Chapter 14- Ragna’s story and the dead Mithril

“Ren is that kind of man. He has a sincere and pleasant personality.”

“Yeah, I guess so. It’s dazzling, especially for a guy like me who spends most of his time in ruins.”

He made a teasing remark, but it was not just an introduction by Radius, so it didn’t end there.

After a deep sigh, Ragna took two sips of the tea Ren had brewed.

“My specialization is archaeology and ancient magic studies. I do know a fair bit about sacred magic, but I can only say that it possesses the power Ren mentioned and nothing more.”

“Then…”

“Yeah. The power of the sacred is remarkable, but there are no other distinctive features. That’s all.”

It wasn’t that it had no value or that it was weak.

In conclusion, there was no power beyond what Ren had mentioned.

…It’s not the influence of sacred magic after all.

…Perhaps it would be better to think not about sacred magic but about the Saint herself.

…But Ren still want to hear a little more.

Looking down on Eupheim from the large window.

Without showing his face to anyone, he reached a conclusion on his own.

“Changing the subject…”

Ren turned around and said,

“I have fought against the Demon Cult several times.”

“I know. Radius consulted me about it multiple times. He also asked me to help analyze their power and such.”

Thinking it was convenient, Ren embellished the story a little.

“Those affected by the Demon Cult’s seal had their physical abilities and magic enhanced. Some even lost their self-awareness…. What are your thoughts on this?”

“The so-called power of the Demon King is being spread around. That is likely the root cause. Those affected can’t endure the runaway of the bestowed power and end up dying. The changes that occur in their bodies during the process vary from individual to individual.”

“But what about cases of losing self-awareness?”

“Well? It’s something like a change in the nature of the magic stone.”

“…A change in the nature of the magic stone?”

Ren listened intently to Ragna’s every word, especially because Licia had a magic stone within her.

“In the case of monsters, their magic stones undergo significant changes during evolution. If they cease being their original selves, changes in self-awareness are not uncommon. It doesn’t mean their previous memories are erased, but there are some degree of changes.”

“But the bodies of the Demon Cult members don’t have magic stones, right?”

“That’s right, that’s the crux of it.”

Ragna continued without hesitation in response to Ren’s question.

“This is what I think. The seals of the Demon Cult are like magic stones for monsters, engraved to contain power. It’s not about accepting the changes through their own strength, but rather about accepting changes brought about by external factors. Of course, whether they can accept it or not depends on the individual’s power.”

“Wait, Ragna! I haven’t heard such a story!”

“I just came up with a hypothesis while pursuing romance recently. I thought it would be a good time to talk about it today. That’s all.”

“I see, that’s why.”

The petite Shelgadian person redirected the conversation.

Radius and Ren were both surprised to hear this unexpected and intriguing hypothesis, but now it was time to return to the main topic.

“The difference between the Demon Cult’s seal and the evolution of monsters is that the seal forcibly corrodes the person to enhance them. Rather than accepting the changes through their own strength, they accept the changes brought about by external factors. However, whether they can accept them or not depends on the power of the individuals involved.”

The phrase “by force” piqued Ren’s interest.

It seemed like it was a phenomenon similar to what happened to Licia.

“Is there no way to prevent that?”

Ren asked.

“I don’t understand the intention of the question. At which stage are you referring to when you say ‘no way to prevent’? Refusing the forced enhancement or self-deterioration?”

“As a fundamental question, I’m asking if there is a way to avoid phenomena that affect one’s sense of self,.

Ren clarified.

“Then die. The insignia is probably like a parasitic creature that feeds on the host’s magic power. If you die, the insignia will disappear.”

As one of the possible solutions, it can be understood that erasing the insignia is an option. However, it was not the answer Ren desired.

“So, is there a way to escape the coercive power of the insignia without dying?”

“What would that achieve?”

Ragna replied, genuinely curious.

“Are there any members of the Demon cult’s Order whom you want to save?”

“No, it’s for future reference. Even if Radius and I capture members of the Demon cult’s order, many of them will die.”

“Extracting information until the very end, huh? You say cruel things while having a cute face.”

Ragna remarked, laughing.

Ren didn’t particularly argue with Ragna’s playful comment. Ragna seemed to think for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

“The concept of coercive power brings about a latent power that also affects one’s sense of self. In other words, it’s because the power’s owner can’t fully restrain their own power.”

“I see, like the Eclipse Princess,” Radius commented.

Perhaps due to his experience teaching the Third Prince or his romantic personality, Ragna was familiar with the old folktale of the Eclipse Princess.

“She’s different. She maintained her will because she controlled her power.”

“Then, what is different about those who went berserk?”

Ren asked.

“The Eclipse Princess is just a folktale. I don’t intend to debate the answer here, but in my opinion, she controlled her power.”

“Then why do you think she corrupted those around her?”

Ren inquired.

“People inhale and then exhale. It means that what is normal for her had a negative impact on the people around her. She simply eclipsed her surroundings by being there. In fact, for her, everyone except herself was abnormal.”

However, as Ragna said, there were only uncertain things, and no definite answers could be derived. His words were just a small opinion based on his perspective.

“Let’s get back to the topic.”

Ren redirected the conversation to the main issue.

The answer to that question was important to Ren, not just regarding the insignia of the Demon cult’s Order.

“The effective approach is to continue resisting the coercive power and maintain one’s sense of self. If you lose, you lose your sense of self, and the power will rampage as it pleases. It’s simple, isn’t it?”

“Is there no guarantee that there won’t be a second time if you endure it once?”

“If you resist and endure without losing, all the elements that constitute an individual will adapt and grow. Most likely, that is the answer you seek, isn’t it, Ren?”

“Close… that might be true. But adaptation?”

Ren wondered.

“I’m just giving an example of a phenomenon where the body is controlled by an overpowering force that it cannot withstand. If you can adapt by enduring, it won’t cause a second rampage with the same power. After all, you are in control.”

“Is that… really true?! But how can you determine if you’ve endured it?”

Ren’s voice rose.

Licia once resisted the mysterious coercive force and returned to Ren.

Although it couldn’t be confidently asserted that the phenomenon at that time should be treated on par with the insignia of the Demon cult’s order or the evolution of monsters, it was undoubtedly one of the desired pieces of information.

“If you have used power that you couldn’t manage, it can be said that you endured the rampage. It can also be determined that your body has adapted to the power based on magic concepts.”

In other words, it included moments like when Licia used powerful sacred magic during the latter half of the battle against the Sword Demon.

In Ren’s mind, past events resurfaced.

…Resisting might be different.

…The two who appeared in the Baldor Mountains were able to manage the insignia.

One half of the duo was a man named Kai, known for his rough speech.

Due to the power of the Black Priestess held by Fiona, that man’s power was amplified, causing him to collapse as he couldn’t manage it.

That is probably the same concept that affects the coercive force.

After thinking for a while, Ren continued,

…That’s right. It was the same for Roses Caitas.

Roses Caitas and the Cage of Time.

In that space filled with the power of the Goddess of Time, it should be expressed that Licia unleashed her power uncontrollably, separate from her own will. If we consider that event on par with the turmoil in the Baldor Mountains, the divine power had brought some kind of change to Licia.

And Licia resisted and returned to Ren in response to his call.

That’s why she is now by Ren’s side.

Ren breathed out after organizing this information.

For now, he could breathe a sigh of relief.

Looking back, during the battle with the Sword Demon, Licia’s sacred magic used in the latter part had significantly increased in skill compared to before. Recently, she hadn’t used it due to her aversion, but what Ragna said became more persuasive.

Licia, who was able to resist the mysterious power, was undoubtedly growing in her body as well.

“…That’s a relief.”

A sigh of relief escaped.

“If it’s limited to members of the Demon cult’s Order, it’s a different story if the Demon king were to revive in some way using the power passed down in the legends. They might all go mad without exception.”

“Ah… Now that you mention it, that’s true…”

“But Ragna, the powerful members of the Demon cult were able to resist the Demon king’s power or act with their own will, right?”

“Well, who knows? If the Demon King’s power is overwhelming, there might not be a second chance. They might become mindless soldiers. The so-called executives and the leader I asked about before, too.”

“In the end, we won’t know until we reach that stage.”

“Yeah. The story of the Demon Kiing is filled with romance, but we definitely lack crucial information.”

“Sigh… It has become a troublesome era.”

“There’s no helping it. The Demon King’s power is tremendous. He was the only one who possessed a sword capable of opposing the divine sword.”

At this point, Ragna muttered in annoyance.

With a bored look, he dismissed the Elfen religion.

“If those Elfen monks had been able to protect that sacred relic, things would have been easier.”

“Huh? Which sacred relic are you talking about?”

“The one stolen from some temple before. Ah, that’s it, ‘Elfen’s Tears’. Leomel has many sacred relics. Not only in temples but also in the possession of various nobles in different regions. I don’t understand why the Demon cult is targeting Leomel so much, but it must be related.”

The liquid with the special power to purify anything, Elfen’s Tears.

It was a sacred relic stolen when the leader of the Demon cult himself attacked the Elfen religion’s temple.

“If that liquid possesses divine power as rumored, it would have been able to purify the members of the Demon Lord’s Order along with their insignias.”

“Even so, there’s nothing we can do about the stolen relic. But, I’ve thought this before, but that must be quite a potent medicine for the Demon cult. Did they steal it for self-defense?”

“Well I don’t know if Elfen’s Tears really has the rumored power.”

“What’s wrong, Ragna? Have you started criticizing even the sacred relics?”

“You’re annoying. This is from the perspective of a researcher, from an academic point of view. Elfen’s Tears is undoubtedly a sacred relic, and it seems to have no flaws in terms of divine power, but it does have flaws when it comes to living beings. It leaves doubts about how much of its purifying power really works.”

“I think you’re aware, but your words contradict each other. If there are no flaws in divine power, wouldn’t it surpass human flaws when it comes to its effects?”

“Contradiction? Well, the world cannot exist without contradictions. That’s why I said it suits me.”

Ragna spoke sarcastically without hesitation.

Even though Ren was surprised and Radius chuckled, Ragna didn’t stop.

“Because even the gods themselves are contradictory. Therefore, the Shelgadian people may have one or two contradictions as well. I’m not mistaken in what I’m saying.”

Ragna boasted a fearlessness that even gods couldn’t intimidate.

He didn’t have any complaints about the main god, Elfen, but he was realistic.

For better or worse, he didn’t like unrealistic stories.

“There are no flaws in the gods; they make us believe so. But if they truly have no flaws and are almighty, why would the main god bother creating heroes? Wouldn’t they have done something before the Demon Lord was born?”

“It seems you dislike the convenient phrase of trials given to humans.”

“I do. It’s just a fabricated romantic story. It’s not interesting at all. If anything, it concludes that an ill-natured god must be grinning. I enjoy watching plays, but I have no intention of becoming an actor.”

“For example, if a god were to give birth to a human, would it be appropriate to say such a thing?”

“If I’m wrong, perhaps the almighty god can correct me.”

He continued, not stopping there.

“Not that it matters if I can’t be corrected. If I can’t, it proves that the god isn’t almighty. It would satisfy my thirst for knowledge.”

He uttered words that would likely infuriate the Elfen followers.

The Third Prince didn’t mind much, and the young swordsman chuckled and listened to the conversation.

“Ren, do you understand this man now?”

“Haha… I’d rather refrain from answering that…”

“Please refrain from giving that kind of answer. It’s something troublesome nobles often say in meetings.”

Radius sighed, his face showing exhaustion.

He didn’t seem tired from the recent events since coming here.

Lately, Ren had noticed that Radius appeared tired from time to time.

“Speaking of which, Radius, you’ve been quite busy lately.”

“…Is there something wrong with that?”

“No, nothing. If I had to say, I sense that significant changes are about to occur in history…”

Radius didn’t respond to the ambiguous statement.

Next, when he was about to say something…

“Ragna, you seem to be spending a lot of time in Eupheim lately.”

“Yeah, because something interesting was discovered.”

“It seems like something very interesting was found for you.”

“Indeed. If you’re curious, would you like to take a look?”

If Radius had said “definitely,” Ragna would walk around the room.

When he touched the large shelf in the room, glowing patterns appeared on the doors of the shelf. He seemed to be chanting some sort of spell.

As the doors swung open to the left and right, a glass-covered showcase was pushed forward.

Inside the showcase, there was a circlet.

“Come over here.”

Ragna called out, and Ren and Radius stood in front of the showcase.

“Before explaining what was recently excavated, take a look at this. This is a circlet found several decades ago in the old town.”

It was said to be made of mithril.

With corrosion resistance surpassing even gold, it was a special metal that skilled craftsmen could process into an alloy more valuable than any other.

Most of the mithril existing in this world was mined from the Demon Continent, where the Demon king’s castle stood.

However, this circlet was different.

The entire circlet had been consumed by black corrosion.

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