Even though I decided to remain a bystander, why am I wavering now?
I watched the carriage depart from Roils, carrying the explorer party calling themselves Twilight Moonbow and the son of the local Lord. Five soldiers flanked the vehicle as it rolled away. I spoke softly, ensuring my voice didn't even reach Ruu-ko's ears.
Fairies are not bound by the laws of the mortal realm.
This is especially true for me. Among all fairies, I am the one who stands at the very pinnacle: the Fairy Queen, Titania.
As such, I can see the future.
While the clarity of my visions varies depending on the probability of the outcome, it was almost certain that if things continued on their current path, a future that could only be described as hell for humanity awaited.
However, I didn't truly care what became of this world.
If the world was meant to perish, then let it perish—that was my honest thought.
I had intended to simply watch as this world drifted toward its final destination.
And yet, I had become involved with Ruu-ko, and I had intervened to save her from death on numerous occasions.
Was it because I had grown attached to her as the first human I could converse with in ages, or was it something else?
Lately, I had been doing nothing but contradicting my own past resolutions.
I had decided to do nothing.
And yet...
"Heh. Perhaps even this development is exactly as my Master imagined."
Before I realized it, I was whispering into the void, recalling my Master’s final moments.
—“If you choose the path of the observer, so be it. That, too, is a choice you have made. But I have one thing to tell you now. Remember the name ‘Orun Doura.’ Hundreds of years from now, he is the man who will resolve to stand against them. When your path crosses his, I wonder if you will truly be able to remain a bystander.”
My Master was defeated at the very, very end.
—“When my time comes, I want to die satisfied with the life I lived. To do that, I have to keep winning. If I die in defeat, I’ll surely be consumed by regret.”
Orun Doura had said those words to me the other day.
Hearing them had sent a tremor through my heart.
I, too, had experienced defeat, and I still harbored a great weight of regret.
That was precisely why I had chosen to be a bystander—I was terrified of losing anything more.
If I were to believe my Master’s prophecy, then in the near future, Orun Doura would encounter a tragedy so gruesome it would make him wail in agony. And yet, the prophecy implied he would still refuse to stop walking.
I knew I was being influenced by him.
Even so, a part of me strongly desired to see what that young man—who somehow reminded me of my Master—would ultimately achieve.
Therefore, for the first time in centuries, I made a decision of my own free will.
"Ruu-ko."
I called out to Ruu-ko as she spoke with Orun Doura’s disciples inside the carriage.
"Titania? It's rare for you to reach out to me. What is it?"
"The labyrinth you and the others were exploring until recently is about to suffer a stampede."
"That labyrinth?! But why...?"
"The reason is unknown, but the scale won't be massive. It's something you could handle alone. However, with the territory's forces currently concentrated in the north, you're likely the only one available to deal with it."
"For someone who claims to have no interest in humans, you certainly keep a close eye on things."
"Well, I am bored, after all. So, what will you do?"
"I'll handle it, obviously. I want Master Orun and the Eddington House to be able to focus entirely on the Empire. Besides, this is a chance for the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky to put the Eddington House even further in our debt."
Ruu-ko addressed the others in the carriage, informing them that urgent business had arisen and she needed to disembark.
Orun Doura’s disciples clearly found the timing suspicious and tried to follow her, but the Lord's son sensed the gravity of the situation and held them back.
And so, Ruu-ko left the carriage and headed toward the labyrinth, exactly as I had guided her to do.
The die is cast.
There is no turning back now.
With this, the only path forward is for them to overcome the crisis with their own strength.
This is a touchstone. Prove your worth to me.
The one who will carry the future of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky is you—Logan Hayward.
I pray you survive this trial.
With that thought, I reached out to the Labyrinth Crystal and triggered the stampede.
All to ensure Ruu-ko remained pinned to that spot.
Thank you for reading.
From the next chapter, the story will shift to Logan's POV.
I expect it to be a three-chapter arc.
I hope you enjoy the next update as well.