Magical Journey: The Other Shore Blooms on the Other Shore

Chapter 209 The Night the Stars Fell (Part 2)

Bira, the Deep Forest, is a kingdom hidden deep within the forest.

If viewed from an outsider's perspective, this kingdom could be described as utterly ignorant and backward. Its inhabitants were forbidden from leaving except in exceptional circumstances, and merchants entering to trade were not allowed to divulge information about the outside world.

What exactly is the reason...?

No one knew until the kingdom was overthrown and turned into ruins.

Perhaps it's to keep the people ignorant so that those in power can rule, or perhaps it's for some other political reason—who knows?

Every day at midnight, the residents pray to the stars, hoping they will bring abundance to the kingdom—no one knows why they do this, and whenever someone questions it, they are advised not to be too clever.

There are always plenty of smart people, but the smartest people don't show off how smart they are.

The deep forest of Bira is a kingdom where customs are of utmost importance, even more so than the people who live there. Those who question the correctness of these customs will eventually disappear.

Rumor has it that they went outside to enjoy the scenery.

That sounds pretty enviable.

Thirteen-year-old Fran sat on the top floor of the orphanage, gazing at the starry sky, and sometimes wondered what the outside world was like.

At her age, it's the perfect time to learn.

But from the orphanage, she could only obtain the knowledge that the kingdom wanted her to know.

All the knowledge you gain is embellished in terms of the kingdom; you won't find a single scandal about it. In the Library of Bira in the deep forest, everything is described as how beautiful their kingdom is and how filthy the outside world is.

To be honest, it seems a bit fake.

Therefore, Fran wanted to know what the outside world was really like, but had no way of knowing.

Occasionally, she would question the necessity of the daily midnight prayer custom.

It's past midnight, why don't you go to sleep? You pray like a drooling idiot every day, wouldn't it be better to use that time to sleep?

It's not because Fran herself likes to sleep.

That same year, the older sister from the orphanage who had always taught her all sorts of knowledge suddenly disappeared. It was said that she had been chosen as a sacrifice to become a messenger of God and went to the outside world.

But Fran knew that her older sister, whom she had grown up with, had no desire to become an envoy.

Perhaps she just wants to grow up well and find a reliable man to spend her life with.

The day she left was quite ordinary; Fran didn't even have a chance to say goodbye.

The disappearance of her friend didn't actually change young Fran much. That's how people are; they meet, they part; sometimes parting is forever, leaving no time for sadness, for the next one might be her.

She strolled through the streets as usual, hoping to get some information from the outside world.

She may know that this curiosity will lead to bad results, but knowing is one thing, doing is another.

They left the library empty-handed.

The merchant returned empty-handed.

That wall blocked out the sky, and looking up from below, it resembled a shrinking well opening, making one feel like a petty person in the marketplace.

This remained the case until she asked someone in the coffee shop.

She was a woman in her early twenties with flowing gray hair; just by looking at her, you could tell she was very good at taking care of herself. When Fran asked her a question, she was still reading the kingdom's newspaper.

"You want to know about the outside world?" the gray-haired woman asked thoughtfully, tilting her head as if she was considering something further.

"Can you tell me?" Fran didn't have much hope. Everyone she asked told her that they had been strictly ordered to keep quiet and that they would have to pay a hefty sum in compensation if they broke the order.

“Sure,” the gray-haired woman nodded.

"Huh? Really?"

“Of course. Just not now.” The gray-haired woman’s words extinguished Fran’s enthusiasm once more. “I’ll tell you after tonight.”

Why?

What I, Fran, hate most are guys who only say half the story, offering hope but only a small amount. You gray-haired bastard, I'll remember you.

But Fran had no idea that the night would last so long.

Tonight is the night of the full moon—according to the customs of the deep forest of Bira, the full moon is the time when one is closest to the gods. At such times, the kingdom's high-ranking officials would offer sacrifices to please the gods. Although these sacrifices have never been announced to the public, given the frequent disappearances of girls in the kingdom, it is probably known that they are.

On her way back to the orphanage, Fran was knocked unconscious and taken away by a group of people who claimed to be priests.

Before being knocked unconscious, she was told that she had been chosen as God's messenger and was about to go to the heavens to be with God.

As Fran gradually awoke from her coma, she found herself in a completely unfamiliar basement. Unidentified purple flowers bloomed around her—and a foul odor permeated the air.

The more this gas is inhaled, the heavier one's consciousness becomes.

Fran knew she had been poisoned.

From the moment she entered the basement, she was poisoned. Even the most foolish person would understand what this so-called divine messenger was all about; the plight of those who disappeared was the same as Fran's current predicament.

The older sister from the orphanage must be the same.

Anyone who harbors doubts about the kingdom and yearns for life outside will ultimately face this punishment.

In this way, not only were the gods in the hearts of those people appeased, but the rule of the entire kingdom was also maintained. To outsiders, this foolish human sacrifice was like hell.

Fran closed her eyes little by little in pain.

The moment of waking up was merely a fleeting, instinctive burst of lucidity before death; now, that last vestige of clarity is about to fade away.

A sense of death spread throughout my body, gradually creeping up from my toes to my chest, making it harder and harder to breathe. It was like sleeping, only much more uncomfortable.

After losing consciousness, Fran opened her eyes again to find herself in the ruins of a forest.

She thought this was paradise, but she found herself lost in paradise. A large forest blocked her view, and it was nighttime, so she couldn't see anything.

Fran, who didn't know how long she had been searching, wandering around in circles, sat down under a tree and sighed like a child. But then she heard a voice that didn't belong to her.

then……

"I see, I see." After hearing the summary of the story, Elena indicated that she understood everything.

“By the way, that gray-haired woman… looks just like you,” Fran said suspiciously.

But if you look closely, there are still some differences; they're just very similar—Elena is a bit younger.

“It must be an illusion,” Elena said.

"is it?"

"Is such that."

“Alright. When can you teach me magic?” Fran asked.

“Let’s do it now,” Elena said. “Call me ‘teacher’.”