“Yes.” Sister Siwei nodded. “The moment you mentioned the crown and sword, the first thing that came to mind was ‘The Happy Prince.'”
Though I’ve heard many stories, I hadn’t heard this one before.
“Can you tell me about it?”
Sister said that long ago, a swallow was flying south for the winter but accidentally fell behind.
It landed on a statue in the center of the city—the “Happy Prince.” The statue had gemstones for eyes and was covered in gold leaf.
Standing tall in the heart of the city, he watched over his suffering people every day. The swallow had intended to leave for the winter, but the Happy Prince begged it to take out his gemstone eyes and give them to the poor, followed by the gold leaf covering his body.
Together, they helped countless poor people that winter.
Hearing this, I felt happy. Yes, this was the kind of prince I wanted to be—someone who would help everyone, a true “hero.”
Even if he was just a statue, even if he couldn’t move, he could give everything he had.
I thought I had finally found my purpose, but the ending of the story slowly dimmed my excitement.
Sister said that because the swallow delayed its journey, it didn’t fly south and instead froze to death in the harsh winter.
The Happy Prince, stripped of all his adornments, became so ugly that he was soon torn down.
In other words, after the Happy Prince and the swallow helped the city’s poor, they were cast into hell by those very people.
After finishing the story, Sister Siwei looked sad and asked, “Little Hero… do you want to be the ‘Happy Prince’?”
“Sister…” I lowered my head slowly. “I do want to be the Happy Prince… but I want to be him alone.”
“Alone…?”
“The swallow could have flown away, right?”
“Hmm?”
“The swallow could have flown away anytime,” I said, tears welling in my eyes. “She didn’t have to stay with the Happy Prince forever, nor did she have to save those poor people. If she had left that cold winter earlier, she wouldn’t have frozen to death.”
“Ha.” Sister Siwei chuckled. “But without the swallow’s help, the Happy Prince couldn’t have aided the poor alone. That’s why wherever the Happy Prince is, the swallow is there. They were always together.”
Even though Sister said that, I was truly afraid.
I wanted to be the Happy Prince, but I didn’t want a swallow by my side.
I was terrified that the story’s ending would happen to me.
“Little Hero…” Sister Siwei said, “You know what? The Happy Prince was doing what he loved, and so was the swallow.”
“I…” I nodded, but my expression was sorrowful.
The Happy Prince was just a statue—he couldn’t move, couldn’t go anywhere.
Sister Siwei smiled and rested her chin on her hand. “How about this… Since I’m quite knowledgeable, tomorrow morning, wait for me downstairs, and I’ll tell you where to find the crown and sword. How does that sound?”
“Okay.”
The next day, after “judging” the scents of everyone, I went to the entrance to wait for Sister Siwei. She had disappeared all day after our talk yesterday. Did she know where to find the crown and sword?
When I arrived, only the “Executioner” nearby was staring at me. It was the first time I had observed her up close—she had a thin, dark brown bovine face with two small horns on her head.
“Hello…” I smiled.
This “Executioner” sister gave me a strange feeling… Her scent was complicated.
There was a pleasant fragrance mixed with the foul odor of a “Zodiac.”
“Hello,” she replied coldly.
Seeing her respond, my curiosity grew.
The “Executioner” stood motionless here every day. Where did she come from? Where did she rest? What did she eat or drink?
She could speak to us directly, yet she never initiated conversation. What was she thinking?
“Executioner sister…” I slowly walked toward her.
“What?” She looked down at me.
“Do you stand here every day?” I asked.
“Yes,” she nodded. “But I’m not an ‘Executioner’—I’m a ‘Zodiac.'”
“And I’m not a ‘Hero’—I’m ‘Yingxiong’…” I muttered softly.
“What?”
“Never mind…” I forced a smile. “Zodiac sister, tell me… the question of ‘who we are’—is it decided by us, or by others?”
“I don’t understand.”
“I mean… others call you ‘Executioner,’ but you think of yourself as ‘Zodiac.’ But everyone calls me ‘Hero,’ so am I…”
“So you’re the real ‘Hero’?” Zodiac sister asked. “Don’t you know who you are?”
“I… I don’t know…” I whispered. “No one has ever told me who I am. Before, I only knew what I should or shouldn’t do, but I didn’t know who I was. Now… I don’t even know what I should or shouldn’t do anymore.”
Zodiac sister fell silent for a moment before speaking. “The first thing you should do now is stay away from me. After all, in others’ eyes, I’m the ‘Executioner’ and you’re the ‘Hero.’ Talking to me privately isn’t good for you.”
“Huh…?”
“Secondly, you should find a way to kill everyone in the city… at least twice in a row,” she said. “That’s what you’re supposed to do.”
“Why…?” I looked at her, confused.
“It would force a complete reshuffling of the city. Not only would you be safe, but the city’s ‘sickness’ could also be cured.”
Only then did I realize my grave mistake—why hadn’t I talked to the “Executioner” sooner?
She was from this place; she must understand it better than we did.
“But if they don’t produce a ‘fragrance,’ they won’t retain memories after death…”
“Isn’t that the point?” Zodiac sister glanced around, ensuring no one was nearby, then spoke seriously. “Child, their ‘memories’ are what destroy them. In this place, even without that Wan guy, few can stay sane while preserving long-term memories. As the cycles repeat, you’ll be in greater and greater danger.”
I think I understood what Zodiac sister meant.
“Don’t think you’re safe just because you’re the ‘Hero’ now,” she continued. “These people killed Wan—they can kill you too. After all, there’s no price to pay for murder here. I don’t recommend testing human nature any further, or you’ll really die.”
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