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Synopsis
The chapter opens on Orth's Resurrection Festival, where a puppet show dedicated to Lyza is taking place. A narrator lists each delver rank. He praises the White Whistles, who have made world-changing discoveries and are celebrated as great heroes. He then welcomes Lyza's soul home, and lists her accomplishments, especially her ferocity in battle. Reg, who is working backstage with other kids from Belchero Orphanage, closely observes the festival. Nat and Shiggy explain the significance of the Eternal Fortune to him.
Replicas of Lyza's White Whistle are being sold by the orphanage, but Riko now has the real one. In a flashback, Hablog gives Lyza's whistle to Riko. Riko is hesitant to accept it, but Hablog explains that the custom is for a relative to inherit them. When he suggests the option of giving the whistle to the Delver Guild, Riko finally chooses to keep it. Habolg adds that Lyza's whistle, which was delivered by Seeker Camp guards, was accompanied by a sealed letter that may be intended for Riko, but it must be examined first.
Leader finds Riko sitting alone. He encourages her to participate in the festival, since it is in her mother's honor, and Lyza was fond of them. Riko asks what type of person Lyza was, admitting she can't remember her mother's face. Leader's description is unflattering, but he was clearly fond of Lyza. He asks about Riko's eyes, and she says she no longer has headaches, as long as she wears her glasses. Leader reveals that Riko's eyes aren't bad, she is suffering from the Curse of The Abyss.
More than 12 years ago, just after Lyza became pregnant with Riko, she was ordered to obtain the Unheard Bell from the Abyss's 4th layer. The mission lasted over 10 months and was extremely lethal: most of Lyza's team died, including the Black Whistle Torka, Riko's father. Riko is amazed to learn that she was actually born in The Abyss, and at first mistakenly thinks she is resistant to the Curse. Leader reminds her of how sick she was after her first dive. An infant resisting the ascension strain from 4th layer is unthinkable. Instead, the infant Riko was placed inside the Curse-Warding Box that Lyza brought along. Lyza and her strongest remaining team member carried the box to the surface, but had to abandon the Unheard Bell to do so. Leader stresses the value of such an artifact, to make Riko realize how important her survival was to Lyza. However, the box could not protect Riko completely, and her eyes were impacted by the Curse. Leader asks what Riko will do about the artifact that was abandoned for her sake, which encourages her. But after she leaves, he reveals that Lyza already went back and recovered the Unheard Bell.
Leader later informs Riko that she now has permission to view Lyza's sealed letter at the Delver Guild HQ. He orders Reg to accompany her. Most of Lyza's letter contains profiles of creatures that are not in the official record yet. Among them is a figure that looks a great deal like Reg. There is also a single scrap of paper which bears the message, "I'll be waiting at the bottom of the Abyss."
Character Appearances
- Hablog
- Leader
- Lyza (flashback)
- Lyza (puppet)
- Lyza's Strongest Surviving Team Member (flashback)
- Man in Black
- Narrator
- Nat
- Reg
- Riko
- Shiggy
Referbacks
references to previous chapters
Trivia
- According to Leader, the 4th layer's ascension strains are indirectly responsible for Torka's death.
Quotes
Bestiary Indexing
- Emperorshell (Lyza's papers)
- Ryuusazai (Lyza's papers)