Chapter 73: The Token That Strips the Mind
Serie—just this once.
Could your intuition be wrong, even once?
When the skeletal dagger began to tremble, that thought rose unbidden in Elias's mind.
Along with it came a vivid memory from several months ago—the battle against the Crystal Turtle.
A mana crystal, glowing with an eerie light, had been swallowed by the creature, its power siphoned away.
In an instant, the gentle Crystal Turtle had been transformed into a savage, frenzied beast.
And what was even more unsettling—
The skeletal dagger, a war trophy Flamme had seized from a demon general, had resonated with that mana crystal.
A clear sign that both sources of power likely originated from the same individual within the Demon King's army.
At this very moment, Elias was staring into Lady Leiya's light-brown eyes.
Within them shimmered a faint white glow—pure, innocent, carrying a gentle smile.
The triangular gemstone set into the medal in her hands gleamed with the same pristine blue light.
…Hmph.
A gemstone shaped by human hands, its true color concealed beneath layers of magic?
Yet the aura—clearly demonic—and the resonance from the skeletal dagger…
Both were telling Elias the same thing.
That was not a medal of honor.
It was—
A token that strips the mind.
At that instant, Flamme—keen as ever—also sensed something amiss beneath the lights.
"—Elias, are you listening?"
Feeling her mental transmission, Elias did not react outwardly. He answered silently instead.
"So you noticed it too, Flamme."
"—The medal?!"
"More precisely, the triangular sapphire—the symbol of the three united continents."
"They hid its glow with magic, but whoever is behind this never anticipated that I carry a demonic dagger capable of mana resonance."
"—Damn it!"
Fury ignited in Flamme's eyes.
"To act at such a critical moment—this had to be deliberate! Is that cunning bastard hiding somewhere in this very banquet?!"
Her pupils dilated as she unleashed her full mana perception, sweeping the surroundings at once.
"Don't bother looking, Flamme. When I was searching for Arisols, I checked at the same time."
"Unfortunately, aside from me, there is no demonic presence anywhere in this estate."
"—Damn it!"
Her curse fell like a blade.
The trap had been set.
And whoever laid it had done so flawlessly.
Flamme ground her teeth in frustration.
"There is no demon in this world that could evade both our mana perception. What method could that bastard possibly be using…?"
This time, Elias did not answer.
Fragments of memory flashed through his mind—
The rampaging Crystal Turtle…
The mana crystal…
The skeletal dagger…
Captain Quinn's hollow, vacant eyes…
Carlile, who ensnared men with charm.
Annabelle, who bewitched women.
And then—
That moment as they left the dress shop, when Elias had suspected the two sisters had seen through him…
When he'd secretly listened in with Far-Hearing—
"Still, we must remain cautious. It could be a form of mental magic more profound than ours."
"After all, our mentor Isabelle died to the Guide to Paradise (Ansehelschella) of one of the Seven Sages of Destruction—Miraclous Grausam."
---
The scattered images aligned.
The distorted shards assembled into a single, terrifying picture.
Within that clarity, Lady Leiya stood before him, dressed in white, smiling softly.
"Elias?"
"What are you hesitating for?"
---
The entire banquet hall had fallen silent.
Lights.
Stares.
Flamme's barely contained anxiety.
Everything converged on him alone.
Elias let out a cold chuckle.
"I was just wondering…"
"What kind of person Lady Leiya used to be."
The moment the words left his mouth, he noticed it—
Her gaze wavered. Just slightly.
Had he struck the truth?
At once, Flamme's mental voice cut in, sharp with alarm.
"—Elias?!"
"You don't mean to say you suspect… General Theodor's daughter…?"
"It's mental magic, Flamme," Elias replied calmly.
"And not the kind Carlile or Annabelle can wield."
He paused.
"More precisely…"
"It's Grausam's Paradise Magic."
---
Flamme went completely still.
The deaths of her comrades surged back in an instant.
Grausam—
One of the Demon King's Seven Destruction Sages.
A monster whose mental magic was so profound it could deceive even demons.
He altered appearances.
Twisted bodies.
Left no one knowing his true face.
Time and again, he vanished from human sight like a specter of the void.
His signature spell—
GUIDE TO PARADISE—
Granted enemies the dreams they had once believed impossible…
Then imprisoned them forever within that flawless illusion.
Those whose souls were "guided to paradise" became empty shells—
Mindless vessels, moving only according to the spell's design.
Worse still—
Their bodies could be forcibly occupied, becoming Grausam's incarnations.
At that moment, Elias and Flamme reached the same conclusion—
The Lady Leiya before them was not as pure as her smile suggested.
And the triangular sapphire she held—
Was nothing less than a key to paradise.
"—Elias!"
"You must not accept the medal!"
Flamme's mental voice trembled.
"Whether you lose control or go berserk like the Crystal Turtle, it would be catastrophic for everyone here!"
Elias chuckled softly.
"Then what should I do?"
"Refuse the medal in front of all the guests—and Theodor himself?"
"Or perhaps…"
His tone turned dangerously light.
"I could simply eliminate Lady Leiya and be done with it~"
"—Absolutely not!"
Flamme snapped back.
"She's Theodor's only daughter! Killing her would shake the entire Allied Army!"
"And besides—she's a victim being used by demons!"
"You cannot slaughter the innocent!"
"Elias… even if it's humiliating, find an excuse and refuse the honor!"
Elias suddenly laughed.
"Flamme, do I look like the type to retreat at the critical moment?"
Then, casually—
"If I lose control, kill me."
"Swift. Precise. No hesitation."
"Oh—and Friren… and the village house…"
"I'll leave them to you."
"—Elias?!"
"What are you doing?!"
The mental link snapped.
Flamme's eyes widened in horror as she watched—
Elias's right hand slowly reach toward the sapphire-set medal.
…Damn it!
If a demon of the Mythic Age were taken over by Grausam—
Even with her and Theodor together…
Could they save anyone?
Flamme began gathering mana in secret, her mind racing.
Teacher…
If Lady Serie were here—
"Lady Leiya will now bestow the medal…"
Flamme's heart lurched.
The medal was already pinned to his chest.
At the same instant, the magic she had been suppressing reached its breaking point.
Elias…
Don't force my hand.
Even if it's you, I must—
"I, Elias, accept this honor with deepest gratitude."
He bowed.
Then—
He turned his head and winked at Flamme.
(¬‿¬)✧ … (≖_≖'')
Her expression collapsed.
Her heart nearly stopped.
That bastard—
He was fine?!
Damn you, Elias—
Were you toying with me the whole time?!
---
At the same moment…
Within the void, a shadow gazed at the now-empty golden cage and tilted its head.
"So… it didn't appear."
"Did he block it with some kind of magic?"
The hollow eyes of the shell shifted toward the emotionless man in the hall.
"Elias, was it?"
"That name, however…"
The shadow smiled faintly.
---