Red...so very red...
This year's especially bad...

What's the matter, Mayor?

Oh ho. You're back?

What about something being red?

Oh, it's just that this year's flowers are
an especially deep shade of red, so I was
thinking that the curse of the caged emperor's
bride must be particularly strong this year...

But... I'm just joking,
of course.

Who's this caged emperor's
bride supposed to be?

About 300 years ago, the emperor at the
time, Brimstone the Fourth, planted a tree
on the perimeter of Halure's barrier.

He lived all of his later years shut up inside his castle,
so people took to calling him the caged emperor.

It's always so educational to
have you around, Estelle.

But what does the caged emperor's
bride have to do with this tree?

Legend has it that the caged emperor
murdered his fiancée, and buried her
corpse beneath the roots of this tree.

The tree gets its red color from the murdered
bride's blood, which its roots absorb.

Wha... What the hell...

It's really nothing more than a legend.

Of course. There's no way a tree
could keep sucking up someone's
blood for centuries, anyway.

Yes. But I'm worried that this macabre
tale will spread and drive potential
visitors away from our town.

U-ummm...then don't you
think it's a bad idea telling
it to travelers like us?

I...uhh... Oops. Okay, forget all about
that story I just told you, could you?

How are we supposed to
forget something like that?!

If you don't forget it, the
caged emperor's bride will
hold a grudge against you...

C-cut it out...!

There you go again!
You're just reinforcing the legend.

Oops...

...There's no way that story's true...