Volume 6 Chapter 25 Death By Disease：eirnelys
Filouz walks deeper into the palace.
The pillars and ceiling are covered in gems, and big gems, as large as Ciel's fists, hang down from the ceiling, shining like lamps and lighting up the area.
The palace, made from carved rock, has few windows. But the bright gems reflect the light, so it's not dark at all.
Ciel thinks it feels like walking through a cave that goes deep into the abyss, with lights shining all around.
Ciel has been to this town once before, but this is the first time entering deep into the palace.
"What do you think of the gems in this town?"
"The gems of the Gem's People are crystals of magic. I think this town is covered in strong magic."
"Yeah. Humans see us as just decorative stones. Some who know a bit about magic treat us as Magic Stones."
"Most of the Magic Stones people use are crystals formed from the magic that drips from melted monsters. Ice, water, and fire. They pour different kinds of magic into them to help with their daily lives."
The Magic Stones used in Lydia's restaurant are mined from the mines.
As Filouz said, the Magic Stones made from pieces of the Gem's People are not usually available to the public.
But──some parts of the country do use them.
The barrier stones that protect different areas are made from that.
Barrier stones are high-purity Magic Stones made by collecting and melting pieces of the Gem's People and then re-crystallizing them. They are bigger than Ciel's body.
To make such large Magic Stones, many Gem's People must have sacrificed themselves in the past.
"...No, not all humans see you Gem's People as Magic Stones or minerals."
Ciel was surprised by his own words.
Ciel also thought of himself as a mix of minerals and humans. He felt like a half-hearted 'monster,' unable to be either.
He grew up hearing that and had faced many looks of rejection and fear.
He couldn't become human and was in a lower position.
People looked down on Ciel, who was a mix of Gem's People, but at the same time, they feared him.
There was an unbridgeable gap between Ciel and the world. The worlds of Ciel, humans, and Gem's People seemed close but never truly overlapped.
Ciel thought he would be alone until he could decay one day.
He thought that was fine. There was no loneliness, sadness, or suffering in that.
"You talk pretty. Have you been tied to the human world? You are just a monster. Just like humans look down on us and fear us, they look down on you and fear you. If you have a place in this country, it's because you are useful to humans."
"Yes. That's true. I protect humans. That's why I was able to find a place in Saintwise. But it's not because I'm special. Humans protect humans. I believe that's what kindness and love are."
──Ah, I see.
Something shapeless that had been deep in Ciel's heart now clearly rises to the surface, almost touchable.
Ciel remembers that day when he was on the brink of death with the mages of Saintwise.
Since he relied on Lydia's power, he has been watching Lydia.
By Lydia's side, who called him a friend.
Just as Lydia said Ciel was her first friend, Lydia was also Ciel's first friend.
While trying to avoid getting involved with anyone, spending days just working and sleeping.
For the first time, Ciel used his free time to take action.
He bought a house, moved his lab, and went to Lobelia to eat. Eating was something he did just because it was necessary to live.
Before meeting Lydia, he had never wanted to eat or felt anything was delicious.
Since meeting Lydia, his days have been vibrant, as if the world had gained color.
Gem's People have been looked down on and made to suffer. That's a fact. But there are also people who accept outsiders like him instead of judging him. That's a fact too.
Deep down, he can't really know what others think of him.
He can't see into each other's hearts. Words are fleeting. But those words can lead to actions. Some people try hard to protect others, or they smile and accept him. People can love each other, love animals, love plants──and even love monsters.
Lydia was always getting involved in things, facing them head-on without running away.
She was scared and cried, but in the end, she faced every tough situation.
She helped Rail, saved people suffering from White Moon disease at the clinic, and reached out to Lucian, who was hiding his desire for revenge.
She saved Stefan and Francois, who had hurt her for a long time, helped her parents──and forgave them.
She accepted Eiris and Famine, keeping them close.
Rescue and forgiveness.
That should be called love.
That love is surely directed at Ciel too. As a friend.
She called his unusual self a friend. She came all the way to his house alone because she was worried.
She said he needed to eat and cooked for him.
She cried and got angry about how he wasn't living properly.
(Why──didn't I notice this until now?)
He gave up on getting warmth and love from people, letting it go, and sulked ever since.
He turned away from what he wanted because he thought he wasn't human.
He boasted about his own power because he thought he wasn't human.
Here, he feels strange being alone.
He got a letter from Wilshark. He went alone to the Holy Land.
He wanted to protect Lydia, so he tried to end everything by himself.
Even though he knew there were hands that would reach out to help him if he asked, he rejected them.
He didn't want to involve anyone. He didn't want to ruin Lydia's happy life.
He thought it was okay if he wasn't there.
Somewhere, he thought that.
"It is a tyrannical idea to conclude that all humans are cold-hearted."
"You're naive. You used to have a sharper view of things. You will surely hate everything. You will hate everything and come back to us. Yes, the prophet said that."
"Prophet..."
"Did you love someone in the human world? Like my son, Safiro? Were you tricked by a foolish woman? But the woman you loved isn't here. Were you not loved? Were you betrayed? The daughter of the one who said she loved Safiro never left his side."
"Men and women pair up. But that's not the only kind of love. Affection, respect, and charity are all part of love."
"That's just pretty talk. Why are you here? To protect the Margrave Wisteria family that oppressed you? To protect us, the twisted Bernard people? Speak honestly, Ciel. It's easy to read what's in your heart."
Filouz's red eyes sparkled mysteriously.
He can read minds. Is that really true? Filouz, who is revered as a king, has powerful magic among Gem's People.
People deceive and lie to each other, but many of Gem's People are pure.
They accept words without thinking deeply about them.
So, it's very easy to deceive and abduct young Gem's People. The history of their overhunting has something to do with this unique trait of Gem's People.
They are pure and hate conflict. They have strong magic and sturdy bodies, but they don't know how to fight.
That's why they needed a king like Filouz now.
A king who can see through human lies and protect Gem's People.
"I'm not... kind. I don't really care about either of those things. I came here to keep my loved ones out of conflict."
"You're just like Safiro. You would break yourself to protect the woman you care about."
"I don't plan to die."
"Ciel. We have suffered for a long time. Born in this land without owning any, we become wanderers, seen as outsiders wherever we go. Called monsters, hunted by people, pierced and killed."
Calmly, Filouz continued.
"Gem's People were really sad because someone important to them was killed, and many of them ended their own lives. A lot of Gem's People died and became gems. Edelstein is not a safe place. We've been attacked many times, and our numbers have shrunk. The gems buried in this land cry for the lives that were taken and for the bodies of the lost Gem's People."
"...King Zeere and His Highness Stefan are wise leaders. The history of our sorrow will never disappear. But if we only hate each other, nothing will change."
The Kirschtein people, including Lucian, probably didn't forgive all the Bernard people.
Still, the fighting stopped.
Lydia's kindness and love fell from the sky.
People put down their weapons and hugged their loved ones and those who mattered to them.
The blood spilled from hate will turn into even more blood.
It might sound nice, but Ciel wants to protect the kind and beautiful world reflected in Lydia's eyes.
That was the only truth for Ciel.
"It's too late. Wisteria will attack Edelstein. We have decided to fight. A prophet appeared to us and told us we should fight."
"Another prophet? What exactly is a prophet?"
They walked through the corridor and reached the deepest part of the palace.
The light from the Magic Stone flickered in a fancy little room that looked like a cage made of gems.
A girl with pure white hair was sitting in a luxurious chair. Somehow, she looked like Eiris, the girl.
Her long white hair flowed down from the chair to the floor like a waterfall.
Her slim arms and bare feet stretched out from a pure white dress.
Her beautiful big blue eyes reflected Ciel's face like a lake.
"That's me. I am the daughter of the Witch who controls death from illness. I'm Sylphina's third daughter, Eirnelys."
"...Eirnelys."
"Yes. You killed the Fairy dragon and my sister."
The girl──Eirnelys──stretched her fingers toward Ciel.
"You are strong. My mother entrusted me with hope. The Gem's People are my mother's children. I will protect the Gem's People. The time has come."
"Death from illness... the White Moon disease is caused by you."
"Yes. People have their children and families killed. They wish to die in sorrow. The lives of the Gem's People can be easily lost like that. So, I returned that to people. To those who wished to die, I gave them death. That's all. The illness gently eats away at the body, and eventually, lives gather to me."
Those who suffer from the White Moon disease hear a woman's voice saying, "Come here."
That voice must have been Eirnelys's.
Filouz bowed respectfully to Eirnelys.
Ciel focused magic into his fingertips and stepped forward.
"So the rumors about the Margrave territory were true. If it's found out that you were hiding here and harming people, Edelstein will be destroyed. If war breaks out, there will be people who suffer. I have to defeat you."
"You are the hope of the Gem's People. You are strong. If you are here, this country will not fall."
"...That's ridiculous."
"You will lend us your strength. You are also a child of my mother."
"──Ciel. You are on our side, right? We will be killed by Wisteria's army. Many of the Gem's People do not have the heart to fight. But we have the Magic Stones we've gathered over many years."
Filouz stood next to Eirnelys and spoke like a father protecting his daughter.
The Gem's People are Sylphina's children.
Ciel killed the Witch's daughter and the Fairy dragon.
Ciel thought for a moment about Eirnelys's words. An emerald-green creature peeked out from Ciel's robe and made a small, cautious sound like "Ziz.".
"If we unleash the power of the Magic Stone in this town, this country will turn to ashes. Many people will die. But we will not die. Even if we receive the magic of the Magic Stone, we will not die. Lady Eirnelys taught us that."
"The Gem's People and the monsters are all children of our mother. The children made of magic from our mother remain unharmed even when they receive the same magic. People will perish. Those who hurt our mother will be destroyed. I will protect the Gem's People. That is our mother's wish. The time has come. Many lives gather around me──I have regained my power."
Eirnelys, who had no expression, changed her lips into a smile.
With a gentle and loving smile, Eirnelys opened her arms wide.
Indeed, as the two said, if they unleash this much power from the Magic Stone, a huge wave of magic will flood the country.
It could be called a massive explosion. Like a volcano erupting──this country could be blown away completely.
That cannot happen──he must not let it happen.
"If you want to protect people, then lead the Gem's People and rule over them. You have that power. If you want to prevent this country from turning to ashes, then offer your power to us."
"──Crimson Inferno Dragon."
The discussion was pointless.
Many of the Gem's People seek peace. Filouz is probably confused by Eirnelys's words.
If that's the case──then he must defeat Eirnelys right here.
As Ciel's magic was formed, a slender dragon wrapped in deep red flames attacked the girl, while many white hands stretched out from beneath the girl's feet and wrapped around Ciel's body at the same time.
The white hands covered Ciel's body, enveloping her.
"The time has come. Before death from illness destroys people, they will come to kill me. I know that. So, I have been waiting. My power is meant to control you. I have become the last one left... I must fulfill my mission."
──Sleep now.
──You must be tired.
──So, sleep forever.
──It's okay──when you wake up next, the world will be a better place.
A girl's voice whispers in his ear.
As the night falls, his eyelids close.
──I always thought I could handle everything on my own.
On a snowy night, he remembers hugging Lydia, who was angry with a tearful face.
The Fairy dragon, who was with Ciel, ran towards Eirnelys, and that was the last scene Ciel saw.
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