Struck by Eriri's stunning beauty, Minerva immediately straightened her posture nervously when she heard Eriri's greeting.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you. Do you need my help with something?"
"Haha, no need to be so tense. Oh, right—allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Eriri Spencer Sawamura, and I'm the one who brought you here!"
Eriri smiled gently as she spoke. Her calm demeanor quickly eased Minerva's nerves, helping her relax.
"I see. So, why did you bring me here? I'm actually quite busy right now—I need to head to the next battlefield! There are still so many people who need me to save them!"
Minerva clenched her right fist with determination, her beautiful face radiating resolve.
"Don't be in such a hurry," Eriri said softly. "You might not know this yet, but the Authority of Healing you possess has a very fatal flaw."
"A flaw?" Minerva looked at her in confusion.
It hadn't been long since she had fused with the Witch Factor. All she knew was that her fists could heal anyone, stop their tears, and silence their cries of pain.
For that reason, she had constantly rushed from one battlefield to another, never once pausing to rest.
"You must have already noticed something," Eriri continued. "Despite all your healing, the number of wars in this world hasn't decreased. In fact, they've only grown worse."
Minerva's expression instantly changed.
She had indeed noticed that strange phenomenon, but she had never once connected it to herself.
Her sharp mind quickly pieced together Eriri's implication, and her eyes widened as she asked urgently,
"Wait... does that have something to do with the 'flaw' you mentioned?"
"That's right," Eriri said with a calm nod. "Although your Authority is called 'Healing,' its principle relies on distorting the world's causality to mend injuries. Doing so disrupts the balance of mana across the world, making natural disasters and magical anomalies far more likely to occur."
"And when disasters strike, war inevitably follows. That's why conflicts have only increased since your arrival."
"In other words, every time you heal someone, the world moves one step closer to destruction."
Eriri didn't sugarcoat her words. She spoke the truth directly, even though it shattered Minerva's heart.
"Why... why would it be like this?"
Minerva stumbled backward in disbelief. The fierce determination on her face crumbled, replaced by deep despair.
"I only wanted to stop the wars... I just didn't want to see people crying anymore..."
"In the end... I can't save anyone at all..."
Her voice broke, and tears streamed down her cheeks before she collapsed into sobs.
Witnessing this, Echidna and Satella—who had both remained silent behind Eriri—couldn't help but feel sympathy. Satella's eyes even shimmered faintly with moisture.
Eriri said nothing more. She stepped forward, gently placed her right hand on Minerva's head, and softly stroked her hair.
Minerva didn't resist the comforting gesture. Instead, she threw her arms around Eriri and buried her face in her shoulder, crying even harder, as if the warmth might ease her pain.
Eriri didn't push her away. Like a mother comforting a child, she patted Minerva's back tenderly.
Several minutes passed before Minerva's sobs gradually subsided.
"I'm sorry... you must think I'm pathetic," she murmured, pulling away and wiping the tears from her face. She bowed apologetically to Eriri.
Eriri waved her hand casually, smiling faintly.
"It's fine. Now that you've let out all those emotions, it's time we talk about the real reason I brought you here."
"The real reason?"
"Yes," Eriri said, taking a step back. "I'll let Echidna explain that part to you."
With a playful smile, she moved behind Echidna and gently pushed her forward toward Minerva—just as she had done earlier with Satella.
And, just like before, Echidna spoke directly and without hesitation about her true purpose.
"Hello, Minerva. I am Echidna, the Witch of Greed. The reason we came to find you is to invite you to join us—to help us save this chaotic world."
It was as though those words had triggered something deep within her. The moment Minerva heard "save the world," her previously dim eyes suddenly lit up with renewed life.
"No problem! I'll join you!"
Without a trace of hesitation, Minerva immediately accepted Echidna's invitation. She didn't even bother asking how exactly they planned to save the world.
Her decisiveness didn't surprise Echidna at all—it was precisely what she had expected.
"Excellent. Welcome aboard. With Satella and you joining, that makes three witches united. Once we've gathered the remaining four—Gluttony, Pride, Sloth, and Lust—we can finally begin preparations to found our Witch Nation!"
Thinking of what was to come, Echidna's expression grew more animated.
Hearing this, Minerva blinked in surprise. "Eh? We're founding a nation?"
"That's right," Echidna nodded. "We'll use that nation as the foundation to unify the entire world. Once that's done, wars between countries will cease to exist."
"That's a nice idea, but... can we really unify the world? And even if we do, will war truly disappear?"
Still shaken by what she had learned earlier, Minerva's confidence had faltered. Now, she didn't even dare use her healing Authority again.
"Don't worry," Echidna said reassuringly. "If we unite the power of the Seven Witches and rally those who yearn for peace, the world will undoubtedly become what we dream of—a world free of war."
Her voice carried absolute confidence. With the power she currently possessed, Echidna was fully capable of conquering the world. The only challenge left was how to manage the new order that would follow.
Moved by Echidna's unwavering conviction, Minerva's confidence slowly returned, and her fighting spirit reignited.
"Yes! We can do it! Even if I can't use my healing Authority anymore, my fists can still overcome any enemy that stands in our way!"
However, as she mentioned her Authority, a flicker of sadness crossed her face.
But before that sorrow could deepen, Eriri's voice suddenly rang out.
"Who said you can't use your healing Authority anymore?"
"Huh? But you said using it would cause disasters, didn't you?" Minerva looked puzzled, unable to understand Eriri's seemingly contradictory statement.
Eriri grinned. "That's true—but no one ever said the flaw couldn't be removed, right~?"
"Wha... What? Is that even possible?" Minerva's eyes widened in disbelief.
After all, an Authority was directly linked to the world's flow of mana. Removing a flaw from it would be equivalent to rewriting the very laws of reality. She couldn't imagine anyone being capable of such a thing.
Before Eriri could respond, Beatrice stepped forward, wrapping her arms proudly around Eriri's arm as she declared,
"Of course it's possible! Betty's Mother is omnipotent!"
"Excuse me, where is your mother?" Minerva asked, blinking in confusion.
"Hmph, are you dumb? Betty's Mother is right here beside Betty!" Beatrice puffed up her cheeks adorably as she spoke, hugging Eriri's arm even tighter.
Her reaction made Minerva realize who the "mother" Beatrice was referring to actually was.
When the realization hit, Minerva's expression turned to one of sheer astonishment—so much so that she momentarily forgot to continue the conversation about fixing her Authority.
"Eriri... you... you already have a child this big?" she stammered, her tone filled with disbelief.
Because of Eriri's interference, no one could discern Beatrice or Puck's race through their aura—not even witches. Thus, Minerva had simply assumed Beatrice was Eriri's biological daughter, though she found it difficult to believe.
"That's right~ Beatrice and Puck are children Echidna and I created together."
Eriri smiled softly and used her free hand to wrap her arm around Puck's shoulders. Beside her, Echidna stepped forward with a grin after hearing Eriri's words.
"How about it? Aren't our children adorable?"
"I see!"
Minerva exhaled in relief as realization dawned upon her. So it had been a misunderstanding after all. Still, Echidna's smugly proud tone left her feeling a little exasperated.
Puck, nestled comfortably in Eriri's embrace, waved cheerfully at Minerva.
"Hello, big sister! I'm Puck, and like Betty, I'm also one of Mother's daughters~"
"Hello, hello—you're both so adorable!"
Minerva smiled warmly and crouched down in front of them, reaching out her hands to pat both Beatrice and Puck on their heads.
Puck didn't resist and instead accepted the affectionate gesture with a proud smile. Beatrice, on the other hand, reacted like a startled kitten, swatting Minerva's hand away without hesitation.
"How rude! Only Mother, Mama, and Sister are allowed to touch Betty's head!"
"Oh, come on, just one pat won't hurt~"
Unfazed, Minerva reached out again, only for Beatrice to slap her hand away once more.
Just then, Satella—who had been quietly observing the playful scene—spoke up, interrupting their banter.
"Um... shouldn't we focus on fixing the Authority flaw first?"
"Oh, right! I almost forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me."
Minerva blinked and withdrew her hand from Beatrice's head, then smiled gratefully at Satella. Straightening up, she turned toward Eriri.
"Eriri, can you really fix the flaw in my Healing Authority?" she asked earnestly.
"Of course. It's an easy task," Eriri replied casually, then lifted her hand and snapped her fingers.
"There, it's done. From now on, you can use your Authority as freely as you like. The Witch Factor within you will no longer have any negative effects."
"That's it? Just like that? Are you serious?"
Minerva examined herself in disbelief. She couldn't feel any change in her body at all. Eriri's effortless gesture seemed far too simple for something so monumental.
"Of course. I just changed a few of the world's rules, that's all. Nothing complicated."
To Eriri, altering the laws of an entire world was as easy as breathing. The finger snap was simply for dramatic effect.
"By the way," Eriri added nonchalantly, "I also fixed Satella's problem while I was at it."
Satella, who had been silently watching, widened her eyes in surprise. "Eh? My Authority has a problem too?"
"Of course," Eriri said calmly. "In fact, your issue was even more severe than Minerva's."
Satella froze in confusion. She hadn't even realized anything was wrong with her power—perhaps because she had never actually used her Authority in battle yet.
As she puzzled over it, Eriri continued, her tone turning serious.
"All witches possess flaws within their Witch Factors. These issues come from the instability of the factors themselves. If a Witch Factor goes berserk, it will inevitably bring calamity upon the world."
"I see... then, what exactly was my problem?" Satella asked curiously.
"If the Witch Factor inside you were to lose control," Eriri explained, "it would split off a second personality—one completely consumed by madness and jealousy. That personality would seek to destroy everything it sees."
"...What?"
Satella's face paled. The thought of becoming such a monster terrified her.
Seeing her distress, Eriri placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry. I've already fixed it. The Witch Factor within you is now perfectly fused with your soul. It will never go berserk, no matter what happens. You can use your Authority freely from now on."
Satella nodded firmly, her eyes filled with gratitude.
"Thank you, Eriri. Truly."
She clasped Eriri's hands tightly, her heart filled with relief—and a lingering chill at the thought of what might have happened without her intervention.
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