A Prophecy Challenged

Audrey and Caroline discussed Elvish with great enthusiasm for a while, then Audrey inquired about Caroline’s homeland.

“Southeast of Mount Tihé, there’s a renowned geyser,” Caroline began, “and if you follow the spring’s flow, you’ll reach my homeland.”

“Translated into your Norman tongue, my home is called ‘Watershia Dell,’ making me, by regional classification, a ‘Dell Elf,’ I suppose.”

Audrey, her curiosity piqued, continued to inquire:

“Are there many distinct elven tribes?”

“Quite a few,” Caroline affirmed. “My kin are but a branch of the many elven tribes. Elven bloodlines are rigorously stratified by status and lineage.”

“Yet, in the blink of half an era, humans have inexplicably proliferated across the land, like weeds on a desolate plain. Driven by desires such as wealth, power, and might—desires to which they are so susceptible—humans incessantly ignite conflicts across the continent, encroaching upon elven territories, and brazenly attempting to enslave the children of the God of the Covenant. These, I believe, are the ‘original sins’ committed by humanity.”

“I have heard that the Ancient Zhi Forest was once a land suitable for our dwelling, but due to the conflicts among human royalty, it was afflicted by a malevolent curse, forcing our kin within to migrate elsewhere.”

“Ah, my apologies,” she quickly added, “I quite forgot you were human. I am still rather young, and I do not harbor the same prejudices against your kind as my elders do; otherwise, I would not be traveling through various human nations. Approximately a century ago, the King even publicly acknowledged the Holy Church’s standing.”

“For all these varied reasons, elves have continuously dispersed from their tribes, like leaves scattering from a branch. The distinctions between collateral and main lineages are no longer as clear as they once were, and the King’s bloodline has diversified considerably. To insist on differentiating between high and low, noble and common, is truly antiquated. Of course, this is merely my personal opinion…”

Following this, Caroline enthusiastically described the scenic beauty of her homeland and recounted various observations from her travels, chattering incessantly like an old grandmother to a young descendant. She spoke for a full half-hour without pause.

Rhine couldn’t help but rub his forehead.

“Alright, alright, madam, you’ve prattled on quite enough,” Rhine interjected, a hint of impatience in his voice. “We have matters to attend to; we don’t have time to outlive an elf.”

“You little brat, show some respect for your elders,” Caroline retorted playfully. “Isn’t your young lady thoroughly enjoying the tale?”

Caroline’s gaze, filled with anticipation, flickered towards Audrey, who had settled comfortably into her chair. Audrey, clearly enjoying the narrative, gave a slight nod and waved her hand, indicating for Caroline to continue.

‘Damn it, she’s defected to the enemy!’ Rhine fumed inwardly. ‘Ignoring her own retainer, she’s sided with some unknown, foolish elf! How dare a mere wandering diviner speak so brazenly to a Green!’

‘I was here first,’ Rhine thought, his expression dark.

“I want a divination, then. That should suffice, shouldn’t it?” Rhine declared, his tone sharp.

Caroline, with a sigh of resignation, picked up her crystal ball once more.

“Very well,” she conceded. “For the King’s sake, elves are absolute in their adherence to promises, and professional ethics are a form of that. What is it you wish to divine?”

“Heh,” Rhine chuckled, a chilling undertone to his voice. “I’ve heard that long-lived races are quite sensitive to a certain ethereal concept, yet I still harbor a slight doubt as to its very existence.”

As he spoke, his voice carrying a sinister edge, the candles on the divination array flickered unsteadily.

“—Can you divine my fate?”

“Fate?” Caroline echoed, a hint of wariness entering her expression.

“Indeed, fate,” Rhine affirmed, his voice devoid of all warmth. “I wish to see it.”

“Fate is an immensely heavy burden, and to know it has never brought good to mortals,” the elf earnestly cautioned. “Many kings of old, upon learning their prophesied destinies, struggled like drowning men, their temperaments irrevocably altered, ultimately bringing about the very prophecies they sought to avoid through a tangled web of cause and effect.”

“Fate has always been inconsequential to me, and no prophecy will ever sway my convictions,” Rhine declared dismissively. “Proceed with your divination.”

“Very well,” Caroline assented, deciding against further argument. “Tarot or crystal ball?”

“Tarot cards.”

Under Rhine’s watchful gaze, Caroline elegantly shuffled the cards with a flowing, rain-like motion. The twenty-two pristine Major Arcana quickly separated into several neat stacks, which she then meticulously arranged before Rhine.

“Guest, for the sake of impartiality, please cut the deck yourself.”

Rhine casually stacked the cards. Once he was done, Caroline swept them apart, spreading them evenly across the tabletop, her slender fingers then indicating three positions on the divination array.

“With your perspective as the ‘upright’ position, these three cards, from left to right, represent ‘Past,’ ‘Present,’ and ‘Future,’ respectively. Allow me to reiterate: the cards merely symbolize the journey, not the ultimate outcome.”

“I understand,” he acknowledged. “May I begin drawing cards?”

“Maintain a tranquil state of mind before you begin, as this will help the divination resonate with your spiritual essence.”

No sooner had she spoken than Rhine drew a card and placed it in the ‘Past’ position. Then, with a casual flick, he selected another, setting it in the ‘Present’ slot.

“I believe we can examine these two first.”

“As you wish,” Caroline replied in Elvish, “guest.”

Turning over the card symbolizing the Past, they saw the Hermit, cloaked in robes, holding a lamp and leaning on a staff, advancing solitarily through the darkness.

“‘The Hermit,’ upright. This card signifies solitude, where the Hermit endeavors to forsake external temptations to achieve inner peace, thus discovering truth through meditation in a silent environment, seeking an ideal path.”

“In your past, you embraced solitude, walked a solitary path, and possessed a keen ear. You disdained the powerful and retired during the golden age of your career, a decision few understood, but one driven by a quest for inner tranquility.”

Rhine raised a delicate eyebrow.

“That’s largely accurate,” he conceded. “The next card, please.”

Turning over the card symbolizing the Present, they beheld a towering structure, struck and shattered by lightning, with two figures plummeting from its collapsing heights to the ground below.

“‘The Tower,’ reversed—the sole card without a positive omen, whether upright or inverted. This card signifies that an arrogant individual will suffer immense, unadaptable changes. No matter how proud, humanity cannot contend with the might of nature; to challenge it is merely to invite divine wrath.”

“Presently, your situation is dire, yet it is stabilizing, and you are destined to pay the price for your arrogance and hubris. Do not forcibly resist this monumental shift, for change will inevitably occur regardless of your struggle. Your only recourse is to fight with your back against the wall.”

Rhine fell into contemplation for a moment, though no discernible change crossed his features.

‘Could fate truly exist?’ he mused. ‘Otherwise, why wouldn’t it be a different card?’

His doubts lingered for no more than three blinks of an eye, eventually dissolving into a faint smile. Without a moment’s hesitation, he raised his hand and reached for the last of the remaining twenty cards.

“Your divination is quite accurate, I no longer doubt that, but this particular card—I absolutely must have it.”

He then revealed the card symbolizing the Future: ‘The World.’ It depicted a figure having arrived before the Gate of Success, with the Goddess of Success bidding them to wait patiently, promising entry in due time.

Rhine spoke, a self-satisfied smirk playing on his lips:

“‘The World,’ upright, a card symbolizing permanent and continuous success. I will win; there is no doubt about that.”

“Sir, cheating with magic is hardly proper behavior, and such a result cannot truly represent fate,” Caroline warned, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

“Sir, pay no mind to the foolish elf’s nonsense; your fate should be determined by yourself,” Rhine mimicked Caroline’s cautionary tone, then impudently displayed ‘The World’ card in his hand.

Caroline felt a surge of indignation, and she had to repeatedly remind herself inwardly that she was a noble, refined elf, and should not stoop to the level of a cunning human whelp.

“Lady Caroline, would you divine my fate as well?” Audrey asked, her interest piqued, undeterred by the unfolding drama.

“Very well,” Caroline replied, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, and raising her voice slightly towards Rhine. “Guest, kindly return my cards.”