After dinner, Snow took out some alcohol and suggested we all drink together.
I immediately objected, but I was the only one shaking my head with a pale face.
When I asked, everyone had prior drinking experience and reacted as if they didn’t understand why I was so scared.
In the end, by majority vote, the alcohol was served.
The expensive liquor, brought in through Snow’s real home, smoothly went down everyone’s throats. The time that was already passing quickly accelerated even further—and Dia was the first to get drunk.
I, using my past experience of getting drunk, only took a few sips, but Dia drank and drank.
When she fell asleep like a puppet whose strings had been cut, the mealtime came to an end.
Even Snow, impressive as she was, didn’t try to continue the drinking party with someone already out of commission.
We hurriedly carried the sleeping Dia to a guest room, laid her on the bed, and an atmosphere of dissolution filled the air.
Then, to sleep early in preparation for tomorrow’s hot springs, we each returned to our own rooms (Maria had kindly vacated the room I used to consider my own in this new house for me) and—
“Phew…”
Alone in my room.
In a very relaxed state, I sat down on the bed.
I let out a big sigh, marking the end of a day I could proudly call a “holiday!”
At the previous banquet, I’d completely lost my memory due to overeating and drinking, fueled by Titty, the Thief of Principles, but this time I hadn’t misjudged how much to drink.
My cheeks were only faintly warm.
I felt as if my body was floating slightly.
Of course, if I wanted to, I could sober up instantly with magic.
But since my body wasn’t recognizing drunkenness as a bad Status, I decided to enjoy the sensation.
The talk about going to the hot springs tomorrow had gotten Dia and Maria excited, so it would definitely happen.
I thought I might need to report it to Rainer or Fedelt-san if we were leaving the country, but I immediately reconsidered.
Looking out the window, I could see it was already late at night.
Even if I were to report it now, saying, “Tomorrow, we’re all going to the hot springs. Moreover, we discovered we can drink more than expected, so we might have a proper drinking party this time. If you stop us now, everyone will probably be in a bad mood,” it would only make them anxious and unable to sleep.
I decided to make it a post-report.
Although, that might also cause them to have shock-induced insomnia…
“…It’s quiet.”
As I thought about the upcoming fun, I leaned back onto the bed, feeling its soft touch.
Without thinking, I gazed vacantly at the ceiling, counting the wood grains and stains.
I watched my chest rise and fall, focusing on my own breath.
Just as I thought about using my pulse as a lullaby, my overly attuned ears picked up a sound other than my own.
It wasn’t the wind coming from the window, nor the distant breathing of the night town.
It was the sound of a brush running across paper.
I sat up, directing my gaze towards the source of the sound, and after a moment of hesitation—I resigned myself to a long night and left my room in light clothing.
The corridor was cleaner than in my old house.
But I walked the same path as before, arriving in front of Maria’s room.
Light was seeping from the gap under the door.
When I knocked lightly, the brushing sound I’d been hearing stopped.
After a short while, I was given “permission” to enter, and I stepped into the light.
Inside, Maria sat at her desk, holding a brush, also dressed lightly, just like me.
The light wasn’t from oil but from a Magic Stone, making the room surprisingly bright for the late hour.
Reliance on that light, she seemed to be reading books piled on her desk and writing on parchment.
In other words, Maria was studying late into the night.
Not by gaining “Intelligence” from Demonic Poison, nor through any “Spell Formation” transfer by consuming Magic Stones. She was diligently reading books, inheriting knowledge, and making it her own.
Her studies, without needing to use “Dimension,” were evident from the titles of the stacked books.
Maria was studying “Magical Healing.” That’s why I came.
“Kanami-san? You’re not asleep yet?”
Maria, surprised by my entrance, asked.
To which I replied with a vague reason, “I didn’t drink much, so I’m not sleepy yet,” and approached her.
“I see. Then your sister-in-law, who was drinking heavily, must be fast asleep by now.”
“Probably. …But Snow was surprisingly accustomed to alcohol, wasn’t she? Perhaps from her upbringing as an aristocrat, drinking for social occasions?”
“I think it depends on the person? Dia, who must have had similar experiences, turned red immediately and was completely out.”
“Dia was really weak to alcohol. She was the most enthusiastic but ended up sleeping first.”
“I think she got excited because Kanami-san was there. It really was the first time in a while… ”
“It was… Compared to old times, we’re not always together anymore.”
“Only Rainer seems to be constantly with you, though. Many people, not just Dia, say it’s favoritism. To the point where it could almost lead to a physical altercation.”
“…It’s fine, it’s fine. Rainer will overcome it, probably.”
“Heh, you have no intention of changing your secretary at all. …I’ve thought about it for a while, but Kanami-san, you really like Rainer, don’t you?”
“We’re friends. Also, I think it’s partly because we’re both men. There are quite a few things that are easier to talk about between guys.”
If there was favoritism, it was only due to gender.
Maria accepted this with a smile and, after a moment of thought, asked.
“…Now that I have the chance, I’ll be direct. Kanami-san, you were a bit uncomfortable around women, weren’t you? You’re considerably more natural when you’re with your male friends.”
“That’s not true… is what I want to say, but perhaps in my subconscious, that was the case. It’s probably my sister’s fault. Anyone would be like that if they had that Hidaki as a sister, so I don’t think I’m particularly strange.”
“Ah… that it’s my sister Hitaki who’s the cause feels somewhat understandable. It also explains why I’m finally starting to overcome it now.”
“It’s because after countless family meetings, we could finally fight with our true feelings. I no longer have any inferiority complex towards my sister. I can state with certainty that I have none.”
“That seems to be the case. I’ve noticed today alone that you’re spouting sweet nothings more smoothly than ever. Your discomfort around women has definitely disappeared.”
“Wh-well, sweet nothings… I don’t think I’ve changed that much in that regard.”
“You have. Kanami-san, you’ve truly changed.”
Though tinged with a little sarcasm, it was lighthearted conversation befitting a quiet night.
It was the kind of talk that could only happen when the two of them were alone.
At the same time, he realized that he hadn’t spoken calmly like this with Maria since their last battle.
“Maria, were you studying magic just now?”
“Yes. There are several things I want to research in my own way.”
“Magic research, huh? It’s a bit nostalgic.”
He recalled a thousand years ago.
Just like Maria now, he used to lock himself in his own room, reading and writing.
The purpose of that research was always the development of new Curse Techniques.
However, while his was for the ‘treatment of Aikawa Hidaki,’ Maria’s was—
“But please, don’t ask me what I’m researching.”
She had preemptively put up a barrier.
Yet, he couldn’t just agree to that. Even knowing he’d regret it when sober, he spoke her name.
“Maria, you can’t meet Rustiara anymore.”
He knew it was obvious, but the subject of Maria’s “magical recovery” research was none other than the deceased Rustiara.
Reflecting on today, including that.
“Everyone is so kind, thinking of me, they seemed to avoid mentioning Rustiara’s name… but you don’t need to worry about that. On the contrary, calling out to her more often would make both me and Rustiara happy. This everyday life, it makes me feel it’s the continuation of ‘Rustiara’s Story’.”
He had sensed it partway through, but today, they were clearly being considerate of him.
Their words were restricted, just slightly, so as not to shatter the peaceful atmosphere.
However, now that he had spoken her name himself, the conversational restrictions were gone.
Maria smiled bitterly and began to talk about her name and memories.
“I’m sure she is. Rustiara-san is that kind of person. There was an air about her that seemed to even embrace death and enjoy it… she was so unbalanced and precarious… but that was her charm.”
“Yeah. That’s why it’s okay to mention her name with a joke, like Hidaki just did. Being treated like a fragile object is precisely what Rustiara would hate the most.”
He too spoke about Rustiara.
He was confident in speaking on her behalf, and he believed he hadn’t said anything wrong for the sake of the future.
But—
“—I can’t do that.”
He swallowed the continuation of his words, expecting Maria to agree. Instead, he heard her reply.
“I can’t do it like you can, Kanami-san.”
“L-like me…?”
“Kanami-san, you’re misunderstanding a little. We don’t talk about Rustiara-san because we’re considering you. It’s simply that we haven’t been able to fully accept Rustiara-san’s death yet.”
The unexpected immediate answer was for the most obvious of reasons—that one could not accept the death of a close person in just about two months—a normal confession of weakness.
“We learned how Rustiara-san met her end from you, Kanami-san. With magic, we were even able to hear her last wishes. We accepted her death, including the meaning of the Curse… but—”
In the midst of that fierce battle, he had completely come to terms with it.
However, Maria and the others were different.
“—Somewhere in our hearts, we still don’t believe in ‘Rustiara Fuziaze’s death.’ Because that’s the kind of person Rustiara was. I feel like she’ll just pop back in again, as if nothing happened. If only we hadn’t talked about her death at all… she might have returned home like always, laughing and saying ‘It was tough!'”
Maria muttered, her words coming out bit by bit.
If asked who was right, it was surely Maria.
It was strange for him to act as if he understood everything and live his life as usual, like he was now.
But, even so, he had no choice but to ask. He wanted her to accept her death and walk towards a new future—the continuation of ‘Rustiara’s Story.’
“Maria, Rustiara isn’t coming back. As long as I love Rustiara, she absolutely cannot come back. Rustiara Fuziaze, with her own will, paid the price for my ‘Death of My Most Beloved’… So please, smile and see her off…”
And the continuation of that was not, by any means, a dark and ‘unhappy’ one, constantly regretting the past.
It was to face the pain, resolve to live on, and walk towards a bright and ‘happy’ future.
More than anyone, Rustiara herself would wish for Maria’s ‘happiness.’
“I understand that. I… I do. Still, if there’s a possibility, I want to try. I want to keep the possibility of Rustiara-san returning alive…”
“There is no possibility. As long as I exist, Rustiara will absolutely not be resurrected. —Even from the ‘reason’ of this world, ‘No matter what happens, she will not be revived’.”
It was painful, but he had to keep saying it.
Even if there were a loophole in the ‘reason,’ if he were to break it, the one who would be most saddened would be Rustiara.
It would be a denial of the proof that he was ‘real.’
“…Kanami-san was resurrected. Don’t you think that even if you deny the success story, it lacks persuasive power?”
It was because Nosfy was special. Or rather, my death was “presupposed to be revived.” Tiara and Hidaki, who orchestrated that, are gone… and Nosfy is gone too…
Then, for example, what happens if I use the true “magic” like Nosfy-san? If I can be a “Substitute,” then Rustiara-san too–
The same “magic” cannot be used by Maria. …In the end, no one can ever be a substitute for someone else. Rustiara and Nosfy both truly lived their lives as individuals, not as substitutes for anyone. The shape of a person’s soul is unique.
I said this not only to Maria but also to myself.
Only the soul cannot be replaced.
Therefore, the Magic Stone is more important than the physical body.
The purity of “Lingering Desire” depends on the presence or absence of a soul.
The “Connection” such as “Price,” “Contract,” and “Principles.”
The soul can never be moved unless all of these are perfectly aligned.
… As expected, there are still rules that only Kanami-san knows, aren’t there.
Maria peered into my stern face.
As always, her “piercing gaze” saw through me better than I saw myself.
Kanami-san knows more about the “Principles” than I do, and is a better magic user than I am. … No, even more than that, no one in the world can compare to Kanami-san now. If Kanami-san has given up on reviving Rustiara-san, then it’s likely impossible for anyone else. That’s how it is, even according to the “Principles.”
Breaking from her previously strong stance, Maria murmured sadly.
It was no longer a simple request.
Even so, I want to meet her again. I want to talk with Rustiara-san one more time, to get angry and be angry at her… Just one more time, otherwise, I will end up like this with Rustiara-san–
Th-That’s…
She was simply, purely asked “one more time” again and again.
That request shook my heart more than anything today.
Above all, when a name is repeated, something is inevitably displaced.
It happens as a “Price” for being a “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions.” So, with just a slight shift of my gaze, before I knew it—she was there.
After much wavering, Rustiara Fuziaze finally sat at the same desk as Maria, listening to the conversation together.
I could see it.
I could hear and feel it.
It was clear, like a “Curse,” it was there—
“Rustiara, who had been listening quietly the whole time, finally couldn’t bear it and stood up.
Her golden-sand hair fluttered as she walked silently and moved behind Maria.
‘Maria-chan…’
She called her name lovingly, narrowed her eyes, and wrapped her thin arms around her, hugging her.
However, neither her voice nor her body heat reached Maria.
‘Maria-chan, I’m so happy… But you can’t. Because this is my ‘feeling that surpasses everyone’ that I found… It’s proof that Kanami and I were ‘real’… So, you can’t. I’m sorry…’
After a sad smile, she buried her face in Maria’s black hair, as if to hide it from everyone.
And then, she hugged her. She hugged her beloved Maria tightly—”
I saw that.
So, I repeat. I will deliver what should not reach.
“‘Maria-chan, I’m so happy… But you can’t. Because this is my ‘feeling that surpasses everyone’ that I found… It’s proof that Kanami and I were ‘real’… So, you can’t. I’m sorry…'”
Hearing that voice, Maria was startled as if she had met a ghost, frowned with sadness and joy, and gave a wry smile.
Yes… Rustiara-san would surely say that. Only Kanami-san would understand that.
Ah… Rustiara would definitely say that.
It’s unfair, isn’t it? If you say something like that, we can’t do anything.
Maria, who knew about the Magic Stone within me, recognized it not as mere imitation but as a message.
Although it was a simulation, the request for “one more time” was fulfilled, and Maria smiled, looking regretful.
Actually, I understand. That there’s nothing more I can do… And that Rustiara-san is surely wishing for me to just smile and live my days… But if I don’t think about Rustiara-san every day like this, I get scared.
Scared…?
I was confessed to that what Maria feared was not “death,” but “Oblivion.”
Looking at Rustiara through me, she began to explain the reason.
The day that last battle ended… When the frozen world melted, and Kanami-san woke me up, and we laughed together with Dia and Snow and the others… I still couldn’t grasp reality. I still couldn’t believe that one important person was missing.
From two months ago, one by one, carefully.
Why she started reading magic books to revive Rustiara. She conveyed the circumstances and her unforgotten feelings to me now.
The next day… that would be the second day. My eyes naturally looked for Rustiara-san’s figure. Of course, I thought she might still be alive… I wandered through the flooded town… but no matter how much I walked, Rustiara-san was nowhere to be found. I searched the Cathedral, the places we adventured together, the house where we slept holding hands, but she was nowhere. She was truly nowhere, and my anxiety gradually grew…
When the extraordinary ended, the reality slowly began to hit.
Remembering the exact number of days must have been because it was so vivid.
And that night, I had a “Dream.” A dream of us all together, exploring a Labyrinth. Of course, Rustiara was there, leading the Party, laughing joyfully… fighting Monsters vibrantly. However, when I woke up from the dream, Rustiara was gone. Since she was gone, I went to look for her immediately… but she was nowhere.
As if reading the letters carved into the stone monument, Maria continued her monologue about the memory of losing Rustiara—
“By the fourth day, I already knew ‘dreams’ were dreams. But still, as long as I was dreaming, I didn’t have to realize it… I wanted to keep dreaming, so I never got out of bed—”
“On the fifth day, the moment I woke up, I understood Rustiara-san was gone, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My breathing became shallow, painful, and my chest felt like it was being crushed… Even though I knew she wasn’t there, I’d search the town for Rustiara-san’s figure again. Those days continued—”
“Suddenly, my tears wouldn’t stop. This time, the moment I woke up, I cried uncontrollably and understood. Really, Rustiara-san was dead… Wrapped in a blanket in my bed, I wished that this reality was the ‘dream’—”
I understood that feeling all too well.
It wasn’t exactly the same, but it was a pain that could be shared among companions.
“Maria, me too… I think everyone felt the same. Two months ago, even when we gathered as companions, we were quite scattered…”
“Yes. For the first ten days or so, we had plenty of time, but we were poorly attended. Everyone was truly sad… but the town was in a celebratory mood after the war… I think we were desperately trying not to show our gloomy faces.”
“Dia told me I was particularly bad… Honestly, everyone was bad.”
“Yes, everyone was in a terrible state. Fufu.”
The content of the conversation was dark. However, Maria could talk about those memories with a smile.
In other words, they had overcome ‘death’ itself.
Maria and the others had grown that much through their long ‘Adventure’.
Therefore, what was problematic for Maria was what awaited them ahead.
“I think we were trying not to show our gloomy faces because we all knew we couldn’t stay like this. We knew we had to recover and move forward. …The one who recovered first and pulled everyone along was my sister-in-law.”
If asked who had grown the most on this ‘Adventure’, I could confidently say it was her.
She still had the bad habit of slacking off when surrounded by reliable people, but when Snow herself had no choice but to try hard, she was truly dependable.
“Snow-san, seeing my state, took my hand and invited me. — ‘We are no longer alone. We are all together, so let’s hold hands and look forward. Let’s walk forward as a family from now on’…”
And then, Maria was adopted into the Walker family.
Snow, as her sister-in-law, tried to be of help to Maria.
That was, perhaps…
She was imitating the kindness she herself had once received from her brother-in-law.
The way Snow looked at Maria, I felt it was a little like Glen-san.
“Up to this point, it’s fine. Up to this point, everything was truly good. I became scared about a month after that—after a good morning arrived. …It was a very good morning. I had started to recover little by little, I no longer had dreams, and I slept surprisingly well. The sun that day was dazzling, the food was delicious, my body felt light… I spent the day very happily.”
The content of her speech was bright. However, Maria’s expression as she spoke it was the complete opposite, filled with darkness.
Her face contorted as if she were about to cry, and she continued her story.
“—Moving towards a new future meant leaving Rustiara-san in the past. The more we moved forward, the further back Rustiara-san fell behind. As much as I had grieved, I became able to endure life without Rustiara-san. I was starting to forget. I hated myself for that… I hated it, hated it, hated it…”
“That’s why, for Rustiara’s sake, I made a book…”
Maria continued to pursue the ‘dream’ of reuniting, so as not to forget Rustiara.
I nodded in confirmation of that answer.
She probably didn’t truly believe she could bring Rustiara back to life.
However, as she desperately tried to revive Rustiara, she probably felt her presence and found solace.
“I once forgot my family due to the ‘Price’ of magic… It’s like a huge Vessel of memories, with a gaping black hole. The fact that Rustiara is also gradually being swallowed into that is truly frightening…”
The experience of losing family memories was her trauma.
Maria, who possessed ‘Affinity’ with the ‘The one who steals the logic of fire’, had a greater fear of ‘Oblivion’ than anyone else.
However, precisely because of that, I, who shared the same trauma, could reassure her.
Or so I believed about myself, and spoke.
“Maria, I also lost my family’s memories… There were times I forgot the names of people I cared about, unable to save them… —But now, I remember everything and know it clearly. That’s because I wished I didn’t want to forget, and desperately tried to recall. So, even if Maria forgets, if she keeps wishing, she will surely remember in the end. Because—”
As I spoke, I recalled familiar faces and names.
It was my childhood friend Konagi-chan. And the ‘Thieves of Principles’—especially the memories of the ‘The one who steals the logic of fire’ were vivid now.
Speaking as if to Arti, I conveyed the truth.
“—You, ‘Maria’, do not have the ‘Curse’ of ‘Oblivion’.”
A thousand years ago, the ‘Curse’ of the ‘The one who steals the logic of fire’ burned away the memories of loved ones with priority. Maria had read those memories from the Magic Stone of the ‘The one who steals the logic of fire’ within her Body, and her anxiety grew further with this understanding.
“I don’t have a ‘Curse’…?”
“Yeah, you don’t. …If it weren’t for the world’s spite, which feels like a ‘Curse’, you’d remember it even if you forgot it once. I remembered, so Maria, you’ll definitely be okay.”
Saying that, I approached Maria and placed my hand on hers on the desk — no, I intended to place Rustiara’s hand.
Feeling not just words but also body heat, Maria’s expression gradually softened.
“…Huh? Wh-what is it… I feel like I can feel Rustiara-san. Is the Magic Stone inside Kanami-san now?”
“It’s inside me. Just like Maria has been feeling Arti for a long time, I’m feeling Rustiara.”
“Arti and Rustiara-san too… are here now…”
Feeling a ‘Connection’ from the body heat, Maria’s gloomy expression lit up. I could see the fear of ‘Oblivion’ receding. And then—
“Thank you, Kanami-san. …I feel a little relieved. Certainly, even if I forget, I just need to remember. If that Kanami-san could do it, I feel like I can too. …Worst case, let’s remember it with sheer willpower. With willpower.”
She saw through my heart with her ‘[Keigan]’ that I indeed had no ‘Curse’. I thought it was a slightly rude way of accepting it, but I felt relieved that her usual sarcasm had returned.
“No, honestly, with sheer willpower… I wonder if I can remember it?”
“It’s a matter of feelings, of feelings. I finally understood that now.”
“Yes… I also know well the importance of feelings.”
“Yes. What’s important is this feeling…”
Saying that, Maria smiled. At that moment, it felt like the air, which had become cold unnoticed, warmed up again.
Maria took a breath and stood up from her seat. As if she no longer needed to read, she moved away from the desk and headed for the bed.
“I’m a little tired from talking… I’ll rest now…”
During that time, Maria never let go of my hand.
“Kanami-san… I’m going to sleep now, so please hold my hand. Please, like this…”
She asked without letting go. Like a child. It was similar to that time in the Winter Otherworld of Hidaki, but in a slightly different way.
“Somehow, when I hold your hand like this… I feel like Rustiara-san is here with me…”
“Yeah, I understand.”
Because both Maria and I are beyond-standard mages, our magical sensitivity is strong. Conversely, I felt that beyond this connected hand was Alti, the ‘One Who Steals the Logic of Fire’. The image of the girl who had become a sacrifice for people’s prayers in that Town of Fanian overlapped with Maria.
“Today was good… I was able to consult with you… and talk honestly…”
“I’m glad too. I was able to talk honestly and reassure Maria.”
Maria lay down on the bed and closed her eyes. I pulled up a nearby chair and got into a position to continue holding her hand until she fell asleep.
“Good night… My beloved Master…”
“Sleep well, Maria. …But, let’s end the Master calls here and now. I really can’t take it anymore.”
“Fufu… Yes…”
With that joke, the conversation stopped. Maria fell asleep. I confirmed that she had safely fallen into a ‘Dream’, overcoming both ‘Death’ and ‘Oblivion’, and then—
“I’m sorry, ‘Maria’. And thank you very much… for keeping your promise from long ago and always being our strength…”
Where Maria couldn’t hear, I offered an apology and thanks to ‘Maria’. Then, turning the ‘scorched pages’ from a thousand years ago, I re-read their meaning.
“—A thousand years ago. The day Tiara and I liberated the Town of Fanian. At the time of parting with the ‘Thief of Principles’, we made a promise. ‘Um, Kanami-sama, someday—!’ Unlike Teeda, the calm ‘one who steals the logic of darkness’, Alti, the ‘One Who Steals the Logic of Fire’, pleaded desperately until the end. To me, her benefactor, she swore from her soul. ‘—I will definitely be of use to you, Kanami-sama, someday…!’ At that time, I took her oath lightly. That’s why I easily shook my head, saying I didn’t need help with ‘Curse Technique’ development—and thought her story ended there. But it had never ended. The promise had been duly made. ‘—Kanami-sama, can we meet again?’ ‘That would be… of course. We’ll meet again. I promise.’ ‘Yes. Then, until we meet again someday…’ From that day on, Alti continued to wish. Even if she forgot what she wanted to protect, even if she forgot her own name, even if she forgot the words she wanted to convey, even if everything turned into flames, she continued to wish in the depths of her heart, just like me. Tiara, who was writing that story, wrote at the end of the continent. Hidaki, who knows the ending of everything, evaluates that ending thus. —Nevertheless, after a thousand years, she arrived. Certainly, the ‘One Who Steals the Logic of Fire’ found it at the very, very end. The ‘truth’ called ‘Maria’ — Originally, Alti, the ‘One Who Steals the Logic of Fire’, was a false name she used for her suffering mother. Because of that false name, her true name was ‘forgotten’. But after a thousand years, she found it. That day. At the ‘Tenth Ordeal’ on the burning hill, already. Not ‘Christ’ and ‘Alti’, but ‘Kanami’ and ‘Maria’, the two people had fulfilled their promise of reunion from a thousand years ago—”
Snoozing, Maria slept with a completely relieved expression. Looking at her sleeping face, I admonished myself. That everything Maria and I just talked about was also directed from ‘Maria’ of a thousand years ago to ‘Primordial Kanami’— I will never forget. I wrote that on the last page and closed the important ninth volume.
