Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 818 - 759 Rosa’s Request for Help
Scattered brown hair tips, damp with water droplets, Rosa curled up, her body clad in lightweight velvet-like unfamiliar clothing could not give her a sense of security. She held tightly to the strap of her bag, like a child clutching a mother’s hand. That oversized backpack covered in dust was Rosa’s identity tag. Only by clinging to it could Rosa remember that this well-groomed girl also had the identity of an exile. Unfortunately, this symbol of an exile was also losing its unique style. The dust on the surface was wiped off, revealing the cracked, peeling, and yellowed leather, with grass rope fibers woven via the Phantom Clan’s control to rejuvenate the entire bag. A flushed redness from cleansing still lingered on Rosa’s cheeks as she looked around at the gathered, diverse Phantoms, shrank her head, and hid in the shadow of her backpack like a timid quail.
The Phantoms glanced at each other, the towering ones quietly stepped back, giving this girl and the [Snake] ample space. A gentle voice emerged from among the children, and the huge [Snake] burrowed into the ground, leaving only a cute little head, and its arms reached out from the soil to tenderly rub Rosa’s head.
"Don’t be scared, dear guest. Although we come in strange forms, our hearts are as tender as yours."
Perhaps it was the [Snake]’s voice that was misleading, or perhaps the way she teased Rosa was indeed skillful. Rosa slowly relaxed, with stars gradually twinkling in her eyes.
"You will help us, right? Uh... you all?"
"Phantoms, that is our shared name." The [Stonemason] stood not far away, his rock-formed sturdy body making Rosa widen her eyes, "I am the [Stonemason], adept at building and maintaining. We will help you, young lady. But what exactly do you want us to do?"
The Phantoms’ repeated responses emboldened Rosa as she opened her bag and dived in with her upper body to rummage through it. While Rosa was searching, the [Snake] covered the raised hem of the girl’s skirt, simultaneously casting a sharp gaze at her kin.
"Found it!" Rosa’s excited voice drew back the attention of the Phantoms. She spread out a roll of parchment, a roughly-drawn map unveiled before everyone. Encouraged by the [Snake], she picked a grass stem dipped in honey and marked her map with it.
"I want to lead my clan out of Posuwa, away from the center of war. On the southeast side, this part, here is a cliff with a height difference of over twenty meters, extending for a hundred meters, without any climbable shortcut. This wall restrains my clan, preventing us from leaving. In fact, my clan is currently being pursued, we want to survive, to escape to a safe place. Perhaps you could help us build a bridge to cross this natural barrier, please, we really need help." The perpetual wandering prevented the Exiles from affording large-scale construction, let alone the possibility of technology meeting their needs. Originally, Rosa wanted to seek help in escorting her clan to the next hiding spot, but seeing the Phantoms, she thought to request a better form of assistance from these magical creatures. To solve the survival problem once and for all, to leave Posuwa.
Something seemed to strike Rosa, and she hastily pulled a bracelet from her chest, displaying it before the Phantoms. She thought to herself that everyone said Posuwa once had everything, so perhaps this identity could serve as a good bargaining chip. Rosa stood tall, trying to exhibit the majesty of royal nobility.
"My name is Rosa Yesh, perhaps you’ve heard of it," Rosa hinted, the Phantoms’ blank expressions prompting some embarrassment on her part.
"Um... Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Rosa Yesh," the [Stream Princess] intervened to ease the awkwardness.
I’m so silly, really. Rosa’s brave smile concealed her desire to vanish into the ground. I guessed that the empty honor of the royal family was of no use, but I still believed their ghost stories.
"Yesh? It has been a long time since we heard that surname, Your Highness." An unexpected voice caused both parties to pause, and Rosa watched the red leather-bound book come forward and bow to her with a bent spine. She hurriedly waved her hands, her face flush with shame.
"No, it is not a great surname, sir. I’m just an exile; Yesh is merely a fond remembrance I hold for my father."
The [Book of Omniscience] contradicted her.
"No, Rosa, you simply do not understand the weight of that surname. Sperg Yesh, before that rebellious prince sacrificed our Posuwa, we Pact-Makers had already declared loyalty to that surname. Excellent, splendid! The bloodline of the guilty royal family continues, and our sense of sin is somewhat alleviated..." The Book of Omniscience looked at the copper chain in Rosa’s hand, eyes filled with yearning, "You are fully entitled to exercise your rights, Her Highness Rosa, to command everyone as in the past."
His radical words made Rosa recoil; she was just a girl trying to lead her people over a twenty-meter cliff, unwilling to accept the narrative from the Book of Omniscience, "Command... I dislike that word, I lack the talent, and I don’t possess the character you speak of. In fact, I thought Yesh was just a curious joke among the exiles, representing the fond past recalled by the dying elders. But that too is gone, I cannot meet your expectations, because I am simply a homeless exile. I’m pleased you’ve told me about my ancestors. Now, I just want to help my kin live better." Rosa expressed her heart, and in that moment, her eyes were firm with beautiful sparkles.
That beauty blossomed for but a second before retreating into cuteness.
"Uh, that won’t affect the Phantom Clan’s assistance to us Exiles, right? I mean, if you’re willing to do the Yesh Family one last small favor..."
The Book of Omniscience paused for a moment, then smiled helplessly.
"Of course, the Phantom Clan is willing to help anyone," he muttered under his breath, "I suspect humility, or shall we say conceding superiority, is a hereditary trait of the Yesh Family."
Assured, Rosa let go of her burden and smiled, feeling great. The little phantoms quietly approached her, and she generously stroked these little ones, sharing with them the tales of her own travels—her escape.
"Rosa, actually, if you need assistance from the Phantom Clan, we still need to ask for permission from the clan’s leader."
Rosa was taken aback and said, "Aren’t you the leader of the Phantom Clan?"
"No, I’m just an old man with a broader range of experience; our leader is a young person capable of guiding the clan."
Rosa’s mood grew uneasy, "Then, will that leader agree? Is he a royal family member?"
"I’d like to explain that the selection of the Phantom Clan’s leader is based entirely on personal character," the Book of Omniscience said with a troubled expression, "but his status is really not something that can be glossed over lightly."
Rosa murmured to herself, beginning to imagine a dignified and majestic ruler in her mind.
"Is it... a King?" She started to ponder what etiquette to use when meeting a King so as not to appear disrespectful.
"Not exactly." Facing Rosa’s puzzled gaze, the Book of Omniscience considered his words carefully, pondering how to delicately describe Lyle’s identity.
"By the way, do you know about the divine right of kings? The idea that Kings on earth manage the people on behalf of the gods."
"I’ve heard a bit about it."
"That’s good to hear," the Book of Omniscience winked.
"We skipped over that step of divine right."
