Chapter 57: Leo talks to the guardian of the beads (2)

The cool, handsome man shocked her by fully engaging in lewd banter.

“Wh-what…? Corrosion? You mean it’s rotten? Your… well, your… um, your jewels…?”

“Ah. So that’s it? You couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact symptoms, then.”

Leo was stunned that her absurd question was affirmed so easily. Safita was glaring at him, as if to scrutinize him, but Leo had bigger problems to consider.

(What… What should I do…? I didn’t mean for this to happen, but somehow, this man is suffering from these kinds of symptoms…)

Lena once warned Leo that lifting the ban on curses could easily lead to misunderstandings, and she was right. The use of Elrandric language, which did not filter out offensive terms, had created a major misunderstanding.

Leo was terrified. He had unintentionally triggered something he never should have.

“Even if you didn’t realize it was corrosion, you at least saw that the jewel was weakening, that it was failing. If the organizers can’t maintain these things properly, the ritual can’t be completed—so you think the spirit of light didn’t appear because it was a golden spirit?”

“Um, no, I… er…”

Leo was flustered, overwhelmed by Safitha’s rapid-fire questions. He tried desperately to form a rebuttal.

(I never said I could see the state of your jewels. Even if your jewels were weakening, I didn’t plan to insult you or imply anything offensive. And when I said it looked like a golden spirit, it wasn’t an insult. I just happened to activate my treasure-hunting mode, so the spirit of light seemed to appear as a golden spirit.)

Leo tried to gather his thoughts. Then, as if against his will, his mouth spoke what he was thinking.

“I…! Just because your jewels may have rotten, it doesn’t mean you’re, you know, impotent or anything like that! There’s no need to be so hard on yourself!”

Safitha dismissed Leo’s attempt at reassurance with a mocking laugh.

“Do you understand the gravity of the situation? If we lose the treasure, it could threaten the survival of Elrand!”

“Th-that’s… possible, I suppose…”

If the prince lost his jewels, then there would be major issues for the succession of Elrand. Leo was rendered speechless, so Safita let out a blood-curdling scream.

“I, under the name of my protector Manashirius, was to protect the treasure at all costs, but now…”

Then Leo suddenly recalled Safita’s full name.

Safita Manasirius al-Elrand

“Safita, No-Jewels…”

The name seemed to carry a sense of destiny. Leo’s face must have revealed his thoughts because Safita quickly cut him off, his eyes burning with anger.

“You dare… Are you trying to comfort me? Do you think you could understand my suffering? We need the jewels…! We need them!”

“Y-yes! I understand! We do need them! You’re right!”

Leo tried to appear sympathetic, as if that might help him avoid Safita’s wrath.

In truth, Leo was growing increasingly empathetic toward Safita. The fear of losing his jewels and the fear of failure were things only those who had experienced them could understand. Leo was fortunate enough to have been saved, but Safita had not been so lucky.

Safita’s twisted smile and sudden advance took Leo by surprise.

“You seem very eager to comfort me. But do you understand? This is all your country’s fault!”

“Huh?”

Leo was taken aback. How could Safita’s weakened jewels possibly be linked to his own country? Leo furrowed his brow, confused.

“Are you surprised? The treasure was corrupted during the last war when your nation’s King of Gold and Steel, who was still a prince at the time, recklessly wielded magic in this sanctuary.”

“What!?”

“The spirit’s power and the dragon’s blood magic are incompatible. Surely you’ve heard that?”

Leo remembered what Natalia had taught him about his journey to Elrand. She explained that magic could be toxic to strong spirit power. It could even drain one’s consciousness with just a drop of blood. During the contract ritual, the spirit would repel “such detestable power” to protect its authority.

Leo had always wondered why Natalia seemed embarrassed when explaining this, but now it made sense. She had been thinking about the tragedy that had befallen a certain prince, and it had made her blush.

Unaware of the truth, Leo assumed Safitha’s jewels had been damaged by magic, and he fully believed the story.

Still, he couldn’t imagine how anyone could apply magic so directly to such a sensitive area.

“How did that even happen?”

“Are you doubting that a wise king would have used magic in a sanctuary? But he did! The king of gold and steel wielded his golden sword, filled with dark magic, and raised it high—”

“Wait! Please, spare me the gory details!”

Leo wanted to comfort Safita, but he couldn’t handle such vivid descriptions. He preferred not to think about it.

“Hmph. Are you frightened by the truth?”

Leo, shivering, covered his ears. Safitha sneered.

“Do you still think you can comfort me? I suppose you think I should thank you?”

Leo was shocked. How could Safita even suggest such a thing?

Safita spoke in a whisper, almost taunting.

“Comfort from a woman like you? Ha! If you were older, I’d have taught you a harsh lesson!”

“How could you!?”

Leo was horrified. He knew the crude language from his adult literature, but Safita’s comments were shocking.

(Is he mocking himself? Does he expect me to respond with a joke? This is worse than resentment; it’s self-deprecation!)

Leo wanted to object, but he didn’t know how to console someone in such a situation.

Safita, seeing Leo’s shocked expression, went silent. Leo was baffled by the lack of response.

Safita’s penetrating gaze froze him in place. She seemed like a crystal, pure and untainted.

Leo, realizing the weight of his words, regretted his own outburst.

“Um…”

Leo, unsure of what to say, struggled for words.

“If you’re feeling self-destructive, please don’t think like that…”

“What?”

Safita’s low response showed he didn’t understand.

“You may blame Weitz, but you’re holding yourself more accountable. That self-blame and destructive thoughts concern me.”

“Self-blame?”

“You’re focusing on your weakened jewels and feeling inadequate. That self-deprecation is troubling.”

Leo felt compelled to help Safita. He was a mirror of what Leo might have become without Bruno’s intervention.

Leo’s heart ached for Safita’s burdened name and circumstances.

Leo took a deep breath and spoke earnestly to Safita.

“Even if you’ve lost your jewels, don’t lose hope. Don’t blame yourself. Instead, try to look around you.”

“Around me?”

“Yes.”

As Leo spoke, he remembered something.

“That turn of events seemed familiar somehow.”

It reminded me of a recent conversation I had with Gustav. In that situation, I had unwittingly triggered his hidden trauma, revealing shocking truths he had kept concealed. It’s odd how these kinds of encounters keep happening, perhaps it suggests that many people in the world are struggling with their own issues.

(Gustav, who seems so carnivorous, is a potential sage; Kai, who appears charming, secretly wishes to become a woman; Oscar, with his handsome face, is at risk of going bald; and the refreshing prince is actually a dangerous and cunning individual. Thinking about it, they all have their own concerns and hidden truths…)

Leo realized that even the most successful and handsome people often held such secrets, and this glimpse of reality was an eye-opening moment for him.

“You may think you’re the only one with secrets, but that’s not true. Everyone carries secrets they can’t share with anyone. Those who appear the most dazzling often have hidden depths of complexity.”

“What are you saying?”

“It might be hard to believe, but this is the truth of the world. Please, take a moment to calm down and observe your surroundings more carefully. It could bring you peace.”

Some people might have it worse than Safita. While Leo did not advocate for wallowing in self-pity, recognizing that he wasn’t alone could provide Safita with a sense of relief.

“What exactly are you talking about… this ‘hidden side’…”

Safita furrowed his brow in confusion, possibly unsettled by the aura of truth that Leo exuded.

Leo, disappointed that he couldn’t go into more detail due to privacy concerns, took Safita’s hand gently to offer him some encouragement.

“I cannot tell you about the ‘hidden side’, I discovered. But I believe you have the ability to uncover the truths of this world on your own.”

“You…”

Something seemed to dawn on Safita, and he began to ponder deeply. The tension of being cornered against the wall seemed to ease slightly, allowing Leo to slip away and move toward the door.

This escape from an intense standoff was becoming one of Leo’s specialties.

While he could have continued the counseling session, Leo sensed that Safita needed time to process his thoughts.

Additionally, the lingering scent of repentance might lead to a careless comment that could inadvertently hurt Safita.

So, Leo decided to leave the area promptly.

“You need time to think by yourself. I will take my leave now. Call me if you ever need to talk.”

With those words, Leo, using his smaller stature to his advantage, gracefully exited the room.

Safita was left standing there, looking bewildered.

“What does all this mean?”

He raised his right hand to his forehead, as if he were holding on to the vision of the young girl who had looked straight at him with piercing eyes.

The girl had been deeply focused as she listened to him talk.

When they discussed the corrosion of the jewel, her elegantly shaped eyebrows had furrowed in concern, her eyes filled with deep sympathy.

She had played at Safita’s story, showing genuine concern for him, and he couldn’t help but wonder if the girl’s actions had come from her true heart and not from any ulterior motives.

It seemed she wasn’t the calculating kind who flatters the poor to gain favor with spirits, but rather a soul full of genuine compassion.

Perhaps he had misjudged the girl’s character.

This realization sent ripples of uncertainty through Safita’s mind, but what struck him even more deeply was a revelation.

(Those violet eyes of Hakenberg… able to see the truth…)

Despite having covered it with fabric, the girl had seen through the loss of the precious jewel and had foreseen the despair it would bring.

She had also understood the guilt and helplessness Safita was harboring.

The girl undeniably possessed eyes that saw through to the truth.

(What did she just say…)

She told him to look around, rather than solely blaming himself.

She suggested that those who seemed brilliant often had hidden depths.

(What does that mean…)

The girl’s words were quite ambiguous.

But she had been consistent in saying something else too.

—”The spirit looks like a spirit of gold to me,” she had said.

The light spirit that appeared during the ceremony.

Alir Ad had managed to summon the light spirit despite the corrosion of the jewel.

Not to criticize the ceremony, but what if she truly saw the spirit as gold?

“Could it be…”

A terrifying hypothesis began to form in Safita’s mind, and he unconsciously shook his head in denial.

No way.

That can’t be.

How absurd, he thought, forcing a laugh, but it turned out to be a strained and awkward smile.

“…That’s ridiculous.”

He repeated the words out loud.

To believe the words of a girl from a foreign land known for its disrespect toward spirits and to doubt his loyal followers would be unacceptable.

(But…)

His wandering gaze landed on something.

It was a small incense burner, gently wafting smoke.

The incense of repentance.

It was the pinnacle of Elrand’s craftsmanship, taking away all lies and deceptions from a person’s speech.

He had definitely made the girl inhale this incense.

The girl’s words were undeniably honest, without any deceit.

In the girl’s violet eyes, there had only been profound compassion and a light of truth.

A cold sensation ran across his heart.

For a moment, doubts he had avoided thinking about rose to the surface.

Why had Alir Ad been so confident that the light spirit would appear despite the corrupted vessel?

Why hadn’t the light spirit punished the enemy, even though the vessel was tainted?

Why had the light spirit given extraordinary blessings to a priestess of the enemy?

These questions were all troubling and seemed unnatural.

Above all, Safita wondered,

(Why hadn’t I thought about these questions until now…?)

He dropped his hand, loosely forming a fist.

Just then,

“…Excuse me.”

Someone knocked on the prayer room’s door.

Turning around without speaking, he saw two individuals standing there, their faces tense with anxiety.

They were two servants he had purchased for a few silver coins from the slums.

“…How dare you. This is a sacred prayer room for those connected to Manasirius.”

He warned them in a low voice, trying to intimidate them.

But the older of the two, who identified himself as Khaje stepped into the room, keeping her lips pressed together.

“…Please, show us mercy. Since we once intended to dedicate ourselves to Manasirius, can’t you consider us as part of those who are connected?”

“Absurd.”

“High Priest, please hear our confessions.”

When he brushed them off, a younger girl named Surya stepped forward, her face earnest, and held something out to him.

“Confessions?”

“Yes. We foolishly tried to harm a girl who resembled the spirit of light, all for a small advance payment and a meager silver coin reward.”

The sack they offered contained enough copper coins to cover their monthly wages.

Khaje placed her hand on Surya’s hand and pushed the sack toward Safita.

“Was it you who sent us after that girl? If so, we’ll return the money directly to you.”

“…”

“In exchange, please hear us out. Let us confess our sins. How deeply wrong we were, how pure the girl is, and how much she has already endured.”

“Endured?”

(What kind of fierce past did this compassionate and intelligent girl overcome?)

As Safita looked up, Khaje and Surya nodded solemnly.

Then they knelt down and recited the confession ritual, promising to keep their truths between the spirits and the high priest.

They began to recount the girl’s past, describing her purity and wisdom, and the great hardships she had overcome.