Only God
Chapter 304 - 262: Fairy in the Lake

Chapter 304: Chapter 262: Fairy in the Lake

Sola arrives here unexpectedly, and her departure was just as sudden.

In the depths of the night’s Water God Temple, except for Bennice, no one was disturbed.

Bennice watched Solamus pack her things. She wanted to take away very few things—just a few books and garments, nothing else.

The girl looked anxious; she wanted to persuade Solamus again.

"Holy Maiden, are you really leaving?"

Bennice anxiously said,

"Why must you leave like this... can’t you stay?"

The girl looked at Solamus, her hair shining like gold, resembling a fairy from the stories. Yet, this very person was about to leave without saying goodbye, which made the girl sad.

Solamus gently looked at Bennice and continued,

"Bennice, I also don’t want to leave you,

but I have seen far more than you could ever see."

Bennice subconsciously asked,

"What do you mean? What exactly did you see?"

Her complexion turned desperately red.

Solamus said to her,

"A kingdom that is about to descend, a flawless great city.

And...

about your future."

The first two lines puzzled Bennice, but the last, inevitably, piqued her curiosity and confusion.

"My future? ... What did you see?"

The girl didn’t doubt whether Solamus had really seen her future.

She was, after all, a Holy Maiden; seeing her own future was a trivial matter.

"Bennice, many years from now, you will meet two women waiting at a fork in the forest.

One will be clad in a purple robe, holding gold, silver, and rare spices, while the other will have antlers on her head, holding a wooden staff and a Sheepskin Scroll. Her body will be uncovered, hidden only by leaves."

Solamus’s voice was gentle, like an old man in a fairy tale unfolding a beautiful story,

"You will have to choose between the two women. After your choice, you might lament what you’ve missed, but whichever path you choose, there will be no turning back."

Bennice listened to the story, her eyes revealing a longing gaze.

"Which path will I take?"

Bennice asked.

"That depends on you, Bennice,

one path is full of glory and riches, the other mysterious and unpredictable,

and which is better, only God knows."

Solamus gently spoke, patting her head.

The sorrow of parting in the girl’s heart was washed away by her words, as Bennice looked forward to what the future held.

"Two paths, two choices,

it’s just like... a fairy tale."

Bennice was somewhat agitated, she tried to keep her voice low.

"Yes, just like a fairy tale."

Solamus’s voice was soft.

Looking up at Solamus, Bennice’s eyes shimmered with brightness,

"Holy Maiden, can I see you again?"

Solamus smiled, then raised the sword in her hand and gently placed it into Bennice’s hands.

"Take it, Bennice, with this sword, we will meet again."

Bennice initially froze, then realizing something, the girl nodded firmly.

After Bennice nodded, a voice suddenly resounded in her ear,

"Goodbye."

As the voice faded, Solamus disappeared, as if she had never been there.

Bennice looked left and right, pacing around the room, then rushed out of the room, but she couldn’t find Solamus anywhere.

"The Holy Maiden... The Holy Maiden really, really left."

Bennice felt an emptiness in her heart.

In many children’s childhoods, there are memories engraved in the fabric of their lives; joy from those times makes one look back nostalgically, longing for that happiness, and the loss of this joy still pierces through time, wounding the fragile heart.

Holding the sword, Bennice slowly returned to her room and saw that on the straw mattress, a fairy tale book had appeared out of nowhere.

Bennice was surprised; she walked over slowly and then dove onto the bed, grabbing the fairy tale book.

"That’s... a story about fairies."

Upon opening the book, Bennice’s face was filled with astonishment.

Standing in the moonlight, Solamus looked at Bennice and smiled slightly.

She knew what the girl aspired to and also knew the paths she would choose, as well as her deepest desires.

"Bennice,"

Or should I say...

Lake Fairy.

Solamus could see the girl’s future.

Many years later, a beautiful story would circulate in the world of humans.

In a distant kingdom, there was a magnificent lake, shrouded in mist all year round, with crystal clear waters that never froze, even in the bitter winter.

The lake was home to various exotic flowers and herbs. In the center of the lake, there was a small island with an ancient willow tree, under which there was a well where a Lake Fairy lived.

This fairy was kind and pure; she enjoyed frolicking in the lake, making friends with fish, birds, and flowers...

Every day she would emerge from the well, pick a white lotus on the island to wear on her head, and then sing under the willow tree. Her voice was clear and melodious, like crystal, resonating across the lake.

People hoped to find her, to make wishes and get what they desired.

But though many sought her, only a few succeeded.

Because she was virtuous and wise, she did not mingle with desires but allied with nobility.

Nobles would make wishes to her, which she would fulfill; if a noble became vile, whatever she had once given, she would take back.

The story of the Lake Fairy would be compiled into a new collection of fairy tales, recorded on sheets of parchment.

Perhaps thousands of children, after reading her story, would resolve to be noble, and when grown, would traverse the mists, hoping to find the Lake Fairy to fulfill a naive childhood wish.

In the end, they would hear the story told by the Fairy herself,

Long ago, there was a girl who longed to be a fairy, and eventually, she became one.

She saw countless people remaining true to their initial aspirations, and just as many debased by desires... She neither embraced indifference nor ignorance; ever since that life-altering choice, she patiently awaited the arrival of a blond woman.

And,

the woman spoke of an impending realm, a flawless grand city.