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"What are you smiling at?"
Alfia forced herself to calm down and turned to look at Meteria.
"Nothing… It's just, Ronen really is charming."
Meteria chuckled softly.
"Charming?"
Alfia didn't understand Meteria's meaning.
"When I first found Ronen, he was like a child in distress… and somehow, he's been pulling at my heart ever since."
Meteria smiled faintly. "And now, it seems you're the same, Sister."
My heart, drawn to him?
What a joke.
From birth until now, the only person I ever truly loved is you, Meteria…
Alfia thought this, but didn't say it aloud.
"Don't lie to yourself," Meteria said with a knowing smile that only made Alfia more irritable.
"Leaving that aside… that man indeed possesses a talent that is rare in this world."
It was almost as if Alfia was trying to change the subject.
"And unlike the way people fear my abilities, his talent leans closer to… greatness."
If a hero is one who accomplishes feats so great that even gods marvel, who rescues and inspires—
Then Ronen is a pioneer in the field of magic.
His future holds even more promise than the first hero, the famed heroine of legend.
Even heroes have their limits.
But the weak-looking boy before her had eyes that even she—a hero of this era —couldn't comprehend.
This was the first time the woman known as the "Monster of Talent," feared by all, had ever felt inferior to someone.
If speaking purely of talent, Alfia undoubtedly stood above Ronen.
But in the realm of thought and vision, the gap between them was vast.
"Yes," Riveria chimed in, "his magic could very well rewrite the world's entire magical system—and this is an achievement he reached in under a month."
In that time, Riveria had also come to learn many of Ronen's secrets, which only deepened her awe.
It didn't matter if he had an entire magical research team behind him, or if he had been studying magic since childhood—those would be reasonable explanations.
But the truth was, a month ago he had performed a ritual on himself and then singlehandedly created a complete, functioning magical framework.
In the future, the entire lower world would benefit from it.
"As your husband, he is more than worthy," Alfia admitted.
Though, to Meteria, those words sounded more like an attempt to cover up some unspoken thought.
A thought that even Alfia herself refused to acknowledge, deceiving herself again and again.
Meteria didn't resent her for it. If anything, she wanted to help her sister.
But she was only the younger sister—there were some things she couldn't do for her strong-willed elder sibling.
Even so, in her heart, she couldn't help but look forward to what might come.
"There's no such thing as 'worthy' or 'unworthy.'"
Meteria shook her head. "Whether he's strong or weak, talented or not, handsome or plain—it doesn't matter. To me, all those things are just additional traits just like that magic of yours."
Was magic nullification an important ability?
Yes.
But compared to Alfia's own value, it was insignificant.
Gods' blessings could inspire powerful magic far beyond one's original worth, but that did not apply to Alfia.
Even if her magic slots were reset to zero and she had to awaken her abilities from scratch, Alfia would still possess immense magical power—even without the Indefinite Grimoire.
Meteria's feelings for Ronen were the same.
She fell for him first, and only later discovered his talent.
If she valued his ability more than his person, then her love would be nothing but vanity.
She saw this truth clearly and refused to let her original feelings be tainted by pride.
"He said he wanted to help me—remove my negative skill."
Meteria held Ronen's hand and said softly, "What truly moved me was not his ability—it's about his intent."
"He's the only one who truly understands me. Even if he ultimately fails, I still give my entire being to bear him the last token of my love."
Neither Hera nor the Familia could stop her.
Even if it meant shattering her body, she would still love him.
This was Meteria's resolve.
Hera cared for her enough to accept her determination, and Ronen's tireless efforts were his way of returning her love.
This was a bond that went both ways.
"I see," Alfia said quietly.
From the start, there had never been room for her to interfere in their romance.
If she really tried to play the "older sister" card, it would likely end in the collapse of their sisterly relationship.
Fortunately, she respected Meteria's will.
Even if she disliked it, she wouldn't do anything excessive.
She should have felt uncomfortable at this realization—like her little sister had been taken from her.
But for some reason, what she felt instead was… a strange melancholy.
Not anger—just a subtle, inexplicable heaviness in her chest.
Trying to steer the conversation away had only made her mood worse.
"…How wonderful."
Riveria, watching from the side, couldn't help but sigh.
Alfia said nothing. She herself was feeling emotions she hadn't expected—envy, of all things.
In the original timeline, her illness, her circumstances, and her experiences had kept such feelings at bay.
But now… the butterfly effect of the transmigrator had changed many things.
These emotions were faint for now, but they would inevitably grow.
This was why Meteria had said, Don't lie to yourself.
---
Two hours later, Ronen woke to find the three girls getting along well.
His body and mind had recovered, but he still felt an inexplicable fatigue.
Perhaps… this is what they call mental exhaustion.
"You're awake."
Meteria's face lit up with joy as she looked at him, though her voice carried a hint of concern.
"How's your mental state?"
"I'm fine. Just a bit tired."
Ronen rubbed his head. "Two days of rest should do it."
Alfia's expression turned slightly awkward.
This was the first time she owed such a great debt to someone—and that someone was her brother-in-law.
She knew all too well how precious magic like this—crafted specifically to suppress their negative skills—was.
And she understood the extent of Ronen's effort.
It was, quite frankly, a debt she could never truly repay.
"Riveria."
Ronen looked to her, stood up, and took a book from the cabinet beside him.
"This is your payment for helping me."
"What is it?"
Riveria took the book, flipping through it as she asked.
"The training system I've developed for innate-type magic."
Riveria froze.
She hesitated, then closed the book and looked back at him.
"This is far too valuable, isn't it?"
"Value is decided by people," Ronen said, shaking his head.
"I'm only one man. If I can have a companion in this journey of mystery, that's the best outcome I could hope for. And Riveria—I trust your character and your skill. If possible, I'd like to be your friend in magic."
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