Re:Zero -Starting Life in Zero

"Your maternal home?"

Otto pushed up his glasses, immediately realizing what was happening.

"Does it refer to the place where Princess Emilia grew up, deep within the Elior Forest, the former elven village?"

Father Simon also looked surprised: "I see. No wonder the atmosphere here is so familiar, as if ancient elven magic is lingering around it."

Green offered no further explanation and turned to walk deeper into the forest.

The group immediately followed, passing through layers of dense forest, and the scenery before them gradually opened up.

The trees that once blocked out the sky gradually thinned out, and in their place came a sea of ​​flowers covering the mountains and fields.

Countless unnamed flowers bloom in competition, their purple, blue, and pink petals swaying gently in the breeze, filling the air with a faint floral fragrance.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the branches and leaves above the sea of ​​flowers, casting dappled shadows on the ground, creating a scene of breathtaking beauty, like a dreamlike fairyland.

In the very center of the sea of ​​flowers, a slender figure stood quietly.

She was a young girl wearing a light purple dress, with long, silvery-purple hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall, her delicate face filled with bewilderment and astonishment.

Those clear sapphire eyes stared blankly ahead, as if gazing at some incredible sight, and her whole being exuded a lost and ethereal aura.

It was Emilia.

She seemed completely unaware of the arrival of the people around her, remaining motionless in that dazed posture.

Emilia only turned around slowly when she heard the soft footsteps and the rustling of clothes behind her.

There was no trace of panic in her eyes; even when she stood alone in the sea of ​​flowers, she always maintained a calm and resolute demeanor.

When they saw that familiar figure in the crowd, their clear eyes instantly lit up with a dazzling light.

She knew all along that Green would come.

Emilia took a step and walked quickly towards Grimm.

The pale purple skirt brushed against the blooming flower field, creating a gentle arc.

Her silver-purple hair danced lightly in the wind, her gaze fixed on him the whole time, her heart filled with the expected sense of security.

In an instant, Emilia stood before him, opened her arms, and threw herself into Green's embrace.

The girl gently pressed her cheek against his chest, feeling the familiar warmth and heartbeat.

The voice was strong and reassuring, filled with the joy of reunion:

"Green..."

She tilted her head slightly, her eyes sparkling with unwavering certainty and reliance, and said softly, "I knew you would come to find me."

Green raised his hand and gently wrapped it around her waist, his fingertips softly brushing against the smooth silver hair on her shoulder. His voice was deep and gentle, filled with complete doting affection.

"Yes, I'm here. I won't leave you here alone."

Emilia nestled gently in Grin's arms, the familiar scent of flowers lingering around her nose. Her sapphire eyes gazed at the sea of ​​flowers, her voice soft and filled with longing:

"Grin, this place... is deep within the Elior Forest, where the elven village used to be."

"It's also my hometown..."

She raised her hand and pointed to the tall, ancient trees hidden in the thin mist at the edge of the sea of ​​flowers:

"That's the Prayer Tree. In the past, the elves would offer their wishes and prayers to it, using it to divine good and bad fortune. When I was little, I often played under the tree with my foster mother, Fortuna..."

At this point, her eyes softened, carrying a hint of reminiscence:

"I grew up here and was treated like a princess by everyone since I was a child. Not far away, there used to be a tree hollow hut where I lived, right next to the 'Sanctuary' where the elves were frozen, and there was a clear stream flowing by."

She turned her head to look at Green, a slight smile curving her lips:

"A hundred years ago, Pandora and the Bishop of Greed attacked this place. Later, my magic went out of control, and I accidentally froze the entire forest, including my people... She even altered this memory."

"It wasn't until Parker woke me up that I slowly started to remember these fragments."

"This sea of ​​flowers was the heart of the village back then."

Emilia's fingertips gently brushed against the purple petals beside her, her tone reassuring. Her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched slightly, and a faint tenderness and melancholy flickered in her eyes as she softly continued:

"If only Fortuna's mother were still here..."

"She was always very gentle, always protecting me, patiently teaching me elven magic, and making me delicious snacks."

"She'll be so happy that I can bring someone important back to the place where I grew up..."

At this point, her nose tingled slightly, but she didn't shed a tear. She simply nestled close to Green, absorbing the warmth of the person beside her.

Her silver-purple hair brushed against his clothes, her voice as soft as the wind rustling through flower petals.

"I miss her so much..."

Green tightened his arms around her waist, pulling the girl into a tight embrace.

He looked down at that delicate face, brimming with tears, and spoke with the solemnity of making the most weighty promise:

"Don't worry, Lia."

His voice was gentle yet incredibly firm, his fingertips lightly brushing her tear-streaked cheek, carrying an undeniable strength:

"I will bring back your mother Fortuna, Jus, and all your people who are frozen here."

"I will never let this land that gave you birth and nurtured you, and all the people you loved, remain asleep forever."

Emilia looked up in a daze, gazing at Green's earnest yet gentle eyes.

Finally, glistening tears slid from her clear eyes, rolling gently down her cheeks and dripping onto the back of Green's hand, warm and hot.

She nodded vigorously, burying her face deeply in his chest, her voice trembling with tears yet filled with immense peace:

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you, Green."

"I believe in you, you can definitely do it."

Green gently patted Emilia's back to soothe her emotions, then slowly released his embrace, his expression gradually becoming calm.

He raised his right hand, palm up, and the power of illusion that he had just mastered began to operate again.

A series of pale golden ripples spread through the air, as if the space itself was being twisted and folded by an invisible force.

The fragrance of flowers and the sound of the wind seemed to freeze slightly at this moment, as a subtle aura of violence and fanaticism emanating from the witch cultists quietly spread through the spatial passage opened by the power of illusion.

Green's gaze was calm, his voice deep yet carrying an undeniable command that traveled straight into the distance through the distorted space:

"Angry bishops, follow in our footsteps."

The moment the words left his mouth, a dark rift suddenly tore open in the space in front of Green.

The next second, a figure slowly walked out from the gap and landed steadily on the sea of ​​flowers, his body shrouded in suppressed anger and strange magic.

The newcomer was none other than Sirius Romani-Conti, the Archbishop of Wrath of the Witches, who wielded the power of wrath.

Her entire body was almost completely wrapped in thick white bandages, with only one eye showing, glowing with a scarlet light, its gaze a mixture of mad obsession and morbid fanaticism.