The Magic Country Svel 3

There existed a single castle.

However, inside the castle it was crowded with monsters with no lord in sight. The throne was left empty, as if it was waiting for someone to return, and it was kept polished.

Beside that castle, a giant sheep sat quietly. Its name was Fiona.

Fiona was the monster that held the title "Guardian of Aries Constellation," one of the Twelve Zodiac's Guardians that once served the Black Empress.

—The sheep was dreaming. A nostalgic dream of the past.

Fiona was weak. She was born weak and lived only to be hunted. She was prey and designated so by fate. She was born like that.

Fiona was a rainbow sheep. A legendary monster said to be born only once every five thousand years who grew wool that shone with the colors of the rainbow. More precious than any endangered species, a rarity among rarities.

Every strand of wool was equivalent to gold, and it couldn't be beat as an alchemical agent. If woven into clothing it would turn into something heavenly that surpassed any armor and yet remained lighter than cotton, and it was the highest quality catalyst for magic and rituals. Just being able to bring down one head's worth of wool would allow a person and their entire family to live a life of luxury for seven generations.

Rainbow sheep were the definition of a living treasure.

However, in other words, they were just a monster that had wool that glowed in rainbow colors. 

—No, not even a monster. Just a walking gemstone. Prey that only waited to be hunted.

Rainbow sheep were without any weapons to protect themselves or even the legs to run away from enemies. They didn't even have the means to deceive their surroundings. In fact, with the rainbow glow of their wool, they actually drew attention from their surroundings. From people, grimmfolk, and even their fellow monsters.

A rainbow sheep's surroundings were filled with enemies. All living things were their natural enemies.

That was Fiona, a pitiful specimen of prey to be hunted.

If the goddess Naru, who created this world, also intentionally created rainbow sheep, could there be any crueler punishment? Just what meaning did this creature have?

All it could do was fear its enemies, hide, run, and eventually be reaped. Just what kind of meaning did such a life hold? Every day was a dance with death. Not even a moment existed where a rainbow sheep could truly rest.

The rainbow sheep feared its eventual demise and continued to weep.

—That was exactly why that meeting was a miracle to her.

Long silver hair, fluttering in the breeze like those majestic birds. A pair of eyes that burned like golden sun. Looks that were perfection personified and pitch-black wings that symbolized god's abandonment.

Fiona remembered that meeting even now. There was no way she could forget. Even if she were to be destroyed and her soul reincarnated several times over, she would never forget.

Her salvation, its origin, was all concentrated in that one moment.

"Oh? A rainbow sheep? I'm in luck to find one here."

It was back when her great master was still immature and still referred to herself as "I" instead of "We." However, she was already showing glimpses of her future as a ruler.

Fiona, who was running away from everything as usual, met her.

—I'll be eaten.

The first thing Fiona felt when she saw her was the overwhelming presence of a predator. She couldn't run, and she couldn't win. No matter what, she'd be killed and eaten. That was the future Fiona saw.

Compared to her as the Black Empress, Haru at that moment was, of course, immature, but even so, to Fiona she was an unmistakable disaster. She was already too strong for any modern swordsman to even lay a scratch on her.

"What...? You're trembling? You won't fight back or even run... You, do you wish to be killed without doing anything?"

Haru approached Fiona, who neither ran nor put up any resistance.

Fiona was frustrated.

Why am I so weak?

Why am I so miserable?

The weak had always been eaten by the strong. Unreasonably, the weak would end as simple food. Even now, Fiona's legs had given out, and she wasn't able to run. She was only able to wait for death.

This is too sad! 

...It's just...way too sad...

"...Are you… crying?"

Having been told so, Fiona finally noticed the droplets staining her cheeks. She was crying. She pitied herself, scorned herself, and used her voice that wasn't even a voice to scream out the world's absurdity.

But still, the predators never cared.

However, she didn't kill Fiona. Instead, she asked the weakling with its head hung low:

"What value do tears have? Is there some sort of self-satisfaction in lamenting how pitiful and unfortunate you are? How laughable—if you're going to lament your fleeting body, then try striking back at your opponent even once. Instead of hanging your head, try lifting your face and glaring murderously. Instead of weeping, use that mouth of yours to bite into your enemy's neck. Instead of grieving over what was taken, steal it back! At the very least, that's how I've always lived. And how I'll keep living."

What right do you have to say that?! Fiona thought.

She gets to say that because she's strong.

She gets to say that because she has the strength to not be stolen from.

What right does she have to say that? She can't even understand my pain!

"Now, what will you do? Will you just sit there and be killed by me? Will you try to escape or put up some sort of resistance? If you say that you're a beast lower than some loser mongrel—then fine, I will kill you here and now."

Fiona clenched her teeth.

She thought, I don't want to be killed by someone like this. I don't want to die while being made fun of by this person! 

Betting her entire existence on not wanting to die like this, she roared from her heart, louder than ever before.

Yeah, that's right! I don't want to die!

I don't want to die miserably like this!

Fiona, who took back her previously forgotten thirst for life, made her first 'attack' ever. Baring her unreliable teeth, which couldn't even be called fangs, Fiona bit into Haru's arm! She was convinced. Surely, she would die right afterwards. She would be killed by this scary one with black wings, angry that she was wounded like this.

However, that prediction never came true. Haru made no move to attack Fiona, who was biting into her arm. Then, in a voice that was strange in how kind it was, she said:

"...That's right. Be like that. So, you can do it if you try."

Fiona unintentionally loosened her jaw.

She was no longer—No, she didn't have any desire to fight in the first place. Fiona just got scared on her own and sensed hostility out of her own imagination. When she realized that, Fiona released the girl's arm from her jaws.

"That's the correct choice, sheep. If you're living, roar and bite. No matter if you choose to run or fight, struggle with all your might. Don't become fodder just waiting to be eaten."

That was when Fiona finally realized. She was strong but also the same as her. The flugels prized whiteness above all else. There was no way those black wings wouldn't stand out. There was no way she wouldn't be shouldering something unreasonable. Something like unwarranted prejudice or slander. She probably experienced mountains of that, or something similar.

However, she didn't feel ashamed; she didn't pity herself. She struggled with all her might; she fought, and she was still here. She boldly laughed as someone strong and was standing right there.

Ahh, I want to be like that, Fiona thought.

Fiona shed tears as she cried out, "I want to be like her!"

She—her great master—responded:

"Then come with me. I am still immature myself... I don't yet have the power to crush the unfairness of our world between my teeth. So then... Then I'll show you. I will become strong. I will turn into an even bigger tyrant than anyone else and dye this world in my rule."

—Become strong, Fiona. Along with me.

Fiona grabbed the hand that was offered along with those words.

That was the story of the meeting between Fiona of the Twelve Zodiac's Guardians and the Black Empress. It was a precious memory that would never fade, no matter how much time passed.

I won't forget. I'll never forget.

No matter what happens, I will not forget.

Not this memory.

Fiona would absolutely never forget her only savior.

***

While reading, I thought of one thing. And that was a sense of doubt over Fiona, who was currently attempting to invade this country, and how unlike him that was.

Fiona was a rainbow sheep… a harmless monster that enjoyed peace and hated fighting. So why was he attempting an invasion?

No, I already know why. It's because I… Haru was defeated by the Seven Maidens of Midgar.

But was she really someone who could lead and take revenge like this?

In the game, tamed monsters only followed around behind their Tamer and never spoke. That's why players had no choice but to imagine things based off of the monster's race and background or delude themselves into thinking one monster's personality varied compared to another's.

I wonder… just what kind of personality does she have? I can't know what kind of person she is just by looking from the other side of the screen. I should be her master, but I don't know anything about her.

Just when was it that I first met Fiona, anyway?

That was back when I still wasn't max level... Right, it should've been around when I'd maxed out my Warrior and Grappler levels and just started leveling Tamer. Around then, I was wondering what kind of monster I should tame for my first one, I think.

Monsters used by Tamers had a wider range of use than an Alchemist's golems and were more useful, too. Unlike golems, their levels could rise, and they could use stat-boosting items. They could heal, too, and they'd revive from 0 health if you healed them. They did have a level limit, but raise a strong monster and they'd be useful through the endgame.

At the time, I should have been thinking of taming something cool and strong first, like a dragon. The one I accidentally encountered was the exact opposite—a weak sheep.

Of course, I knew about them. Even in the game, only one ever existed at a time. It was a super-extra-rare monster that the devs probably put in as a bit of a joke. Ever since the game started, no one had ever actually seen one, and I'd seen fake info posted on message boards more than once.

I… decided on a whim to tame it, a monster that I'd accidentally found.

For some reason, it didn't run away, and when it finally attacked, it was so weak that I was actually pretty worried at first. But still, it was my first monster. Of course I'd get attached.

At any rate, I leveled her like my life depended on it and ended up using a lot of stat-boosting items, too. Luckily, thanks to one of her skills, she produced one rainbow wool every day, which sold for a lot. Using that as funds, I gave her a bunch of stat-boost drinks. I bought all of the items that could teach tamed monsters skills that I could find and used them.

If she's a weak monster, then I'll just make her the strongest! I might have been a bit stubborn about that idea. As a result, it became as if Fiona's weakness before had been just a lie, and even after I got to level 1000, she never stopped being useful.

Well, I did almost lose my motivation to keep that up when the boss-class monsters I'd tamed afterwards got stronger than Fiona without any items whatsoever, though.

Now that I think about it, it could be said that Fiona is the one who's known me the longest. I still hadn't teamed up with Juvia and the others back then, and I hadn't founded Zodiac either. Just what kind of thoughts did she...Fiona have over these one thousand years?

Was it rage? Or grief?

Either way, it seemed that she thought I was precious enough to try to avenge me.

That's great, but it's also exactly why I need to stop her. If Juvia and Fiona were to fight, one of them would die. Purely from strength in battle, Juvia should win since she was a high level player comparable to me, but Fiona should have some sort of plan. I can only think that the temporary feeling of peace here is because Fiona is plotting something.

And right now, I'm the only one in a position to stop her.

"...That crying sheep, huh...?" I felt a strange muttering leave my mouth.

Crying sheep? ...I don't remember anything like that. That sentence, which I muttered incredibly naturally, was about something that I had no memory of, even if I did say it myself.

...No, that's wrong.

I do know. I remember.

This body still remembers the past that's been etched in the back of my brain. The image of a small sheep that cried out that it wanted to become stronger is branded into me.

I see. I don't know her, but the bit of Haru's memory that's still left in this body does.

Then there's no need to hesitate. Haru' will aligns with mine. I'll kick that idiot, who's let her blood rush to her head, to the curb, and I can just extend my hand to her again afterward. I can tell her to come with me. To come with us. Just like back then, I can pick her up once more.

It's fine; I won't forget.

As if I would forget you.

As if We would forget you.

We shall never forget, even if our memory were to be sent to the ends of oblivion, even if our body were to be filled with a different personality.

So, please… don't cry anymore, Fiona.