“You seem to know quite a bit about me. You weren’t even surprised when I claimed to be Dolores’s mother.”
“Most people shouldn’t know of my existence. The vast majority likely believe that Princess Lorelei is the mother of Dolores,” Doroth said casually.
Grin’s expression stiffened. He realized he had made a fatal oversight the moment they met.
“My husband wouldn’t take the initiative to mention me, and as for those who know me outside… I imagine you might have learned of me through that child, Viseliane. But since you know who I am, our subsequent conversation will be much easier.”
“There are only three things I wish to discuss with you. First, my daughter. Second, my husband. And third, the Land Kingdom… no, more accurately, this entire Surand Region.”
As she spoke, Doroth held up three fingers and shook them in front of Grin. Her mannerisms were quite adorable, making it difficult to associate her with the image of a mother.
“I will not interfere in my daughter’s romantic life. She has been brilliant since she was a child. I believe she has more little schemes hidden away than I do… I can only warn you, do not take my daughter for a fool. She has been clever since she was small.”
“Second, my husband. He has fallen into self-reproach because of what happened to me. I hope that after you leave, you can look after his emotional state… Of course, he has his own pride, so this request can only be fulfilled once you reach the Transcendent rank.”
“Mrs. Doroth, aren’t you right here? There is no one better suited to comfort him than you,” Grin said, puzzled.
“Would you view an illusion similar to a Memory Crystal as a living person? That is essentially what I am. My true self is not yet dead, but he might never see the real me again,” Doroth spoke with a hint of self-deprecation. “He has never discussed the ‘living me in reality’ with the current me, but there are certain answers we both understand tacitly.”
“He won’t deceive himself; I know him. He won’t step into the swamp to see me. Yes, in a sense, I can be viewed as ‘Doroth,’ but if he chose to come see me, it would mean he had abandoned the ethereal yet truly existing ‘me’ in reality in favor of seeking solace from a ‘fake me.'”
“A man who can be called the Rock King is no coward… Of course, if everything becomes irreparable, the me here will leave a final place of tenderness for him, becoming his last brief and gentle support.”
“I have seen his efforts. So, if he fails, he will still be my favorite man.” A faint smile hung on Doroth’s face, her love laid bare.
Grin nodded. He could understand Doroth’s words.
“I won’t treat you poorly. After all, you are the Hero from our Land legends with many titles. I also hope you can help the Land Kingdom overcome the Curse of Dreams in the future.”
“You should understand the concept of the Ancient Suland region, right? It covers the current Land Kingdom, the Vass Kingdom, the Rhodes Empire, as well as Sigtrand, which separated from the southern federation, and the Kingdom of Ayann, which has already been swallowed by the Abyssal Deep.”
“The records in the texts of my hometown only mention the concept of the Ancient Suland region. Today, the concept of the Surand Region has excluded the Kingdom of Ayann, Sigtrand, and the disputed southern territories of the Rhodes Empire.”
“However, hidden within the concept of Ancient Suland is a Symbol that takes 5,000 years to gestate: the ‘Hero of Ancient Suland.’ It was planted by the first King of the Rand People.”
“Because there is a difference between the current Surand and the area covered by the past Suland, I will use Ancient Suland to distinguish them.”
“In the distant past, Ancient Suland was ‘the place where the God who Measured the Earth first set foot in the world.’ But during the Mythical Era, it became ‘a land no longer blessed by Wonders.’ In the Mythical Era, every nation within the Ancient Suland region met its end.”
…
“You might not be a stranger to the name ‘Past Kingdom.’ You may have seen this term in some records from the Age of Recovery following the Mythical Era. It refers to all the nations in the Surand Region that perished during the nearly 2,000 years of the Mythical Era.”
“But the earliest record of it was in the Mythical Era, proposed by the King of Seven Days, who had been the king of Ancient Suland for 7 days. According to records, the King of Seven Days left an opportunity to touch the threshold of the gods within the Past Kingdom and its Symbol.”
Grin’s heart thumped. Through Doroth’s words, he recalled the countless bizarre natural and man-made disasters the Land Kingdom had encountered in his previous life.
As well as the **[Past Kingdom of Suland]** in the System’s Main Plotline. He always felt that the Land Kingdom hid too many anomalies and secrets. He had originally thought these constant disasters were just bad luck…
But he hadn’t expected it to involve the Mythical Era and gods. This had already exceeded his understanding.
Grin thought he had become familiar with this land and this country over the past 50 years, but the Suland and Land he heard from Doroth’s mouth felt as strange as another world with the same name.
“Alright, alright, don’t be so surprised. You have a look on your face that says, ‘I’ve known this place for a long time, so how can it hide so many secrets?’ This knowledge and these secrets are priceless out there.”
“These are the rewards I’m giving you in advance. But don’t go talking about them recklessly after you leave, especially if you’re within the sphere of influence of the gods.”
“You can use this as a clue to follow the disasters occurring on this land to find the source and completely resolve the catastrophe soon to befall the Land Kingdom.”
“I don’t want to see the Land Kingdom become a sacrifice. My husband and my daughter both live here. The people I love live here. Sir, can you understand my feelings?” Doroth spoke leisurely, her tone calm and much more relaxed.
A light wind blew, causing Doroth to squint her eyes and her long white hair to sway like willow leaves. She turned around, and a leaf larger than her head appeared out of thin air in her hand, filled with clear water.
“I don’t know if it’s because of my daughter, but your spirit seems weighed down by many things, making you forget that the time for the Dreamstorm is nearly here. Drink this, have a good dream, and then… wake up in reality.”
The world around them instantly became chaotic. Raindrops began to fall on Grin’s face. His hand reached through Doroth’s to take the leaf, and he drank the water inside. It was somewhat sweet.
He was indeed too exhausted. Upon arriving in this Dreamscape, he had actually forgotten the timing of the storm.
His body became heavy. Doroth watched as his figure blurred, and various messy fragments flashed around him. This was a dream, and an extremely special one at that—a dream that had been interfered with by Wonders, gods, and Symbols.
Suddenly, a look of surprise appeared on Doroth’s face. She saw Grin’s dream. She saw a figure very similar to herself.
“Daughter…”
***
In the pitch-black space, everything was devoid of life. In the center of the swamp, only a fragment of gray stone and a dead, withered tree remained.
Grin looked down and saw his hands covered in scarlet wounds. He saw a pair of small, bare feet in front of him.
“Dear, it is time for us to leave the Land Kingdom.”
“You will no longer be the King of the Land Kingdom, nor will you be the King of the Rand People. This country, this land… it is beyond saving.”
Grin felt a weight leave the top of his head. He looked up to see Dolores holding the crown she had just removed from his head with both hands, her expression sorrowful.
“Dear, from this day forward, we no longer need to worry about the affairs of Land.”