Guests from around galaxies had departed, and the wedding venue structure set amidst a sea of flowers was swiftly dismantled. In the vast expanse, the only artificial structure in sight was the Red's hut where Eda and Remi had spent their childhood. Nestled in the middle of the expansive flower sea, the hut exuded an enchanting atmosphere on its own.
Inside the hut, two figures moved about. None other than Eda and Jun. They had decided to spend their honeymoon alone in the Red's Hut. A much more luxurious and extravagant journey was certainly possible, but the desire of Jun, who showed a strong interest in the sea of flowers and the Red's hut where his wife had spent her childhood, and Eda, who wished to show it to her husband, resulted in this combined decision.
And the first thing they did was clean. The hut had been neglected without people for a long time, so the interior was covered in dust. Fortunately, there was no mold or plants breaking through the walls.
Eda, with her hair tied up and a mask on, used a duster and a mop to sweep and wipe away the dust from the walls and shelves. Meanwhile, Jun, using a broom and other cleaning tools, cleared away the dust that had fallen to the floor. Both were dressed in worn-out clothes suitable for cleaning, not minding if they got dirtier during the process.
Fortunately, when Eda and Remi set out to find Red, they loaded all the important items such as plant-related equipment onto the Red Chamber. Inside, there weren't many items other than key furniture like tables, chairs, and beds.
"Cough."
When Jun, who had just swallowed a mouthful of dust, let out a light cough, Eda turned to him with a concerned gaze.
"Jun, are you okay? Put on your mask."
After a brief fake cough, Jun replied, "Hmm. Yeah, I should. How about you, Eda?"
"Me? I'm wearing a mask."
Eda blinked her eyes as if questioning why Jun was making such a remark. In response, Jun, putting on his mask, asked as if correcting her understanding.
"No, that's not it. Eda, your throat isn't good, right? It seems fine now, but..."
"Oh..."
Eda continued speaking.
"Oh, that... as you probably know, my throat has improved since we went to the East Ocean together. Look, I'm not even using the vocalizer now. I even sang starsong on the beach."
As she spoke, Eda exposed her throat and pointed to it with her fingers. The moment Jun saw her pristine white neck, he sensed something unusual.
"Hmm... Eda, now that I think about it... didn't you have moles on the side of your neck? I first saw it when we were trapped in the Bone's Brigade. It was like six moles forming a hexagon. It's gone now."
"Oh? Was there something like that?"
Eda tilted her head, and since the side of the neck is not an easily visible area, she might not have known about it herself. Especially with her long hair usually covering her neck, making it even more difficult to notice.
"Yeah. I distinctly remember seeing it."
"Huh... I really don't know."
Jun became curious. He had heard that moles might naturally disappear over a long period, but it usually required a very long time, and that was for faint ones. However, according to his memory, Eda's mark was intact and vivid until the end of their adventure in Thousand Peaks.
"Let's finish cleaning first."
Jun decided to set aside the question that didn't have an immediate answer. He chose to focus on the task at hand. Eda nodded in agreement, and they both resumed dusting off the surfaces.
/
After finishing the cleaning and having their meal, Eda and Jun sat facing each other at the wooden table for a break. The chairs seemed to be crafted with iron, possibly made by hand, but the craftsmanship was not perfect, giving them a slight wobble. Eda explained that she had made them herself when she was young.
"When I was little, having just this undamaged throat seemed like I had everything I could wish for."
Eda mumbled as she held a cup of water.
"Hmm?"
"Oh, you know I used to be in the Witching Tower when I was little, right? Before officially becoming a witch, I lost my witch qualification because of an injury to my throat. Even after my master took me in, I thought my master had been conscripted to United Mining instead of me because of my throat."
Taking a sip of water, Eda continued.
"Of course, thanks to this throat, I could meet my master, Remi, and my husband. I could also meet other good people and help them. Still... I used to wonder sometimes. What would have happened if my throat was intact."
"..."
As Jun listened in silence, Eda smiled and opened up her heart.
"But now that I'm actually well, I don't really dwell on it. I guess I was just content."
"Eda..."
Looking at Jun with a serious expression, Eda chuckled lightly.
"Why such a serious face? It's nothing. Oh, by the way, want to take a bath together? I have something nice."
"Bath?"
/
The night sky was clearly visible, not through a window but through an open ceiling. More precisely, one side of the hut was extended with only walls, and no roof was built on top. In a quite spacious area, flat stones covered the floor. In one corner, a large oval wooden bathtub proudly asserted its presence, spacious enough for two people with room to spare.
The bathtub was filled with warm water. The rising steam ascended into the dark night sky, disappearing into the darkness. Eda and Jun were seated facing each other in the tub, their bodies immersed in the warm water. As the warmth enveloped them, both of their body temperatures rose, and a sense of relaxation took over. Eda dipped her hand into the water and, as she splashed it onto her face, spoke.
"Jun, about this bathtub, my master made it by herself.
"Your mother?"
Eda momentarily paused.
"...So, you've decided to call her 'mother'? It's not the wrong term. Anyway, my master was a strong person, but perhaps due to the hardships on the battlefield, she insisted on taking a bath at least once a day while staying in this hut. She had some aches and pains, and she used to say that bathing makes it better. She was usually strict, but her expression softened during baths. So, I started enjoying going in the bathtub too. I didn't do it as often as she did, though."
"You should have told me earlier. When we go back, let's install a better bath."
"Should we? Sounds good. When I was little, I used to go into the bath with my master after washing up. Like this."
Eda crossed the tub, reaching Jun's side. Turning her body half a turn, she slid between Jun's legs, leaned against his chest, and comfortably settled in. As Eda's warm and soft skin adhered to his body, Jun, unknowingly, stammered out his words.
"E- Eda?"
"Why? Embarrassed? Now you're feeling self-conscious. Come on, give me your arm."
Eda took one of Jun's arms in each hand, brought them to her navel, and overlapped them. Jun let out a faint moan. While she enjoyed the sensation of his bodies intertwining, Eda continued the conversation.
"Normally, she was a very strict person, but during this time, she would relax a lot. While hugging me like this, she used to tell me stories about the Myrian mythology. She also talked about the constellations visible from here. Of course, that when I was young; I couldn't do that when I got older."
After Eda's story concluded, the two fell silent for a moment, savoring the water and each other's warmth as they gazed at the night sky. Countless stars proudly displayed their light. As their heads gradually numbed from the temperature of the water, it felt as if they might fall into a sea of stars.
While Eda pondered whether Ignis or Taiyang might be among those stars, Jun made a request.
"Can you tell me too?"
"Huh?"
Jun leaned in close to Eda's ear and whispered, teasingly, as if seeking revenge for earlier events.
"I really want to hear the story that your mother told my wife."
Eda, feeling the ticklish sensation in her ear, twisted her body with laughter before reluctantly responding.
"Uh, but you already know enough, don't you?"
"That's true, but I really want to hear it from Eda."
"Oh, it's ticklish. Alright, I'll do it. Let's see, from the beginning of creation..."양식의 맨 위
Eda succinctly explained the Myrian mythology, condensing it to its essential elements. Despite focusing on the main narrative, the water had gradually cooled by the time the story approached its end.
"...And that's how it happened."
"Hmm... I see."
"Why? Is there something you're curious about?"
Eda asked in response to Jun's words.
"No, I just think the East Ocean's Taiyang mythology and Thousand Peaks's Myrian mythology seem to have many connections. Taiyang is also called Myria Taiyang. How could that be?"
Eda nodded in agreement, unable to provide a precise answer.
"Yes, that's true. But I can't give a clear answer on that. I'm curious too. It was a topic being researched in the Witching Tower, but the Tower got disbanded before finishing it. What I heard before is that some people believe Taiyang the soul of Helius, flying through the stars for millennia. There's no proper evidence for it; it's just a belief, so I'm not really sure."
"Well... let's figure it out together from now on."
Upon hearing Jun's words, Eda playfully twirled her body and embraced Jun's cheeks with both hands, smiling. Jun's hands, previously around her navel, naturally slid down to wrap around her waist.
"Is that a promise?"
"Of course. Eda, have I ever broken any of the words I made to you?"
Eda slightly raised her body, pressing her forehead against Jun's. Their moist skin and hair clung together, droplets of water trickling down. Amidst this, they could feel each other's warm embrace.
"No, you haven't... You know? I really love that about you, my husband. You always keep your word, full of responsibility, more gentlemanly than anyone else. I love you."
The sound of wind rustling outside could be heard. A few white petals, carried by the wind or perhaps fluttering down on their own, fell into the bathtub over the edge of the wall. Some petals also stuck to Eda's wet hair. Beneath the night sky, with her body adorned with moistened petals, Jun found himself falling for her again. Jun's hand, previously around Eda's waist, began to slowly descend further down.
"...Jun, your hand keeps wandering down."
Jun, openly caressing a part of Eda's lower body exposed above the water, responded, "Because my wife is too charming."
"You've been saying more provocative things lately. Where did you learn that?"
Jun didn't answer but instead covered Eda's lips with his own. Eda didn't resist and closed her eyes, accepting him. After a brief kiss, Eda parted their lips and opened her eyes. Reading desire mixed in her husband's pupils, she, breathing heavily, made a request.
"H-Here isn't suitable. We might catch a cold..."
"Oh? Well then, let's move to another place."
Jun lifted Eda in a princess-carry. Splash. Water flowed down from their bodies onto the bathtub and the stone floor. Jun lowered Eda and grabbed a towel he had prepared nearby. He first wiped away the moisture on Eda's body. Eda, as if unwilling to be outdone, took the towel and dried Jun.
Once the dampness was mostly gone, Jun lifted Eda again in the princess-carry. Eda, somewhat surprised but not resisting, allowed it. Walking towards Eda's room, Jun kissed her under the warm light. As Eda wriggled in his arms, she asked, "How did you endure it all this time?"
To that question, Jun pondered for a moment before replying, "Well, just being by Eda's side was enough for me."
"Come on..."
/
The day after the bath, Eda and Jun were busy exploring Red's study. While Eda and Remi had moved almost everything in the cabin into the Red Chamber, they hadn't touched Red's study. They themselves didn't know what was inside, making it the most challenging space during the previous day's cleaning.
The study inside the hut exuded a quiet and cozy atmosphere. Wooden bookshelves lined the walls, neatly organizing various types of books. Natural light streamed in through the cleaned windows, brightening the study into a warm and inviting space.
Though the desk was small, it was comfortably arranged, creating an atmosphere suitable for reading or writing. The wooden chairs conveyed comfort with a natural feel, suggesting that they provided relaxation for the cabin owner while reading or researching.
There were three reasons why Eda and Jun were rummaging through the study. Firstly, they wanted to tidy up Red's study properly while they were at it. Secondly, they were curious about the kinds of books Red had collected. Thirdly, there was an expectation that they might find clues here regarding the conversation they had during the bath the previous day, specifically about the connection between the Thousand Peaks and East Ocean mythology.
After quickly dealing with breakfast and changing into casual wear, the two entered the study, spending time exploring the books. Jun hesitated about looking at the books without permission, but Eda reassured him that her master probably wouldn't mind. There were books written in unfamiliar languages, but fortunately, most were translatable with the help of a translation device.
"This is... the lumen plant compendium. As expected, there are the most books about plants or medicine."
Jun placed a red hardcover book on the floor and remarked. Similar books were already piled up on the ground.
"And this... a novel? I never knew master read novels too. The content is..."
Eda, who had been flipping through a black-covered book with an orange robot depicted on it, tilted her head with an intrigued expression.
"Humanity, on the brink of extinction due to genetic defects, must find the origin of the genes on Earth, their homeland? What is this talking about? What is Earth?"
"It's probably just a novel."
Eda placed a novel titled "The Day We Found Earth" on one side of the desk and continued examining the books.
The search in the study continued for a while, and around lunchtime, Jun found something.
"Eda, take a look at this. It came from the myth-related books I organized earlier..."
Jun, still seated, pulled out a brown-covered book. It was titled 'Melody of Starsong Research Notes 3,' and underneath, the name 'Rodin' was written. Eda, who approached Jun, bent down to look at the book.
"Rodin? The famous family that was the first pioneers of Thousand Peaks? Oh, now that I think about it, didn't we watch the 'Melody of Starsong' opera in Thousand Peaks? The Rodin clan was writer of that."
"Yeah, someone from that family might have written this."
As Jun opened the first page, they saw the phrase, 'My mission is to elevate the perfection of opera and reveal everything about the Myrian mythology to the public...'
"But why would master have this?"
"...Good question. Why is it here instead of in the Rodin family's library?"
After a brief pause, Eda shared her speculation.
"Well... My master was a member of the Witching Tower Council of Elders. Maybe the owner of this note met my master, an expert of the Myrian mythology, and handed over this note."
"That makes sense."
Flip, flip. Jun handed the note over. Various contents were written in a hastily scrawled font, accompanied by hand-drawn illustrations scattered throughout. Even the margins of the note were densely filled with writing, and it seemed like the author had run out of space, resorting to sticky notes for additional annotations.
"Hmm... there's a lot. I'll keep reading, can you continue looking at the other books, Eda?"
"Yeah, sure."
After about 30 minutes of divided tasks, Jun, who had been skimming through the note, widened his eyes at an unexpected discovery.
[While gathering material, I have discovered a most peculiar thing. The Witching Tower records indicate that, every few decades, a witch whose powers are suddenly cut short will appear. Six peculiar marks appear will appear on her throat and she will slowly lose her ability to sing. What fascinating material. Myria neverlasting. Thanks to Red Grant, a member of the Witch's Tower Council of Elders who cooperated in finding this record. Red plans to further research this topic. I hope to meet her again someday to exchange information.]
Next to this written passage, there was a drawing depicting the woman's head and neck viewed from the side. Six dots were marked on her throat. Even arrows were drawn to emphasize them, as if to kindly point them out. Jun recognized it immediately—the shape of the dots exactly matched those on Eda's neck. Moreover, the description in the note was also the same. A witch who lost the power to sing, it unmistakably seemed to be Eda.
Jun hesitated for a moment. Whether showing this to Eda was the right thing to do or not, but in the end, he called Eda. He couldn't hide important information from Eda based on his own judgment.
"…Eda, can you read this? Just this page."
As Eda took the note from Jun, her expression suddenly stiffened. Reading the identical content over and over, Eda looked back at Jun with trembling eyes, as if she couldn't believe it.
"Jun... these six dots drawn here. They're the same as what was on… My neck?"
"...Yes."
With a firm expression, Jun nodded, and Eda, as if suddenly losing strength, swayed. Jun quickly got up to support her.
"Eda! Are you okay?"
"Yes, yes. I'm okay..."
Flutter. The research note slipped from Eda's hand as if drained of strength.