I look at Mimi as she lay on her bed with a befuddled stare at the ceiling. Her eyes are hazy and she is unresponsive unless touched. Her state right now could only be described as lethargic or something worst. The blond hair that she dons has a slight tinged of reddish burns from the tip and her eyes start showing heterochromia as her right iris turned blood red. Above all, her horns started growing a little bit larger than before.

After the nameless wizard teleported us outside of the Labyrinth of Avalon, we quickly retreated back to the Elven City and went straight to the place we are staying. Since then, Mimi has become like this with no indication of where the problem started.

No…I don’t want to assume anything but I already have something in mind. Confirming it is what’s only left.

The sun has already risen and noon is slowly approaching. I want to let everyone rest today as we’ve done a lot of tasks yesterday.

“Asagao, aren’t we going today?”

“I don’t know. Topaz, won’t you stay with Mimi?”

“If you will it, I will accompany you but my feelings tell me that I need to stay with her in this circumstance.”

“Right, that’s what I exactly wanted you to do.”

Topaz who was sitting across me asked. She’s been accompanying Mimi since we got back and tended to her. It’s not that Mimi cannot wholly function as a person but considering that there’s something inside her head that she can’t speak about, we just can’t help but get worried.

Other than that, Casablanca and Hibiscus went to report what has transpired inside the Labyrinth to Queen Hinoki while Daisy is still sleeping. It seems there was a huge backlash on her body when she pulled the sword from the labyrinth that the nameless wizard takes care of. Daisy’s body collapses on the bed and she hasn’t woken up ever since.

Topaz and I are the only ones who can look out for them in the meantime.

“What do you want to do today, Asagao? Would you pursue another fight with them?”

“Are you referring to boss? I don’t know. With our team in sorry state…”

“I see.”

“Somehow, we need to…hmm?”

“Aren’t we too fixated on them? Are they our enemy? I am quite lost at what we really need to do. Do we help the elves stop the war, win it, or continue to pursue an enemy who is not remotely evil?”

“Topaz, what do you mean not remotely evil? Do you think Boss and her party are doing this for something?”

“It didn’t cross my mind that they have any motives. Asagao, I am a devil that took form and shape of a human. I cannot say that there’s no more shred of malice inside me but, I myself knows and can identify if someone is truly evil or not.”

“Is that an intuition or something?”

“I am living with a person who is purely made out of goodwill on a daily basis. Also, before I met you, I met some truly malicious people, so I know…”

“It’s amazing…If a person as kind as that is near you, I guess that’s a good thing.”

“Asagao…well, that part of you is also what pulls people in.”

“Hmm?!”

Topaz looks at me warmly with a faint gentle smile. I feel like her smile has an implication that I should really read deeply. In the first place, who is the person she was referring to?

It could be Alstroe since she has an innocent and loving heart.

“Anyway, Asagao, I don’t think we should do something reckless today.”

“Why am I getting a lecture about recklessness?! I feel so hurt since the one who said it is the gentlest person in our team!”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to dictate you on your actions, Asagao.”

“Yeah, it’s not like I’m not planning something reckless or anything from the start anyway.”

Not long after, Violetta arrives with the exact time when Queen Hinoki together with the twins did. They both tried seeing Mimi’s condition. Violetta immediately scanned Mimi’s whole body but found nothing worth mentioning.

“Asagao, I’d like to confirm one thing. Casablanca and Hibiscus told me that you met a mysterious wizard in the labyrinth, right?”

“That’s correct, Queen Hinoki. By the way, is it really okay for you to personally come here?”

“A man of unfound powers inside a labyrinth in my territory is unheard of until now. I myself would be wary, knowing that there’s a possibility that he might be an enemy or foe. Can you give us the details?”

“Surely.”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I told them the details pertaining to our meeting with the nameless wizard and how he put us in his trials selfishly. I didn’t tell them about my solid conjecture about the origin of the nameless wizard yet since it will only add to the confusion.

Then I told them that Daisy pulled out a sword that granted her immense power and the nameless wizard’s immeasurable magical prowess and his all-seeing eyes that saw through a seal inside Mimi, a seal something similar to a divine power.

Violetta, after quietly listening to my story, steps forward and asked me questions.

“Asagao, this wizard you are talking about, who is more powerful, him or me?”

“…I’m sorry Violetta. Someone who freely manipulates space and lived who-knows how many millennia, I have to give him the credit.”

“Even with my Arcana Magic? Now I'm intrigued to meet this fellow. Still, if there’s a seal inside Mimi that even I cannot detect, that’s a whole new kind of problem.”

“I already know who did that.”

Queen Hinoki interjected into our conversation abruptly.

“It should be her. No, it’s only her that could have done it. The Goddess of Blessing, Nivalis, your mother, Asagao.”

“Eh? Why did you say so?”

“For the past hundreds of years, Nivalis was the only divine that went down to this world on her own volition, chasing after Astlan Lionheart for the sake of pity but ended up becoming his lover.”

“Please don’t make it sound like my mother is a slut!”

She bluntly insulted mother right in my face so my head ended up getting a little bit heated and I snap at Queen Hinoki. I strongly rejected her implication and make a headstrong face that shows a visibly angered countenance. Upon my reaction, Queen Hinoki looks down as she regretted over her own words while biting her lips.

“I take that back. I’m very sorry, Asagao.”

“Are you really that angry at mother?”

“I’ve gotten over the fact that Astlan loved Nivalis more than me and Izuna, however, I cannot forgive her for leaving a deep a scar and regrets on Astlan’s heart. She left him like a lifeless husk, left with nothing but his devotion to the salvation of this world.”

“No! He loved both you and Lady Izuna! He both loved Casablanca, Hibiscus and Higanbana! Astlan Lionheart, my father, did all of that so he can bring a future where they won’t fight in a world full of evil!”

“He failed though…and the result is a lot of things are sacrificed. You yourself should know better because you shouldered all of that evil that you call. It’s because of your own mother that both you and your father suffered.”

“I chose it, that path. And if it is necessary, I’ll continue walking down that path if it means seeing the world they tried to save in peace. Not only my father, not only my mother but also to him, the man who understands me the most…”

“Your appearance is molded after your mother but…you are like your father. When pushed into the deepest corner, you try to become a martyr.”

“That doesn’t even remotely sound bad.”

Queen Hinoki was flabbergasted upon my words of arguments. I don’t know my father, Astlan Lionheart, personally but I know how hard he worked for this world and for the family he has here. They are what pushed Astlan to struggle.

“I’m sorry. You really don’t need to tear up over it.”

“I’m not crying!”

“I didn’t say you are crying!”

Now that Queen Hinoki mentioned it, I feel like my eyes are kind of watery. Since I don’t want to be embarrassed, I try not to show that I’ve noticed it.

“Mother, you made her cry.”

“Eh?! Wait!”

“Mother, you should set an example of an excellent personage. To reduce our beloved half-sister to tears, what would the populace say?”

“Suddenly, my daughters started berating me…”

Queen Hinoki become crestfallen as her daughters told her off. I can’t say I agree with their method and how they indiscreetly disrespected their own mother but I am glad that they sided with me. Violetta then thrust herself between me and Queen Hinoki.

“I know both of you have family issues, especially for a man, but that doesn’t mean we should lose sight of our current objective.”

“……”

“Well? We should focus on the current topic.”

You are…the last person I want to hear that from! I can’t actually voice that out since Violetta herself is a little sensitive regarding that matter. Her issues with my master, Mrothgir, are different than mine but, at the very least, we are worrying about men.

“What I’d like to know now is why there’s a seal inside of her? Was it to hide her powers or to hide her identity? Was there anything else that the nameless wizard mentioned?”

“You’re just going to shook off our heartfelt conversation like that?!”

“That’s not true. I too want to hear more about the story regarding Astlan Lionheart since he is the root of Ashfon’s power. You also mentioned before that you explored Astlan’s memory fragments that let you see everything he experienced in this world, however, Mimi is also a priority. I don’t want to lose an important test sub—I mean a friend of yours.”

“Hold up! Wait a minute!”

Violetta sprouted a slight grin before turning away from me! She definitely almost said something really rude to Mimi! Even Topaz is pouting a little.

“That’s not important now.”

“Then, what are we suppose to do, Violetta?”

“Nothing much. Stable or not, we shouldn’t try to fiddle with someone when they aren’t prepared yet. We are going to try to disrupt the seal inside her once she fully acknowledges and agreed to it.”

“You’re not going to force it, right?”

“This matter needs consent. Ah, but for reference, what did the nameless wizard said about her?”

“Yes, actually, I’ve been holding myself back from saying this. Can we head outside?”

Can we head outside? What kind of sentence is that?! Am I a delinquent or something?!

Per my words, Violetta and Queen Hinoki followed me outside of the room leaving everyone behind. Since I don’t want Daisy to hear what I’m about to say, I’d rather take this conversation outside of her earshot.

As I face them once more in the corridor, I open my lips and start talking.

“Actually, the identity of the nameless wizard is someone straight out from a legend back in my world. He is a man regarded as a wise and strong man who both became a councilor to the great king of Britain and foretold the prophecy of the sword of selection.”

“A legend? Is it something that passes a long time ago in your world?”

“No, in actuality, it was just a tale. That’s what I am confused about. It is something unconfirmed, at best, something fictional in my world but to think that they would exist here.”

“The way your world defines legend is essentially different than ours. Legends lived and had someone wrote a book about them. Supposedly, these people you are talking about don’t exist in your world but has proven they are alive in this world. That would really create a paradox, at least, inside your belief.”

Violetta concluded while delving into a deep thought as the subject extremely piqued her interest. We can also conclude that they might have existed all along and they subjected my previous world to such a story or legend that actually happened.

There are various answers to it but we cannot actually find the real one unless we talk with the nameless wizard by ourselves.

But that’s not the real topic that I’d like to talk about.

“So, this nameless wizard…called Mimi by the name Camellia. Does anyone of you know who is Camellia?”

I already know who she is from Astlan’s memory fragment. She is the daughter of Demon Lord Baal from hundreds of years ago and one of Astlan’s former lovers. She and every single one of Astlan’s lover met a cruel fate by the hands of the humans by that time and were murdered.

It was the reason why Astlan awakens to the god-hating power that is Astlan’s Ira, a wrath the can tore this land asunder and create a ripple of fear inside the heart of the gods.

Another mystery that I wanted to know is how Astlan’s Ira manifested. How such power was passed down to Astlan’s direct descendants such as Higanbana and the twins? Though the power is a lot more prominent in Higanbana…

I know Violetta has been mulling over the matter too. How to quell such rage that was passed down…

While running these thoughts inside my head, I noticed that both Queen Hinoki and Violetta are knitting their brows. Queen Hinoki starts speaking bitterly.

“I don’t know much of Astlan’s former lovers, however, me and Lady Violetta here know that Demon Lord Baal and his daughter are both immortal as long as magical energy is present in the air.”

“Yes, that’s right. Even Ashfon failed to slay Baal and all we can do was to seal him in the Cave of Vortex in the demon continent. I can’t believe that Demon Lord Baal’s daughter to be alive but if possible…”

“Demon Lord Baal’s daughter…without any direct way to kill her, might have really been alive this whole time.”

Then…the seal inside Mimi…what is it?