The Reason the Moon Loves the Star

"...Hoo."

Having successfully delivered the message young Frey Raon Starlight left for most people and adjusted their memories as per his request, Irina Philiard let out a sigh.

"Th-thank you... Sis."

Only then did the young Frey emerge from his room, take her hand, and start heading toward the place he'd mentioned.

"What the hell was that earlier... in the reception room?"

"Mage Sis, do you know about this?"

"Huh?"

Irina, who had been muttering to herself with a serious expression, snapped to attention at Frey's question and tilted her head.

"I'm apparently the Hero."

The young Frey began his explanation with a blank look on his face.

"They say the fate of the world rests on me. If I don't step up, the Demon King will burn the world to ashes."

"Uh, uh-huh..."

"I didn't believe it at first... but then the Hero's Power awakened."

As Frey swung his fist expressionlessly, the trees lining the street shattered in unison.

"Just yesterday, I could barely land a hit on Isolet Sis... Now, a single punch makes training dummies explode. Funny, right?"

Frey caressed his fist with a resigned smile, but Irina couldn't bring herself to laugh along.

"Haha..."

His eyes weren't smiling at all, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠despite the laughter escaping his lips.

"Thanks, Sis."

"Huh?"

"For developing the scroll. Really, thank you."

Irina gripped his hand tightly without realizing it. When Frey smiled with his eyes for the first time, she quietly averted her gaze.

"N-no big deal. I just added a spoon to the pot..."

"Without this scroll, I might've given up."

Gripping her hand in return, Frey continued in a low voice.

"I have so many precious connections, so many painful memories. If I couldn't adjust them... I probably would've run away."

"I-is that so."

"But thanks to the memory adjustment scroll you developed, Sis, I think I can avoid running now."

Wiping the tears welling in his eyes, Frey's expression darkened as he asked,

"By the way, are you really okay with this?"

"With what?"

"One of the three scrolls I'm supposed to tear at the end includes yours."

Irina tilted her head at his words.

"The three scrolls I'll tear at the end of my final plan are mine, Serena Luna Moonlight's, and the one developed by you."

Only after hearing his explanation did Irina ask another question.

"Comern... I mean, the promissory note... mine?"

"Yes, Lord Comern's scroll. I'm truly sorry, but you can't remember this either."

The young Frey, still mistaking Irina for the Magic Tower Lord Comern, spoke softly.

"As promised, once the final plan ends and I tear the three scrolls at once, teleport back to the Magic ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Tower."

"...O-okay."

"Thank you. Truly."

Bowing to Irina, who had answered reflexively, Frey then asked with a puzzled expression,

"Come to think of it, my father said Lord Comern is quite old. Did I get that wrong?"

"........."

"No matter. If it was rude, I apologize..."

"It's fine."

Irina began stroking his head without thinking. When Frey beamed at the touch, she swallowed hard.

'C-cute...'

The child Frey who used to offer her fish was smiling at her just like back then, making her heart flutter unwittingly.

"We're here."

"...Ah."

She stopped as Frey halted his steps.

Knock knock knock

"It's Frey Raon Starlight. I'm here to see ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the head of House Moonlight."

As Frey knocked on the grand door of the Moonlight Mansion,

"Mage."

"Yeah?"

He spoke to Irina, who had scowled and was glaring coldly at the mansion interior.

"From now on, I'm about to do the first bad thing in my life."

"The first?"

"Well, is it bad? Villainy? False evil acts? Something like that. I don't even know how it's different from real evil."

His face pale, Frey turned to Irina with guilt in his eyes.

"S-sorry. Am I being too annoying?"

"N-no, not at all."

"Sorry. I'm so nervous... The moment everything starts is here, driving me crazy, so I keep talking without thinking."

As Frey bowed again, Irina waved her hands frantically.

"N-no! Keep talking! Conversation's the best for nerves."

"...Really?"

"Yeah, anytime."

"...Thank you."

Frey bowed gratefully to the desperately smiling Irina, then headed into the now-open Moonlight Mansion.

"As you know, Mage, I'm about to commit my first evil act against my fiancée."

"...Evil act?"

"Yes. From now on, I have to do tons of really bad things to destroy the world... and get the System? To defeat the Demon King."

Clutching his pounding chest, Frey forced calm into his voice.

"This way, please."

"...Thank you."

Guided by Moonlight assassins, they headed toward the head.

"That person with you..."

Ruuuumble...

"N-no, it's fine."

Irina unleashed her mana threateningly at the assassins trying to separate her from Frey.

Creeeak...

She followed Frey, who cautiously opened the head's door, into the room.

.........

"So, have you made up your mind?"

A vile-looking man—Serena's father—greeted them upon entry.

"...Yes. Your offer on the day you brought Serena to me. I've decided now."

Frey glanced at Serena, huddled beside him, covered in wounds and shedding tears.

"If you help me cast the Subjugation Curse on Serena, you'll really give me half the world when it falls, right?"

He asked with a sleazy grin.

"Yes... Finally getting it, huh?"

The head rose with a satisfied smile.

"To activate our house's Subjugation Curse, you need consent from Starlight blood. I offered all sorts of terms... Finally tempted?"

"A chance at half the world? Of course. But can you really deliver?"

"With that girl's demonic talent... In decades, yes. Together, we'll rule this world."

Serena's face hardened as their conversation continued.

But fresh from countless beatings to prevent resistance during the ritual, she could only tremble in place.

"So, how do we proceed?"

"Simple. Ritual's done. Just consent as the final step."

The secret head placed a hand on the magic circle and whispered.

"Hold Serena's hands and answer as I say."

"Understood."

"Does Frey ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Raon Starlight, first son of House Starlight, consent to me casting the Subjugation Curse on Serena Luna Moonlight?"

"Yes, of course."

Serena flinched, glaring at Frey with hatred and muttering.

"I... believed you... First time I ever trusted, liked... loved someone."

"Shut up!"

"...Hic!"

The head hurled a book at her, continuing excitedly.

"Then, for the curse's risk adjustment, how much lifespan will you bear?"

"That's..."

"Zero years again. Tch, ancient magic's such a hassle. Why these restrictions?"

As the head grumbled irritably,

"......!!!"

Serena's hateful glare widened in shock.

"...Hehe."

Frey had whispered something in her ear during the grumbling, slyly smiling.

"Zero years it is."

Looking at the frozen young Serena, Frey replied with his sleazy grin restored.

"That it?"

He eyed the fresh Subjugation Curse seals on her body.

"Yes, all done. Check the contract?"

"No need. It's enchanted anyway. Just give me half the world."

With that, Frey added,

"Oh, can I play with Serena?"

"Of course. She's a doll now. One that'll help us rule the world, though."

"Thanks."

He grabbed the dazed Serena's arm and headed out.

""........""

Silence fell over the room briefly.

"Frey's companion. Aren't you leaving...?"

The secret head questioned Irina, who had stood bowed in the corner.

Boom!

"Guh!!"

Irina's magic missile struck the head's solar plexus.

"Grrgh..."

As he collapsed unconscious, Irina glared.

"Come out, you purple monster."

"...How'd you notice?"

A purple mass slithered from the secret head's body.

"I hid in his body to wait for a chance without detection."

"No one else emits that weird energy. Felt it at the gate."

The floating purple mass spoke arrogantly.

"Bad luck. You should've realized from last fight you can't beat me. Ignoring me would've saved your life."

"Shut up."

Irina snapped coldly, assuming combat stance.

"Bratty commoner bitch."

The mass spat purple energy at her coldly.

"You brought death on yourself, so don't feel too hard done... Huh?"

But,

"You just called me a brat?"

The energy didn't reach her.

"H-how...?"

In an instant, Irina deployed over ten layers of magic circles, pulling the mass inside.

"Know who dealt the Demon King his only fatal wound last regression?"

"Wh-what?!"

"Me. Irina Philiard. Greatest Archmage ever."

Irina declared to the trembling orb.

"No idea why, but my mana returned in this trial. Means trash like you is no match."

"Impossible! I got power straight from the Demon King! Why... WHY?!"

"Told you—I wounded that Demon King fatally."

She retorted calmly.

"One less gift for Serena after this trial."

"W-wait... Guh!"

She crammed the mass fully into the circle and left the room.

"That whisper I heard..."

Muttering with shaking eyes.

"...Was it real?"

.........

"Th-there they are."

Irina, having sealed the purple mass-turned-secret-head into a spare scroll, spotted Frey and Serena in the mansion courtyard and approached.

"Hey, kids..."

"F-F-Frey... Why... WHY?!"

"...Hm."

But Irina stopped short.

"What's the reason for that?! Are you insane? A slip-up? Answer me!"

"...Idiot."

"Huh?"

Frey gave Serena a sad smile.

"You're suffocating me. Back off, idiot."

".....Ah?"

Serena's face crumbled slowly, hearing "idiot" for the first time.

"Why... WHY..."

"Idiot, you're suffocat—"

"WHY MUTTER IT?!"

She shrieked, hugging the coughing Frey tightly.

"You whispered you'd sacrifice 90 years lifespan!!!"

"...Cough, cough!"

"See?! Coughing already!! What now?!?!"

"Serena."

Holding her tight, Frey pulled three scrolls from his bosom and whispered,

"I love you."

".....!"

With that, he slowly tore the three scrolls.

"...Me too, Frey."

As the scrolls tore, Serena and Frey's memories shifted to Frey's unilateral betrayal.

Just before the innocent Magic Tower Lord's research memories altered too,

"I'll love you."

Serena whispered with resolved eyes.

"No matter what. Forever."

And the four scrolls tore.

Rip!!!

Not just Frey's three scrolls.

Irina, who had waited for this moment, tore the scroll from Perloché in the reception room as well.

As Irina tore the scroll, error windows flooded her vision.

<No way, Star God. You damn bastard...>

Watching the red warning window piercing through, oozing malice,

"D-Demon God. Whatever it is..."

Irina replied with an awkward smile.

"...Serves you right?"

And the world stopped.

"...Hoo."

Irina gazed enviously at Serena kissing young Frey.

"Perloché, I tore the scroll right before the third trial ended, as you asked."

She spoke to Perloché approaching in the frozen world.

"Now tell me the truth."

"This isn't just a trial world, right? My mana returning. Too lifelike."

"Haa."

"Me completing the memory scroll with future knowledge is weird too."

"Irina."

"Weirdest is you. Those eyes? That scroll? The idiot Perloché I knew?"

Listing her doubts rapidly,

"...Explain everything."

She demanded of the weary-eyed young Perloché.

"Explain it all, Perloché."

"Okay."

Perloché nodded quietly.

"I'll explain everything."