The Jewel Losing Its Light (Complete)
The interior of the royal palace in the Einiss Magic Kingdom was gorgeously opulent, almost excessively so. The reception room we were led into had its walls entirely adorned with rare mana stones, emitting a beautiful glow.
Of course, getting here hadn't been smooth sailing. The mages and knights within the palace had eyed me with suspicion, doubt, and even a hint of displeasure, clearly intent on barring my way. But in the end, the king's permission came through, so no one openly blocked us.
They must have planned to make an example of me... but Harennes steadily marching toward ruin must have had a big impact, huh?
Or maybe the world changed again while I was off enjoying a brief, leisurely adventure.
I mulled over such thoughts for a moment before leaning back on the sofa and turning my gaze.
"……."
Raysilla was pressed close beside me, her head swiveling this way and that as she curiously took in the lavish decorations filling the reception room.
I watched her for a bit, then shifted my eyes to the opposite side.
Clink.
Selina kept her head bowed the whole time, awkwardly fiddling with the handle of her teacup. I glanced at my own cup on the table before speaking indifferently.
"If you're gonna be this uncomfortable and sorry all the way out here, why not just wait in the carriage? I can meet him alone."
At my words, Selina flinched and lifted her head to meet my eyes. Her face shot up in startled panic as she waved her hands frantically.
"N-no! It's not that... sorry. It's not like I'm tense just because it's you and me alone…."
She trailed off, her gaze dropping as she mumbled awkwardly.
"Even if it's not as bad for me, imagining the vibe when you meet Adelin—someone you parted with on the absolute worst terms—makes my chest tighten up without thinking…."
"Haa."
I sighed and shook my head.
"Seriously, you worry about the most useless things."
I had no idea what picture she was imagining to act like that, but it did make me wonder why. In the first place, to me now, the past with Adelin was nothing but dust—meaningless in the face of my urgent goal to save my sister.
"Hoo… anyway, just in case the magic kingdom pulls some stunt, stick close to Raysilla. Got it?"
Selina bit her lip hard at my continued indifferent tone, then nodded with a resolved expression.
"Yeah… got it. I'll protect her no matter what."
With her firm answer, I said no more and lifted my cooling teacup to my lips.
Silence returned to the reception room once more. As I pondered when the ghost of past ties would finally appear, gazing out the window at the scenery, a cautious knock echoed from beyond the door.
Knock knock.
The door opened slowly with the soft sound. Then, led by a maid's hand, someone in a wheelchair rolled into view.
And at that moment.
"……."
I froze, teacup still in hand. Raysilla, who had been glancing around from the sofa, and Selina, tense and watching me, both stiffened in an instant.
The state of Adelin Aynis in her wheelchair was more grotesque than I'd imagined. The hideous petrification had spread from her lower body all the way up to near her chest, and even half her face was swallowed by transparent gem crystals. Her once neat features were so distorted they were barely recognizable—almost horrific.
Raysilla, Selina, and I lost our words in unison, staring blankly at Adelin's face.
But as if she'd anticipated this reaction, Adelin offered a faintly bitter smile and spoke first.
"It's been a long time, hero Kail."
"……."
Her voice was just as I'd heard it on the day of ruin—no great difference.
Regaining a bit of composure, I forced my mouth open.
"Yeah… long time no see. Looks like you've paid dearly for betraying the man you trusted most."
"Indeed. To be honest, I don't think even this covers all the sins I committed against you, Kail…."
"Can't argue with that. Unlike some, you're meeting your end in luxury here, treated well to the last."
"Treated well… you're not wrong."
The maid beside her looked a touch troubled at her words. I felt a flicker of curiosity but dismissed it as nothing important, turning my gaze to Adelin, who sat with her head bowed, seemingly lost in thought. I cut straight to the point.
"The reason I came to see you is just to hear your story one last time."
"What story?"
"Like Selina over there reciting her past excuses for betraying me? Honestly had no intention of listening, but since you're already paying the worst price…."
"…I see."
The maid's expression grew even more somber with each of my words, as if reacting to them. Unlike her, fists clenched like she might burst into tears any second, Adelin kept her head down, hiding her face in shadow, accepting it all.
"Very well… if you're giving me a chance to lighten my sins even a little… no reason to refuse."
With that, Adelin began spilling everything about the past—details from our old party days she'd never once shared with me, all in a flat tone.
Starting from her birth as a despised illegitimate child, the power she'd thought a miracle turning out to be Petrification Disease. The despair after slaying the Blood Creation Lord yet failing to cure it, and the Holy Kingdom's archbishop who appeared right after.
"All they wanted was one thing. For you to crumble completely."
And again, mention of the unidentified Saintess.
"I'm telling you this out of my selfish hope that your path ahead might be a little easier."
"……."
Adelin's voice was hoarse, as if she hadn't properly drunk water in days.
She calmly added how she was treated now in the magic kingdom. The girl who'd dreamed of becoming its greatest leader had devolved into a tool, periodically vomiting pure mana crystals to buy off the kingdom's mages.
A living gem mine.
That was the reality of Einiss's princess now.
"The most time I have left is about two weeks."
With those final words, Adelin's long tale ended.
I listened to it all with an expressionless face.
Selina across from me gripped her fists tightly with a grave look, while Raysilla frowned, seemingly deep in thought for some reason.
"……."
"……."
In the ensuing silence of the reception room, I slowly rose from the sofa, gripping its arm, and looked down at the bowed Adelin.
"I figured as much, but it ends so clichéd and boring."
"……."
"Heard you out. Fitting end for a traitor. Nice seeing you one last time. Hope you feel every bit of the pain I did right before you go, and die all alone."
No pity, no anger—just a farewell to someone I'd never see again.
Adelin replied quietly, showing no particular agitation.
"No need to worry about that. For me now… I only wish my death might heal even a fraction of the wounds in your heart."
Still bowed, she showed her resolve to pay for her sins with death.
There was nothing more to see. I turned toward the door.
That was the moment.
Raysilla, who'd been mulling on the sofa, suddenly shot to her feet and approached right up to the princess, gazing at her face.
"Since you've accepted everything… and you're suffering worse than death… and if you want to atone even a little…."
Her calm voice filled the quiet reception room. Raysilla turned to look up at me intently and finished.
"Before we go to the Dersian Kingdom… how about we experiment first with the power of the Blood Creation embedded in Princess Adelin's body, big brother?"
"Uh… wait, you mean using Adelin Aynis for some kinda live experiment?"
At the utterly unforeseen suggestion, I completely forgot there were two unforgivable enemies in this room worth tearing apart, and froze with a utterly dumbstruck look.
But Raysilla stepped even closer to Adelin, unperturbed by my reaction, and gently stroked her petrified cheek as she continued.
"I'm… not entirely sure yet."
"…Not sure?"
"Yeah. White Purification is a power you could awaken because you always moved forward on the path of righteousness, big brother. So I think it'll overcome its limits only if you advance once more as a hero."
"As a hero… even if that's true, using Adelin for that…."
"No."
As I started to question in utter disbelief, Raysilla cut me off and slowly shook her head.
"It sounds cruel, and I hate myself for saying it… but until we reach Dersian… there might be no one but Princess Adelin Aynis for you to use White Purification's power on."
She took a short breath and concluded.
"A life proving herself in a different way from Hero Kail… chosen by the Creator God, earning recognition through exceptional talent… yet ultimately forsaken by the Creator God, heading toward death. And with the power of one of the Seven Demon Lords on top… if we cure her, it'll surely be a step forward, raising my chances of survival too."
"……."
How could this child hold such firm conviction?
The sudden doubt tangled my thoughts.
This was the sister who'd suffered selective mutism for over ten years after losing our parents, unable to even speak properly.
For such a Raysilla to decide without hesitation, like a prophet peering into the future, felt somehow off.
Could it be… the Demon King's fragment deep in Raysilla's soul. Is that foul, sticky demonic energy influencing her mind somehow?
The horrifying suspicion flashed through my head.
But I shook my head vigorously to clear it.
Digging into it now wouldn't solve anything.
The core issue was ripping out and fully removing the Demon King's fragment fused with my sister's soul, no matter what.
Yes, that alone.
"Hoo……."
I squeezed my eyes shut, then slowly opened them.
Exhaling all my turmoil in a short sigh, I nodded to Raysilla looking up at me.
"Alright. This final journey was for you from the start anyway. We'll do it your way."
"Thank you… big brother."
I lightly stroked her head, then turned to Adelin, who was blinking in confusion, still clueless.
"No need to freak out at 'live experiment.'"
"Uh…? Oh, yeah…."
The power of Blood Creation forcibly embedded in Adelin's body. The Demon King's fragment entwined in Raysilla's soul. And the breakthrough of my White Purification needed to excise it.
I began explaining our situation in a voice stripped of all emotion—why Raysilla and I had set out again, the horrific state of my sister's soul.