Chapter 6: Pulmy En Dynast (6)
Pulmy understood that this was a dream.
The girl before her—Angelica—looked younger than she did now. In just a few years, Angelica had undergone a remarkable transformation, blossoming into a stunning beauty with an exceptional figure.
“Hey, Pul-san! Your full name is ‘Pulmy En Dynast,’ right?”
Ah, that’s right… wait, no, that’s not quite accurate. It’s more that my parents—well, that’s not important. It’s not a big deal here.
“Isn’t having a middle name something only royalty or high-ranking nobles have? So, does that mean you’re royalty, Pul-san? Could you possibly be the queen of the elves?”
In the Arcana Kingdom, having a middle name was indeed reserved for royalty or high-ranking nobles. However, that was a rule for humans, and elven names were, of course, something entirely different.
“Wow, so human and elven naming conventions are completely different. So, what does your name mean, Pul-san?”
Elven names are quite simple compared to human ones. In her case, it meant Pulmy from the Dynast clan that resides in a certain great forest far away in the En Region.
“Interesting! There must be more than one person from the Dynast clan in the En Region, right? So if we go there, everyone will have the same ‘En Dynast’ name as you?”
In reality, her name had a part that was omitted for a certain reason, and if included, it would make for a much longer and more complicated name even in elven society. That aside, there were indeed many with the name ‘En Dynast.’ In fact, the community was almost entirely made up of ‘En Dynast’ members.
Still, what’s with this sudden focus on names?
“Oh, that’s because I want to throw away the name Honest and take on ‘En Dynast’ like you!”
Pulmy remembered this situation well. She recalled how Angelica had blushed, hiding her face with her hat as she said it.
What feelings had Angelica harbored when she told Pulmy that?
With that thought, she awoke in her bed.
The day of Angelica’s departure was drawing near. Pulmy had been feeling that her daughter seemed a bit moody lately, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. This morning, Angelica had pleaded with her to finish her daytime work early and asked for a little time.
In her office, she hurriedly wrapped up her paperwork and headed to the Guild Training Grounds at the time her daughter had specified.
“Good to see you again. Thank you for the treats you brought yesterday.”
There, she found Yamada and Angelica, who was waving her hands excitedly.
While Pulmy often brought them snacks, she rarely stayed long. It was her way of being considerate, not wanting to overstay her welcome when her daughter was with a male friend (or so she thought).
Just as she was about to ask what they needed, the boy suddenly bowed his head and said, “Please allow me to take Angelica with me.”
Pulmy was taken aback. What was this boy saying? It sounded as if he was asking for permission to marry her daughter. Pulmy wasn’t oblivious; she realized he was asking for permission to accompany Angelica on her journey after they conquered the Light Labyrinth.
“Haah, what nonsense are you spouting all of a sudden? You don’t need to ask me; it’s already been decided… I mean, I introduced you with that intention in mind.”
“Pul-san, that’s not it. That’s not what I meant.”
Angelica reassured Pulmy, expressing her desire to embark on a journey as part of the Hero Party.
“Phew… I understand what you both want to say. So how do you plan to reassure me?”
Pulmy shrugged her shoulders and asked.
Yamada handed Pulmy a chunk of metal.
“W-What is this?” Pulmy exclaimed, astonished. The chunk was made of mithril. The value of such a quantity was immeasurable.
Angelica turned to Pulmy with a nervous expression.
“Watch, Pul-san.”
Pulmy nodded, saying, “Got it,” and waited as Yamada affixed the mithril chunk to a target. He then formed a circle with his hands.
Angelica unleashed a spell that Pulmy had never heard before.
“Aqua Divide!”
A torrent of water shot forth from Angelica with incredible force, slicing the mithril cleanly in half.
“That’s not all!”
Angelica said to a stunned Pulmy and nodded at Yamada. In response, Yamada nodded back and pulled out a monster material from his Magic Bag.
In his hands was the massive scythe of a Wrath Mantis, known for its razor-sharp edge, capable of slicing through even A-rank weapons and shields with ease.
Yamada tossed it into the air in sync with Angelica’s incantation.
“Mille-Feuille!”
As Angelica chanted, the scythe was ensnared within a spherical ice barrier, and then—
“Implosion!!”
With her declaration, the sphere created by the barrier glowed red and exploded, leaving not a single trace of the Wrath Mantis’s scythe behind.
That evening was a celebration. It was a gathering to rejoice in Angelica’s growth and to wish her well on her journey.
The three of them were lively, and naturally, the amount of alcohol increased. Yamada, perhaps due to his low tolerance, ended up completely drunk. Angelica, being polite, helped the servers clear the table, whether from courtesy or inebriation.
“I’m going to get some fresh air.”
Pulmy handed over a sufficient amount of Gold Coins and stepped outside. After taking in the night air for a while, she heard a voice from behind.
“Pul-san.”
It was Angelica.
“Hmm?”
“Thank you. For always watching over me and helping me.”
“What are you talking about? We’re family, aren’t we?”
Pulmy realized that she could now express what was in her heart. So she continued speaking.
“Do you remember when you told me you wanted to take on the name ‘En Dynast’?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“You could aim to become the head of the prestigious Honest family. Though it’s under the surface, there’s still a faction within Honest for you, the Sage faction, that can’t be ignored. So I’ve been pondering which path would be better for you.”
Angelica listened quietly.
“But it’s fine now. I’m tired of worrying. Angelica, once you conquer the Light Labyrinth, come back here. I’ll make sure everything is ready by then. So, if your feelings don’t change, take on the name ‘En Dynast.’”
“Does that mean—”
Angelica covered her mouth in surprise.
“Honestly, I’ve always thought of you as my child. But it seems there’s a significant difference between saying it and not saying it, or writing it down or not.”
Overcome with emotion, Angelica embraced the smaller Pulmy.
Two days later, she departed from Green Eyes. Thinking of themselves as mother and daughter, Pulmy didn’t feel lonely. About a week later, a letter arrived via dragon courier. It must have cost a fair amount, but letters arrived every three days.
Half of the content was about the Holy Knight Boy, which made Pulmy gnash her teeth in frustration, but overall, she enjoyed reading the letters in her office.
Then, she received a letter that must have been written on the day they entered the Light Labyrinth.
“I believe by the time this letter reaches you, I will have conquered the Labyrinth. I will definitely return to you.
Angelica En Dynast”
As soon as the letter arrived, news spread throughout the kingdom that the Hero Party had conquered the Light Labyrinth.
However, communication from her daughter ceased, and she did not return.
Pulmy had been gathering information about her daughter. It was said that she was the one who vanquished the super-class monster of the Light Labyrinth. Each of their accomplishments was publicly announced, and Angelica was hailed as a Sage, while the Holy Knight Boy was referred to as the Wise Person who guided her.
If she were to see them face to face, Pulmy doubted she could contain the mixed emotions of sadness and anger. Whether she was called a coward or not, she decided that before meeting or not meeting, she would at least try to contact her once, sending letter after letter.
Yet, despite sending countless letters, not a single one ever returned.
“Ah, I see…”
And with that, Pulmy understood.
The daughter who achieved success could not completely let go of Honest and ultimately left my side.
◇◇◇
About a year has passed since then. News of various Newly Constructed Ultimate Labyrinths being conquered spread throughout the kingdom, but Pulmy seemed to have a gaping hole in her heart since that day.
◇◇◇
From reliable sources, I received word that the Hero Party was set to challenge the notoriously difficult Blade Labyrinth that day.
Still, Pulmy prayed for her daughter’s safety.
Whether her prayers reached the heavens or not, her daughter survived after defeating the labyrinth’s boss.
Yamada had vanquished Claiomh Solais, while Eris overcame the Dragonbone Swordsman. Despite the various entanglements, Yamada rushed over to his party members, Ryuguin and the others—at that very moment.
Something occurred in the world.
To be precise, there was no one who could comprehend what it was or when it happened—except for the very person who caused that phenomenon. Yet, undeniably, something happened, emerged, and swallowed everything in the world.
And then, Pulmy shattered.