Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Page 1269

A moment of silence fell over the room.

Although Reed and his companions bore no responsibility, they still looked embarrassed.

Fia and Rhett held their breath, seemingly struggling with how to explain.

And Fels is—.

"...Winnie. Like you said, the more you can't see your loved ones, the more loneliness will haunt you, right?"

After a moment of contemplation, he stared intently into those amber eyes, like a sage, and began to weave words into his speech.

"But a letter can share that loneliness."

"fēn xiǎnɡ……？"

"That's right. And what you mean by sharing is telling the other person what you're thinking. And that can become a 'trigger' that drives people to take action. For example... if they knew you were dying of loneliness, Bell Craney and the others would probably come here immediately."

Winnie's amber eyes widened instantly.

"Imagine. Imagine what Bell Craney and the others are doing on the ground right now. What they're happy about, and what kind of happiness they're experiencing. If you could know these things, Winnie, how would you feel?"

"...Knowing about Bell and the others makes me feel at ease. It also warms my heart. If Bell and the others are laughing and having fun right now...I'll be happy too."

"Is that so? Then, 'faith' is something that can bring you that kind of joy."

Deep within the hood, filled with darkness, Fels smiled.

The dragon girl truly felt that way.

"Vinnie. 'Words' are a human invention. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the earliest form of wisdom. Furthermore, 'words' are the very boundary that clearly distinguishes humans from monsters... and they are also part of 'civilization'."

"wén mínɡ……"

"People in the past left records by writing, conveying all kinds of knowledge to us in the future. It's not just about distance; words can even transcend time. And that's why you, who are separated by the earth and live on the ground and underground, can still connect with each other."

"!"

Fels spoke slowly and deliberately, yet fluently, conveying the message he needed to communicate.

In a sense, it was even like a new attempt by a magician who called himself "The Fool".

It is the poem of the "wise man" who desires change.

"After the 'letter' was written, when it was handed to Bell Craney... he must have felt as if Winnie and the others were right beside him."

Winnie couldn't understand even half of what Fells was saying.

But she understood that telling Belle that "Winnie has stopped crying" put his mind at ease. She also realized that he, knowing he felt lonely, would also comfort Winnie through "letters."

"If you write with sincerity, even if your voice cannot reach you, it can still convey your longing."

You can feel the warmth of the boy right beside you, connecting you all.

We can share our longing with each other.

The surging excitement in her chest told Winnie that it was a very happy thing.

"Fels... I want to write a 'letter'."

"Yeah"

"I want Bell and the others to know about me now, and I also want to know about their lives right now!"

"Then I'll teach you how to write 'words.' I'll teach you the human language used to write 'letters.'"

"Um!"

Winnie smiled and nodded.

It was a smile as innocent and carefree as a flower in bloom.

The sight delighted Fia and Rhett, and made Reed's eyes widen.

"Reed, Guros! May I write a 'letter' to them?"

"Oh, oh... I don't really care..."

"...Okay, good. The letter wasn't delivered but was found by the adventurer. It was probably written to that brat. It won't expose the heretic."

"Everyone, did you know? People like Guross who aren't straightforward are called 'tsundere'!"

"Fia, what are you saying to me?!"

Although it seemed to have gotten a bit noisy, Winnie, having received permission, still said "Thank you!" and smiled.

Then he immediately laid out parchment on the stump-like stone where he had been sitting and began to learn the common language from Fels. Although he soon began to tilt his head frequently and make incomprehensible sounds, he never gave up on 'learning'.

"Put these words together and you'll hear the pronunciation 'Winnie'."

"This is... Winnie...? You mean me?"

"Yes. This refers to your name, the written form of your name."

"Wow...! That's my name!"

Beside Fels, who was tracing the common language with his fingers, Winnie's expressions kept changing.

The other heretics watched with great interest as she showed the same joy as when she received her name from Bell and the others, and before they knew it, they had formed a circle around her.

Then, they began to stir with what seemed like envy.

"...Young man, how about I learn too?"

"What's wrong, Reed? About 10 years ago when I said I'd teach you, you clearly thought it was too much trouble. Didn't you say that having the Eye Crystal was enough?"

"Ah—! I'm sorry, Fels! But... I've started to want to express my gratitude to Bell and the others in various ways... you know."

Reed pleaded, though he was embarrassed.

Just as Fels said, Reed had never actively thought about learning to write.

However, the situation changed after they met Bell and his friends.

The existence of "friends on earth," which had never existed before, motivated Reed.

(Sigh, even though I saw through this and then lured him...)

This is a bad habit, Fels thought to himself.

Winnie's innocence swayed Reed. It would be a lie to say he felt no guilt.

However, the monster came into contact with human culture and came to understand it.

Perhaps this is the first step—or perhaps an important 'vision'—in coexistence between humans and monsters. The magician, who had lived for 800 years, thought this.

"You teach me——!"

"Chirp—!"

After Reed began learning, the half-human snake Laura, Alulu, and the other heretics who were watching also joined in. Before long, Fels couldn't keep up with everyone on his own.

What's being held there isn't an open-air classroom, but a maze classroom.

"I'll help with the teaching! I can also write in the common language!"

"Really, Rhett! Could it be that you, Fia, can do that too!?"

"Of course!...That's what I'd like to say, but my wings can't hold a pen, so I'm only good at reading..."

"Ah, I feel so sorry..."

"It's alright, Reed... After all, I've already been through it once. I won't end up like that Rey over there, nervously trying to see if she can write, ending up with a tragic ending."

"Cai, Cai isn't nervous at all! ... Waaah!"

"...Although I'm not interested in contacting those kids, just in case, I'll learn from them."

"Ah, it's ao jiao!"

"Ao jiao!"

"Guros, ao jiaoooooooooooooo!!"

"You bunch of bastards—!"

Fells, Rhett, and Fia were in charge of teaching, while Reed and the others were in charge of learning.

Occasionally, Guros would roar, and Rei and the others, unable to write, would nod in response, immersing themselves in their studies.

The Tree Dragon, the guardian of the secret realm, lies beneath the quartz pillar, watching over them with gentle eyes that seem like those of an elder.

Because of their encounter with the boy and his friends, the heretics are also undergoing real "changes".

Let's all write letters together!

Let's practice together, let's learn together.

Seeing this, Winnie blushed and smiled.

"Write this for Bell and the others to see!"

—And then, everyone followed Fels and the others to their deaths, huh?

I can write my own mínɡ zì now!

However, the characters were really difficult; this letter was written by Fels.

Bell, you guys can write, that's really amazing!

Did you know, Bell?

I'm a bit...

Although I'm glad I've stopped crying, I still can't help but want to see you guys, Belle.