Original subtitles

Huh?

Am I... in water?

What are these lights?

A giant fish?!

No... a dragon!

What?

Wait! What do you mean by—

It was a dream?

But why...?

How could a dragon talk?

And such a massive creature...

I've never seen or heard of anything like it.

Did the Morisuberi we hunted show up in my dreams, or something?

Get off...

Illdoren, you're gonna squeeze my guts out...

L-Lady Vyufmec?!

The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King

There are elves and dwarves from out of a fairy tale,

along with some menacing-looking living plants...

You are so obnoxious.

Wh-Why am I being forced to deal with barbarians and inhuman creatures?!

I already told you; today we're performing the great cleansing ritual.

Which is why the five tribes have gathered so early in the morning.

E-Even, so, how do you expect me to accept something so egregiously fantastical?!

Y'know, in the short time I've known you, it's clear how fanatical you are...

But do you really think that the only things that exist in this world

are the things that you personally find believable?

Hey, the gang's all here.

Saint Wysteresia!

You're responsible for the blight, this time.

So you're going to participate in our tradition of the great cleansing.

B-But...

Cleansed though you may be,

it's important you personally see the results of your actions.

Cleansed?

She doesn't even realize it...

Say that again, elf?!

What name did your parents give you?

You want my name?! What for?!

Let's just hear it.

Well, I got the surname of Malcius from the abbot,

seven years ago when I became a retinue priest...

Wait.

What did they call me at the orphanage again...?

I know that becoming a retinue priest at 16 was unprecedented...

But prior to that? Sixteen years...

You don't remember any of it?!

And 16 years would be the majority of your life!

Th-That can't be right!

I can remember six years ago... seven years ago...

Eight years ago... nothing? Nothing, nothing, nothing?!

Whoa, Malcius!

It's an effect of the blight.

It's honestly a miracle she survived in the first place.

True. You could say that losing her memories is a small price.

Though I doubt she'd agree.

This might be insensitive,

but maybe forgetting about the memories of being a slave to religion

would be better for her...

Wha?!

Wh-Wh-What did you just say?

You think I'd be better off forgetting my devotion to the Lord?!

H-How dare you?!

Then try and remember something.

Assuming there were any thoughts in your head to remember.

Y-Y-You just keep running your mouth, you little wench!

I only stated the truth, you freckled four-eyes!

My a-a-appearance has nothing to do with my religion!

They met a few days ago and look how they get along...

Hard to say if they're compatible, or not.

Shouldn't we do something?

I doubt it'll escalate into anything dangerous.

And if it does, I'll stop them.

Yeah, fight, fight!

You start a fight, and are already on the ground?

You were the one who was mocking me, barbarian girl!

Don't take a retinue priest with the E-E-Eastern Expedition forces lightly!

All that marching has made me fit!

Ow! Ow!

You might've been able to get the drop on me,

but if you really think I'm better off without my memories,

then how about this, little barbarian?

I might hate what the Order of Commoneras stands for,

but I did receive some charity from them once...

I forgot to mention this earlier,

but did you know that this barbarian-styled girl is actually—

She's got her.

Bar...bar...ian...

We have a winner!

I suppose I'll carry Malcius...

Why don't the three of you run down to the river, then?

There's still time before the great cleansing.

It'll be a good chance to get in the water and clean up a little.

A good suggestion. A wash before the ritual would do you well.

B-But...

The preparations will go just fine without you three.

I mean, it's not like you have anything to do.

Don't feel bad!

I'm going to spend the ritual relaxing at my nephew's house, anyway.

I'm too old for this shit!

Resia...

You heard her, Cersei. See them to the river.

Right.

I'm sure you noticed, from what this fanatic nearly said...

And it's true. I am from Illdoren.

I was part of the Eastern Cultivation Corps, six years ago.

I thought as much.

Your disdain for nobles, and the fact that

you called me a knight instead of a warrior had caught my notice.

That said, I'd imagine learning how to help equip armor

didn't come from being in the Cultivation Corp...

I'd ask you not to pry any further. That country isn't my home anymore.

I am Cersei, Master Veor's attendant, and these lands are where I belong.

I treat you as the woman my master has chosen to court.

So please, do not start treating me as a citizen of Illdoren.

I would never...

Well, you may have a point. I'll be more careful.

Cersei...

Yes?

Are the memories of our homeland... something you would rather forget?

Well... it's more like I don't remember, anyway. And can't be bothered to.

Since I never intend on going back.

H-How could I, a retinue priest, be so careless?!

I understand how you feel,

but you would've been stuck like that unless someone said something.

While it's true that my memories might be... hazy...

It looked like you'd mutter to yourself for the rest of your life.

S-S-Say what?!

Just calm down, Malcius.

Could someone explain why I'm on an errand

with the girl I was wrestling with?!

I might be willing to accompany this barbarian girl

since I can't leave your side, Lady Serafina, but...

Because you stink.

What did you just say?

Are you saying I s-s-stink?

Yes, you do.

I'm sure you haven't noticed yourself,

but it's a mixture of blood, sweat, a bit sour, and some faint perfume.

I have to wonder how long it's been since you last bathed.

Uh...

Well, it was four days before Lady Serafina served as the vanguard,

and was captured the barbarians...

Over half a month?

Malcius... it's just... well...

There was never a good time...

and I do feel bad for not saying anything.

Forgive me.

Right.

That said, I've worked up quite a sweat over these last two or three days.

This might be perfect timing.

I'll keep my sword nearby, just in case we need it.

I really doubt you need to worry about it.

This area around the mountain by the village is Master Veor's territory,

so dragons don't come around here often.

E-Even if they're rare, you still bathe in places dragons have been seen?

Well, anywhere else would be actual dragon territory,

as I'm sure you saw in the western woods.

I want to go back west...

I'm sorry, Malcius.

But like I told you before, I don't intend on leaving here any time soon.

I'd recommend cleaning up quickly. You don't want to catch a chill.

Right.

Lady Serafina?

A campfire after a bath can be quite nice.

Cleaning off does lose its charm if you're freezing from the water.

It's warm...

I think they're just about done.

Yes, it looks like it.

It's good...

I suppose it's time for this great cleansing...

Gotta say, it's real good the blight was purged as fast as it was.

If it's still in its cocoon,

the cleansing is easier to set up, and easier to do!

I heard the new bride took it down.

Talk about bold. Couldn't be me!

I can't believe how much the story has spread in one day...

Oh, we worked hard to make it happen, believe me!

Come to think of it, Malcius landed on your head, knocking you both out...

I-I'm not usually that careless! I didn't have a helmet, either!

Besides, I dare you to find anyone who doesn't relax

after slaying something like that!

I suppose you're right about that.

And while Illdoren was knocked out, we were flying all around!

And now, I'm exhausted!

That sounds like quite the ordeal. Thank you for your efforts.

Well, the truth is, I don't really know what exhaustion is.

You see, Sera, because the Tefyu are more like natural phenomenon,

their perception is bit different from ours.

She might even have trouble telling Cersei and Malcius apart.

That seems like more than "a bit."

What's it matter,

as long as I can tell the difference between important people?

That's starting to sound more like disinterest...

Here we are!

There it is.

What a mess...

What is this?

Wh-Wh-What the? It's like it's been bleached...

This is... white dust?

The area where we fought the Fiend has turned to dust.

Another effect of the blight.

The same way that we all have wills,

the earth, water, flame, and wind do as well.

And while they're all similiar in nature,

there's one fundamental difference between

the will of living creatures and any other kind....

When a life is depleted of willpower, it simply never returns.

But for for everything else... for nature itself, willpower stagnates,

grows corrupt, forgetting its intended state, and turns to dust.

Or so I was told by our resident Rijutsushi,

Karka Roth, several years ago.

Hello!

- It sounded really convincing... but it was all just second-hand knowledge?

- Hey there!

I suppose I can go into greater detail, then.

But first, I'd like to see the tool of the fool who caused this mess.

Here it is.

Th-That's my scripture!

Give it back!

Thief...!

A rijutsu text, primarily focused on converting things to light,

heat, and impact.

I thought as much.

Indeed. Completely lacking in artistry.

B-But it seemed dangerous enough to do real damage

if one wasn't wearing armor...

It used enough of the land's willpower to leave it in this state, after all.

There's no arguing against its potency.

But from our point of view,

the very idea of using rijutsu for destruction is inherently crude.

Now, then, it's almost noon. With weather this pleasant,

it should prove a nice wake-up call, for the land.

What are those?

Catalysts. Brought in by the different clans...

Offering earth, water, fire, and wind catalysts

along with a prayer acts as an excitation

to help the land recall its true nature.

Let's begin.

In the name of the great spirits, we will now perform the great cleansing.

Vesenem kehfem kehnakyahne fonehda.

Something about his words sounded older than any language I'd ever heard,

as they echoed across the depleted earth.

Sesah mufeneh enim oyavee eewoo.

A call for purification, passed down for countless millennia.

Vanoh oo oah vanokeh

effzoh keffay wekiyoh!

Chasing away calamity, purging blight...

A prayer to purify all wickedness in creation.

A call for a great cleansing...

That should do.

What did you think, Sera?

Sera...?

Why are you crying?

That makes 30.

The idea of a Lavillant woman planting trees would've been unheard of.

But it's not bad.

That said, I wasn't expecting such a mystic ritual to be

followed by this kind of group work.

You look puzzled.

Veor? Well, I was just thinking about how ordinary this all seems.

You're right. Healing a forest takes ordinary work.

But if we don't attend to this ordinary work, then the forest will be lost.

Which will cause trouble

for our children, grandchildren, and future generations.

The sentiment that only our individual concerns,

in the present, are what matter...

Is a rejection of our shared fate is what gives rise to the blight.

Fiends are the avatars of greed and self-interest.

In this current case, the willpower of the land was being drained for the spell,

and after having become unstable,

the land, in return, drained the caster of their memories and will.

It takes all that in return? That sounds severe.

It certainly is.

Severe enough to wipe the memory and personality of the one involved.

Then Malcius' memories being lost...

Yes, that was the cause.

I mentioned a bit about this earlier,

but this would normally be enough to leave someone a shell...

Rarely is someone lucky enough to be freed

before they are fully drained.

Such individuals are typically said to have been cleansed.

Barbarian girl...

Your said your name was Malcius.

That's the name given to children raised in the orphanage

attached to the Order of Commoneras' Malcius Abbey.

I honestly think you're better off forgetting what would've

led you to being taken in

by that country's orphanage and what you went through there.

You should focus on planting those saplings.

That's another kind of cleansing.

Say, Veor...

I think I know why you all consider the blight so wretched, now.

I see.

And...

The east... the relationship between the people here, and nature...

I think I understand what you're fighting, and trying to accomplish, too.

I see.