Chapter 130: The Wind Chimes Weep, Gone

Since the most important matter has received a conclusion from the authoritative Priestess, there was no need to linger here any longer.

Indeed, the laboratory contained many strange instruments that even Miss Vilyric could not comprehend, and the horrifying sight of dismembered limbs scattered about, even knowing they were just dolls, was enough to instill fear and revulsion, making one want to leave quickly.

After placing the Tear of the Moon Goddess back on the prototype’s body and sealing the Ice Coffin to contain the overwhelming and terrifying heat, Iriush and Iwen led Miss Vilyric and the others out of the laboratory.

However, upon reaching the doorway, the Puppeteer Sisters exchanged glances and gradually stopped in their tracks.

“What’s wrong?”

Walking at the back, Miss Vilyric noticed this and turned slightly, just in time to meet Iriush’s artificial eyes, which sparkled with melancholy yet seemed resolved.

“Miss Vilyric, could we trouble you all to witness what’s about to happen next? We think… it’s time to put the past to rest.”

Put the past to rest?

“Of course, but what are you planning to do? Destroy this laboratory completely?”

Iwen rolled her eyes in disbelief at the astonishing words of the Priestess and spoke up on behalf of Iriush.

“Not at all! The prototype fused with the Flame Lord’s core is still here. If it were that easy to handle, the old man wouldn’t have left a mess for us to clean up while he ran away. We just want to tidy up this laboratory.”

“That’s true…”

There seemed to be a noticeable difference in attitude toward the past among the Puppeteer Clan. For example, Iwen didn’t seem as affected by this place as Iriush was; she used more dismissive or distant terms when referring to the creator and the prototype.

It was an interesting phenomenon and further proved that the core mentalities of the Puppeteers were probably not mere replicas.

It seemed that Iwen also had her thoughts and acted on her own.

“Right, since we’ve come this far… I’m not afraid of you all laughing, but this is actually the second time I’ve truly entered this laboratory that holds ‘Sister’. The first time my big sister Iwen brought me here, I saw the familiar debris littering the floor and ‘Sister’ locked away in a tomb, and for some reason, I felt a deep and uncontrollable fear, fleeing from here not long after.”

Iriush smiled gently, but her smile seemed to carry a hint of bitterness.

“After that day, it took me a long time to recover from the shock. I not only chose to hide in my home and keep myself locked away, but also proposed building a spring to seal off this underground waterway.”

“To be honest, before witnessing the scene here with my own eyes, I didn’t have a clear understanding of my identity as a ‘doll.’ Although my body is artificial, I think, I have feelings. I regarded the creator as ‘Father’ and everyone of the same model as my sisters—I always believed that.”

“I thought I was a real being living in this world until I witnessed the horrifying sight in this lab. At that moment, I suddenly realized my birth was not a ‘miracle’ or a ‘blessing’ but rather, luck built upon countless past failures, neglect, and the bones of countless ‘sisters’.”

“I just happened to be one of the successful individuals of that batch. Even so, in ‘Father’s’ eyes, we are no different from the numerous discarded items here. We are still just ‘dolls’ that could be thrown away at any time.”

“Facts… have proven this point.”

“I’ve been telling myself, telling everyone, that it’s alright, it doesn’t matter—even without ‘Father’, the Puppeteer Clan can still live well. But I have to admit, deep inside my heart, my… the personality created by my core, still hasn’t escaped that feeling of abandonment and fear. That’s why I’ve always avoided facing these remains of my ‘sisters’ and tried to focus as much as possible on creation.”

The Chief of the Puppeteer Clan took a deep breath, gradually shedding the last trace of confusion from her eyes.

“It has been too long. It’s time to let go and step out of the shadow left by ‘Father.’ I’ve been an unfit leader, to be honest.”

“…”

Miss Vilyric remained silent, and so did the others. They were merely outsiders; all they could do was listen to the story that Iriush needed them to witness.

That’s all.

The two doll girls, crafted from marvelous technology, began to turn around to tidy up the scattered remnants of limbs in the room. Their movements weren’t fast, but even Iwen appeared particularly solemn and serious at this time, as if they were performing a funeral or paying respects.

They packed numerous limbs indistinguishable from humans into metallic boxes stacked in the corner of the room, sealing them with a tape-like material before placing them into portable storage items one by one.

“Miss Vilyric, we…”

Edwina opened her mouth but was stopped by the black-haired girl’s shake of her head, as Miss Vilyric understood that this pure-hearted Holy Knight wanted to say something, to do something, but some things in this world can be helped, while others cannot be interfered with.

Although it seemed slow, Iriush and Iwen were actually quite efficient, and in just a few minutes, they gathered all the remains of the dolls left in the laboratory and returned to Miss Vilyric and the others.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s go.”

“Is this enough? What are you going to do with these… remains? Carry them with you directly?”

Iriush chuckled lightly.

“Of course not, but it’s impossible to handle it in a place like this. Let’s just talk about it once we’re outside.”

Since she said so, Miss Vilyric naturally had no objections. The group left the laboratory, returning to the underground waterway, which felt like a sauna, and once again passed through the disguised amalgam wall that led back to the Puppeteer Forest.

Having gained prior experience, everyone wasn’t overly sentimental this time. They quickly dealt with their damp clothes, dried off their bodies, and under the guidance of Iriush and Iwen, they arrived at a particularly sturdy ancient tree near the spring.

The Chief knelt down, retrieved a metal shovel that seemed to have been prepared beforehand, dug a small hole at the base of the tree, and took out one of the boxes containing the collected doll remains from her storage item, solemnly burying it and filling it back in.

Afterward, she stood up and took out another small box from her necklace-like storage item and opened it.

Inside were meticulously crafted wind chimes, identical to the ones hanging on Iriush’s family doorpost.

The girl picked up the wind chimes, gracefully leaped up, and carefully hung them in a conspicuous spot on the treetop before returning to the ground.

“There, that should count as completing one, right? Hehe, this promise left to me by my big sister before her departure has been delayed for so long, it seems I can’t escape it after all…”

As if finally casting away some heavy stones from her heart, the doll girl’s lips curled into a relaxed and relieved smile. She turned to gaze at the people witnessing this scene and then walked toward another ancient tree.

“Dingling ~ dingling ~”

The gentle breeze blew, causing the wind chimes to sway and produce a crisp melody, filling the serene forest with an echo of lingering… beautiful notes.

   

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