The Garden's Covenant

Within the sanctuary, glancing back, a vague human shape stands amidst a soft, drifting light.

"Welcome, Spica Luciana. I am the first pillar you revere and worship as divine—what is known as the First Ancestor, or the Goddess Palais.

I am a concept that has merged with this world. Already beyond the bounds of humanity, I am a presence of sacred knowledge and a mediator between realms.

You see me, do you not? It has been a very long time.

Now, tell me of the world beyond the sanctuary. What do you wish of me at this moment?

Speak your desire."

I am so startled I cannot utter a word.

"Ah? Can you hear… me?"

She waves her hand before my eyes, checking my perception…

"Oh, yes, I can hear you… um… First Ancestor. It is an honor to meet you at last. I am Spica Luciana."

"Welcome, may I call you Spica?"

"Yes, it is my honor!"

"Be more frank, please—formality makes me uncomfortable."

I am at a loss for how to respond.

"Ah, right, in my lineage I am a princess, though in truth I am a commoner from another world.

The first emperor had a gift of summoning heroes, and so I was called here.

My world had no magic—it was merely a fantasy tale, a story of imagination. In return, science flourished there. I believe I was summoned to bring that knowledge here...

In the end, my gift was forcibly activated, and I became the guardian bound within this barrier, a human sacrifice...

Still, I am here because I bear responsibility for revealing that concept.

I can only perceive the sacred domain and the sanctuary where you all sleep. Beyond that, I can sense only the presence of malevolent forces within the barrier...

Therefore, I wish for you to teach me the new knowledge and concepts you carry. With that, I may correct or reinforce the barrier.

And within the authority granted to me, I shall fulfill your desires.

This shall be the greatest atonement I can offer—toward the irrational barrier, and toward you, who serve as its source of power…」

The First Ancestor speaks all at once.

There is too much information; I can no longer discern clearly…

"First Ancestor, I do not possess such knowledge… I cannot even be certain if I can aid you…"

"Yet you were raised within the church, and never attended the academy, were you?

Then surely you will be all right.

Recently, there have been almost no children who could see me.

Only those who could hear my voice, or feel something faintly…"

I cannot exert much influence on children of such little strength. And those raised in the church tend to be overly focused on knowledge—sometimes missing crucial information…

In that regard, I believe you will be all right.

It has been a very long time since someone with both strength and education has come to us."

If she says so, I find myself thinking perhaps even my limited knowledge might be of use.

When I ask how I might help, the First Lady takes my hand.

"Please allow me to glimpse the memory of your soul. Do not worry—your privacy will be fully protected!"

Dazed, I nod slowly, and the First Lady begins to examine my knowledge. I feel no discomfort, only the warmth of her hand holding mine…

"Indeed… so it has come to this…"

"Impossible! Could it truly be like this?"

"Oh—this could be useful!"

She spoke with barely concealed excitement, and each time she did, I could only stare in wonder.

After a while, the First Lady released my hand.

"Thank you! Such valuable information, truly!"

Her voice was bright with delight.

"Was I of any help?"

I asked hesitantly, and she replied with a spark of excitement.

"Not just helpful—this is beyond helpful! With so much knowledge at your disposal, your self-assessment is far too low!

First of all, knowing the precise borderlines is incredibly important.

We knew the nation had grown, but none of the previous ones had ever known the exact map.

With this information, we can redraw the borders. We can protect more people than ever before!"

The general location of the borders was widely known, but the specifics remained military secrets, never disclosed to the public.

Yet, as I had been educated with the understanding that I would marry into the imperial family, I was likewise made aware of such matters.

I never thought it would prove useful.

Next, the knowledge of simplifying and energy-efficient enchantment systems!

Even among researchers, few would know such detail—this is extraordinarily thorough.

Comprehensive in its coverage, from ancient magic to the currents of modern sorcery, allowing immediate revision...

This will change how the barrier is maintained and managed.

I had only picked up the basics of magic through Elder Brother Cain’s assistance, yet I am being thanked far more than expected...

Even so, the First Ancestor appears to be well-versed in many matters of knowledge.

Occasionally, remarks unrelated to the matter at hand were made—“I wonder if chocolate has been made over here too… I’ve been wanting to taste it…”—yet the content of her words bore the air of a scholar.

The First Ancestor had spoken of being a commoner from another world, yet I found myself pondering whether such a world could possess such a high level of education.

Perhaps sensing my thoughts, the First Ancestor smiled faintly and explained.

"I am, in essence, a human soul drawn from another world—but I am also composed of those who gathered through shared skills. The magic-users and holy clerics who once built this barrier reside within me… the crystallized wisdom of their time, and the sacrifice of many lives, have shaped me.

Every resentment born of being offered as a sacrifice to this barrier, every joy found in serving the divine as a holy servant, every pride in feats of great sorcery—each is now woven into the fabric of my being.

Thus, I am no longer merely a person, nor entirely beyond it.

In truth, the one who was meant to come here, to update me, was supposed to be a noble child of high rank—just like you."

But still, no one truly wishes to die… so the burden falls more and more on those with weaker strength, becoming the filthy task meant for the least worthy…

At first, there were only children of noble spirit, coming here with lofty resolve…

If there had been someone like Spica among the ancestors, perhaps fewer would have had to weep…

The distant tale spoken with sorrow carries a weight of grief that feels almost tangible.

“This information will change what is to come! If we can optimize the pass, the losses will decrease, and the burden will lessen. The Virgin of the Barrier may yet be freed from their fate of accepting death.

Perhaps they will no longer need to come here, risking their lives…

I feel joy at these words.

If no more must endure such sorrow, what could be more joyful?…”

"One cannot say for certain without trying... but yes, it might be possible to adjust it as if putting them to sleep for about three years, dedicated to the offering of sacred power...

It would grant some measure of strength, certainly.

But since there is a contract involved, even if it were possible, it would likely pass on to the next Maiden... I suppose..."

"Are the other Maidens of the current generation in the same position?"

I had prepared myself for death. There was no longer any place for me to return to. So I had long accepted that I would rot here.

Yet I had heard that not all the other Maidens who sleep are of the same mind. The First Lady nods quietly in reply.

"I'm sorry, but that is how it must be...

Even if I am called the First Lady, or the Goddess, I am ultimately just a powerless sacrifice... I'm sorry..."

There was nothing else to say but, "No, it is I who should be sorry..."

"But now, at least, no one will have to forcibly take power from someone else..."

Spica, the one who is like an elder brother to you—she will be gone from this country!

A cascade of疑问 marks floats in the silence.

“The illness you call Monaza, the loss of sacred power—this is a system that forcibly draws sacred energy from random holders, solely to maintain the barrier… It is only a temporary fix…

Centuries ago, the sacred power of the young maidens had diminished greatly… The barrier could not be sustained without it. So, the maidens of that time made a wish…

If the barrier is to vanish, if the maidens’ efforts are to be wasted, then why not simply take power from the people instead?

That maiden’s name was Monaza…

But in the end, the knowledge required was insufficient. Her wish could not be fulfilled exactly as she intended. Thus, the system became what it is today…”

“Then… if I make that wish myself, will it come true?

And will Alex Elder Brother’s illness be healed as well?”

I could not help but ask.

But the answer that returned was a refusal.

“That truly is difficult. A core is necessary for the barrier… Without the Maiden’s presence, there is nothing we can do…

We cannot sever the bond with someone who has already been linked now…

Only the number of those who fall ill after the barrier is rewritten will decrease…

I am, truly, a powerless imitation of a goddess…

Without the faith of the land, I would vanish entirely. There is so little I can accomplish… It’s laughable that anyone still believes in me…”

Though that is not true… I cannot find words to comfort the First Lady, who blames herself so.

“I’m sorry… I’ve made it sound so bleak…

For now, at least, Spica’s knowledge allows the barrier to be extended to the current national border.

Efficiency of maintaining sacred power can also be improved.

With this, the Virgin of the Barrier may henceforth serve under a fixed-term system, their tenure divided into intervals. The fate of dying immediately upon awakening from slumber will no longer be inevitable.

The illness known as Monaza will also cease to exist.

Spica has given me the knowledge that forms the foundation of such a great achievement!

What else could you desire? What may I grant you, if it lies within my power?

Truly, was I able to assist in such a noble endeavor?

If so, then I am overjoyed…

That people may live their days beyond the barrier, as peaceful and untroubled as those in the household of Shasha.

If the Virgin of the Barrier serves under a defined term, perhaps more noblewomen would be willing to offer their strength. Most of all, I am relieved that one need not sacrifice their life to serve.

It is good… I feel this truly in my heart.

I chose this role of my own will, yet still, doubt lingered.

I did not wish such a burden upon another…

I was astonished to learn that my Elder Brother’s illness had been a sacrifice to maintain the barrier.

If he was to be healed, I would have thought my actions were unnecessary… I wish to believe, in the end, that I have saved him. And I am truly glad that no one else will suffer from this strange affliction in the future.

And what do I wish for… What is my wish, truly?

A meeting with the one I love, the one I long for—such a thing will never come to pass.

Yet in place of that, he granted me his other half, to be with me.

So I am never lonely.

But I do not wish for others to endure such feelings as mine… to be tormented by senseless power, unjustly.

“I… I do not wish for power like Stella’s elder sister to be wielded unjustly…

I do not wish for anyone else to be driven about by unjust power, as we were—without their own will…”

The First Ancestor seemed to understand, nodding with a quiet, “Ah… yes, that’s right…”

That power is probably half curse by now… it might harm the nation if pushed any further…

Spica, you must have suffered greatly. It must have been unbearable—never imagining your parents becoming such cruel ones...

I do not fully understand what a toxic parent means, but perhaps it is a way of expressing a parent who is not good...

I find myself slightly irritated, as though my parents were being spoken ill of.

In recent years, they are the ones who have cherished and nurtured me with such care.

Do not make that angry face. I thought, if you were treated so poorly, you might have already turned away...

Those parents must have exerted quite a great effort...

My researcher self murmurs that the other elder brothers were not quite so affected.

Perhaps she could only support her elder sister’s shoulder—yes, the one just above her, that elder brother, was nearly empty. The brilliance when power was exerted was faint indeed.

Yet, gifts of that nature should naturally weaken when one is loved and fulfilled… She must have been starving for affection… How pitiful…

“Does Elder Brother know of Lady Elizabeth’s power?”

“Mm, there were those in my circle who studied such things. Physical enhancement, perception, defense, mysticism—those have only activation constraints. But mental gifts should weaken when the heart is fulfilled. Perhaps the only way to resist them is to truly love and satisfy them… Though, that’s old information.”

It shocks me that even with all that love from her parents and her elder brother, she still felt unfulfilled.

To me, her parents poured every ounce of love into her… And her elder brothers cherished her deeply… Still, she remained unfulfilled. She truly is a pitiful soul…

I suppose I can understand, just a little.

To desire something so deeply, to exert every ounce of power, only to believe oneself unworthy of truly possessing it…

And I entrusted the wish to dissolve the betrothal my elder sister had desired… Even without that, the one my elder sister wished for would never have loved her…

Indeed, my elder sister is a pitiful soul.

Yet even so, no matter how much I seek to satisfy my own heart, I have gone too far.

No more sacrifices must be made.

With that resolve, I asked the First Ancestor once more.

“Would it be possible, within the bounds of the barrier alone, to prevent the use of power that moves another’s heart without their consent—just as my elder sister’s heart was moved?”

The First Ancestor nodded slowly.

“Your wish has reached me.

Though my power extends only within the barrier.”

Is there anything else you wish to ask? Anything else you wish to know?

I shall think, and ask my question.

I do not see the other young ladies. How fare you?

She is asleep. All of them…

She could not intervene once she could no longer see me...

You will sleep once our conversation ends. And unless something extraordinary occurs, you will remain asleep until the day of your replacement.

The First Master speaks, sounding deeply lonely.

The gaze of the First Lady fell upon the flowers blooming in a circle around us.

Five small, sparkling objects hover at equal intervals atop the large flower within it.

A large lily blooms in one spot where the space is unusually wide open. Intuitively, I understand this to be my place to sit.

That radiance… it belongs to Your Grace and the others of your generation…

Perhaps the maiden of the First Generation lies asleep, yet she remains alone here, guarding the barrier through the ages…

Only at the time of succession does she find such an opportunity to speak.

Yet in recent years, she scarcely heard a voice at all. Now, in every word she speaks with me, joy softly seeps through.

"Then I must speak with the First Generation more often," I say.

She is surprised.

"Spica, you truly are kind-hearted. When you grow weary, sleep whenever you wish. Until then, let us talk endlessly…"

And so we spoke at length.

The founding myth and reality, the half-life and longing of past maidens, life in the other world—endless topics, each like a tale that carried us beyond time, where we asked questions, and slowly drew nearer to one another.

The irresistible drowsiness overtakes me, and a gentle hand strokes my hair, whispering, "It is alright. I am no longer lonely. This sleep is not frightening. Goodnight, Spica."

As I drift into slumber beneath the touch of the First Lady… I recall the warmth of my childhood.

"Spica," a voice murmurs, "your father came today to see you. He wept, regretting…

Regret, though it cannot be undone, is still regret."

"Spica," it continues, "your family came today. One among them harbored ill intent, so I did not allow him entry. But all of them love you…

They mourned for you. They apologized to you.

I became envious… I truly did."

"Spica," the voice says softly, "another stalker came today, sneaking in once more! He is truly repulsive…

But you need not fear. He will never enter the sanctuary. Rest in peace now."

If only divine punishment would fall upon him… No, once he’s dead, divine punishment will surely come—absolutely! It’s infuriating, this rule that protects him so long as he breathes!

"Listen, Spica. Monica will wake soon… That’s why I’ve made the prophecy.

The maiden is no longer fated to die…

Who will the next one be? I wonder."

"Listen, Spica. Today, I spoke with the maiden who came here! Her name is Mary, and she told me about you!

And listen—did you know maidens can be released in a short span of time? They’re skeptical, but it’s been officially announced from the royal court!

Now perhaps… they’ll come here, too?"

"Spica, you see…

This will be a surprise for when you wake."

"Spica, today…"

"Listen, Spica…"

"Spica… thank you."

The hours pass gently within the sacred space.

The blossoms shift faster than before.

Yet the blossoms bloom beautifully.

No maiden who followed Spica has ever seen her lifespan shortened.

And when exactly three years have passed, she returns to the world of mortals.

Serving the divine in such a risk-free manner is revered, and the proof of purity has become a kind of status symbol among noble ladies.

Countless noble daughters now vie to become maidens as part of their bridal training.

Once a sacrificial offering, one who had to be paid to accept the role—now she is sought after, with offerings piled high in devotion.

But Spica will not awaken for some time yet.

Slowly, gently, firmly, the blossoms shift, weaving their will into being.

No maiden now weeps at the eternal farewell of the ritual.

“Welcome. The next maiden. Tell me your name?”