Chapter 975: I'll Bear the Punishment for Her
Aurora's goal is to become the most beloved and adored star in Britain.
Everyone must worship me, yearn for me, cherish me, and kneel before me.
She herself is striving to become the most popular fairy in Britain. Advocating for the coexistence of humans and fairies in her territory, Salisbury, was her idea, and focusing on helping humans is her approach.
But all her efforts are aimed at achieving her own goal—becoming the most popular fairy in Britain!
Her efforts are sincere, and her drive is completely genuine.
However, her image is entirely fabricated.
Crafting a persona is her method of achieving her goal.
So-called universal love and a passion for helping humans have been false from the very beginning. From the start, she deliberately engaged in these actions solely to make herself appear "benevolent."
In essence, it's all a performance.
Of course, performing isn't necessarily a bad thing. At the very least, she has indeed helped many humans—though in the end, these humans were deceived by her glamorous facade and became her devoted followers.
Melusine is no exception. Though rescuing her from the Dragon's Bone Marsh and bestowing upon her the name Melusine were entirely for show, these achievements are undeniably real.
That's why, even after learning of Aurora's true nature and being used by her countless times, Melusine remains unwavering in her devotion to Aurora, without a trace of regret.
Yes.
Melusine has been used many times.
Each time, it happened when Aurora unintentionally mentioned someone more popular than herself in front of Melusine, driven by jealousy.
Then, Melusine would silently depart, eliminating that person in the shadows.
"This is inevitable."
Melusine, or rather, Melusine, hung her head in anguish.
"There's no other way. Aurora's goal is to become the most popular fairy in Britain, but how is that possible? There will inevitably come a time when a fairy more beloved and admired than her emerges. And once she is no longer the most popular fairy in Britain, Aurora will become deeply troubled. Her radiance will fade, and she will eventually wither, turning into a Mors..."
To prevent Aurora's downfall, Melusine has no choice but to bear the painful duty of a cleaner.
The most recent instance was six years ago.
"Listen, Melusine, the Mirror Clan always uses prophecies to stir unrest in the fairy kingdom. Their every appearance heralds chaos, especially this time. Clan Leader Ainsel's prophecy about the Child of Prophecy has thrown the entire Britain into turmoil. Children born in 2002 have suffered unjust persecution. They must be a danger to Britain. If only they didn't exist..."
Aurora truly believed this.
Though at the time, the Mirror Clan, due to Clan Leader Ainsel's prophecy, was indeed at the center of controversy and became the talk of all Britain, causing the attention on her to diminish significantly.
But she genuinely believed the Mirror fairies were a scourge.
This was, in essence, no different from jealousy.
It must be said that, due to the pure nature of fairies, Aurora had even deceived herself!
And so, Melusine set off for the Lake District.
Utterly annihilating the Mirror Clan, who had always been peace-loving.
Eiji slowly held his breath.
"Aurora is bizarre enough, but you're just as abnormal!"
No wonder he hadn't encountered a single fairy from the Mirror Clan throughout his journey across half of Britain!
To exterminate an entire clan for the sake of one mere individual?
Twisted to such an extent, from an ordinary human's perspective, it was no different from madness!
What, she did it for love, so it's understandable?
What kind of idol-fanatic logic is that!
Why don't you forgive her on behalf of the deceased Mirror Clan?
"Ah, you're right, I'm just a cold-blooded executioner..."
Melusine's expression was somber.
There was no need for argument; she knew just how terribly wrong her actions had been.
But now, the crux of the matter lay with Aurora.
Whenever someone more beautiful, more radiant, and more popular appeared, Aurora would express pure "malice" out of jealousy, just as she had with the Mirror Clan.
Faced with those wings losing their light, Melusine, unable to bear Aurora's descent into a Mors, would act like a tool and eliminate the more dazzling individual.
In fact, it wasn't just the Mirror Clan—Melusine herself was no different.
Because she was also known as "the most beautiful and powerful fairy in Britain," possessing beauty and charm that surpassed Aurora's, she too was an object of Aurora's envy.
Thus, after rescuing Melusine from the swamp, Aurora regretted it.
She loathed Melusine more than anyone.
But she also relied on Melusine more than anyone.
So, she pretended to be on good terms with Melusine.
But in private...
Just as the rebel leader had said earlier, in Aurora's heart—where it was all an act, devoid of any pity or love for Melusine—Melusine was nothing but an ugly, filthy lump of flesh!
And after Eiji appeared, Aurora reverted to her old ways.
She deliberately made remarks like "the bewitching consort who brings ruin to the nation" in front of her subordinates, intending for them to deal with Eiji. And those sycophants, as expected, sent assassins after him.
However, the outcome wasn't as desired—how could a few ordinary humans possibly kill Eiji?
By the time Aurora wanted Melusine to kill Eiji, he had already left Bargest's group and disappeared to who-knows-where.
What followed was Eiji's unexpected arrival in Salisbury and the story of how he turned the mastermind, Aurora, into a sycophant.
"So, you're worried that if I hold her accountable, it's because her purpose has changed, and my questioning would turn her into a Mors?"
Connecting it with what Melusine had said earlier, Eiji roughly guessed the cause.
Back in Sheffield, Eiji's divine charm had the terrifying ability to alter a fairy's purpose. What happened to Kurma was now likely being replicated with Aurora.
Once a fairy loses their purpose, they turn into a Mors.
However, a fairy's purpose can also change. Just as humans can find new life ideals, fairies can also discover new purposes through certain triggers.
If they find a new purpose, even Mors-ification can be avoided!
"No, Aurora's purpose hasn't completely changed yet."
Melusine shook her head.
"The more powerful and ancient the fairy, the harder it is for their purpose to change. And Aurora is a fairy who has lived for over 2,400 years."
"Two thousand four hundred years?"
"Mhm, precisely during the Era of the Autumn War. The previous Aurora probably died around the time of Londinium's coronation ceremony..."
Among the existing major clans - Wind, Earth, Fang, Wing, Mirror, and King - the clan leaders have mostly changed over several generations. Even when powerful fairies reincarnate, they remain powerful, so the clan leadership positions are typically held by the same few individuals.
Eiji was somewhat astonished.
Although fairies are beings without lifespan limitations, this was the first time he had encountered a fairy living over two thousand years in Britain, this fairy nation where Mors roam everywhere and calamities frequently occur!
No... perhaps this should be considered the second time.