In addition, it’s a more serious problem if they’re sirens.
‘It’s a women-only race!’
The elves in the Forest of Eternity had male elves, but they still drooled when they saw Jude, so wouldn’t it be more extreme for the sirens who only had women in their race?
‘Ju-Jude is in danger.’
He’s seriously in danger. I have to leave a love letter quickly and escape from here. Yes, we must do that.
Cordelia looked around in a hurry. It was to find something that she could use as a stationery.
But there was no furniture in the white and circular room except for the bed.
Furthermore, Jude read Cordelia’s innermost thoughts and said something that she did not expect.
“Cordelia.”
“Yes, why? We’re running away quickly?”
“No, that’s not it…”
“Not it?”
“Well, I think we should stay here for a while. The reason is… you know about that, right?”
“Because of the sirens? Thousands of hungry erofu are aiming for you? Are they holding on to you and not letting you go? Is that it?”
When Cordelia asked with a face full of panic, Jude shook his head.
He didn’t know about the thoughts of Cordelia back then in the Forest of Eternity.
“No, not that. It’s because the Kraken woke up.”
Although Jude and Cordelia defeated the Kraken, they had just literally drove it out. It was still alive.
But it was at that moment.
Before Jude could even continue his explanation, Cordelia realized one strange thing.
“Woke up?”
It woke up and was not from the deep sea?
It was in a deep sleep?
The one in the seal?
At her RPG-like questions, Jude nodded his head.
He told her of another thing he learned from Chloe.
***
“What are you doing?”
“Marking my territory.”