Chapter 9

Epilogue “So…this is the real secret of that puzzle.” Margaret swallowed, rooted to the spot. The chimera had destroyed a cliff on the island, exposing the room Vivian and Hendrickson had used for their experiment. What surprised Margaret and the others, however, wasn’t the spent magic square. Past it, beyond the demolished wall, was yet another large underground space. “Wow, wow, wow-w-w!” Elizabeth dashed into it. “Watch out, Ellie!” warned Veronica, but Elizabeth only spread both her arms and spun around. “It’s okay, big sister! Look, it’s so pretty!” Greenery was sprouting in the place as the sun streamed in through sundered rock. “What the…Hey, hey.” Howzer’s and Gilthunder’s eyes were round, too. Grass spread over the ground like a lawn, while five large trees stretched up curling out boughs. The trunks rose to the ceiling and the branches filled the cavern; in seconds, thick leaves grew on them, and buds blossomed into flowers of various colors and shapes. “How…incredible.” Grace, Phil, and all the other servants stared open-mouthed at the miracle unfurling before them. Before long, the flowers fell from the branches, and swelling fruits took their place, each again unique in shape. “Hey, look! It became a fish!” Sure enough, hanging from a branch of the endmost tree where Howzer pointed was a blue fruit that looked like nothing but a fish. “This over here—a peach? Wait, it has the face of a pig!” “The one on this branch, what is it? A potato? Potatoes grow on trees?” “Of course not, Ellie! But…this…” Veronica, Griamore, and everyone else circled around and around the five trees to marvel at the bizarre fruit that ripened on each bough. Howzer boldly plucked off a large green fruit. When he placed it on the ground and sliced it with his sword, thick nectar oozed out of it. “It smells kind of like soup…” “May I?” Phil rushed over, brought his face close to it, and sniffed. Then he scooped up the nectar with his finger and tasted it. “Ah, be careful, Phil,” Margaret called out, but Phil only shook his head in amazement. “No, this…is regular soup. Except it’s cool…” “Seriously?” Howzer scooped up the overflowing juice too. “Gah, it is! Tastes like chicken soup!” “This fruit has rabbit stew in it.” Griamore had cut open a different one on the other side. “The fish fruit really does smell like fish, doesn’t it? If you fried it, I think you could eat it like a normal fish…” Grace was picking and smelling all kinds of fruit as well, together with Erica. “If we have these trees, we won’t have to worry about food for a while…” Phil sounded almost appalled. “The Witch’s Banquet,” Margaret murmured. “Lady Merlin created this…” “Come to think of it,” Gilthunder said, “when my father was still with us, he consulted with her about supplies in case we were besieged or a war dragged on…” Without stepping closer, the two of them stared at each other—and smiled. It wasn’t as if anything had changed. Margaret was still hounded by Vivian’s chimera, and Gilthunder was still under the witch’s watchful gaze. But—we’re not alone. Margaret glanced around at the others as they frolicked and laughed. Although she and Gilthunder couldn’t confide in anyone, their family and friends were still with them. And more than anything—someday, surely, the Seven Deadly Sins would return. The miracle orchard reminded Margaret of that promise. They would wait for that day. Without giving up, without losing hope, with smiles on their faces. Someday, the royal capital would surely be rid of its darkness. Listening to the jubilant voices of her little sisters as they laughed, Margaret placed her hand on her chest and exhaled.