* * *
Late evening. Libertas's training room where moonlight seeps through the magical window.
There were not only Libertas but also her disciple Sonia, her guard and mercenary Xue, and her invited teacher and boarder Mur.
"It seems like you're stuck for the first time, Lady."
Mur Felix opened her mouth.
Her voice was soft yet cool as always. Like her blue-silver hair reflecting the moonlight.
"You seem to find it amusing."
Libertas glanced at her.
Although Mur's noble manner of speech creates such an atmosphere, it's also an intonation that reveals her innate nature.
A character that's not entirely good.
"Did it look that way? I'm sorry."
"It's alright. I find this amusing too."
Despite Mur having such a personality, Libertas felt herself smiling unknowingly every time she saw this special disciple.
-It's fun!
"You rascal."
'What I find amusing is not the magic, but you.'
The most noble lady in the demon realm, smiling softly while stroking the mischievous crow.
Curiosity boiled every time she saw her.
Not only because it was the first time teaching a Dungeon Lord as a disciple, but also because her talent was truly amazing.
Whether it's the power as a Dungeon Lord or her individual talent, she couldn't tell yet, but she was certain.
This talent was solely possessed by Libertas's soul.
'And...'
Apart from such magical curiosity, Libertas was beautiful enough to instantly fascinate anyone who saw her.
To the point where one would be afraid to approach or touch her carelessly.
"May I give you a hint?"
"If you feel the need."
Hearing Libertas's answer, Mur nodded and raised one hand.
Her blue-silver magic power began to draw some three-dimensional shape in the air.
"The most important things in magic that has coordinates in the spirit realm, Celestia, are 'mental power' and 'emotion'."
"Curses, and ghosts, or spirits. All are deeply related."
"As expected, you're wise. Among these two, the realization of magic is based on emotion, and stability on mental power."
The three-dimensional shape drawn by magic power undulated like waves, but its protruding and recessed surfaces were sharp.
It was a shape Libertas knew.
'It's like a broken surface graph. But this is...'
She also quickly realized.
These were merely representations of the coordinates of all spirits or ghosts existing in Celestia.
"So you resonate with emotions to draw out souls and cast magic, and the caster's mind must not be shaken, to avoid being swept away by the souls."
"You know well. And..."
Mur spread a wave over the graph-like figure.
That wave shook all surfaces and disrupted their balance, starting to create some form.
"This is what the spirit realm looks like when magic is cast."
"It's a sight I've seen before."
Soon all points converged to one point, and a bumpy sphere that couldn't be described from any single direction was created.
"Lady. Your mental power is tremendously excellent. You probably won't collapse no matter what magic you cast."
"That sounds good. But it's not a compliment, is it?"
-It's not a bad thing either!
To Libertas's words, Mur expressed affirmation.
The firmness of mental power was certainly an excellent advantage when casting magic based on the spirit realm.
Magic that draws and uses the power of souls certainly gives appropriate feedback to the caster's soul.
That burden could drive souls mad, or in severe cases, even kill them.
"In that sense, this soft and strong mental power that Lady possesses will never collapse no matter what soul magic you cast. It's amazingly flexible."
It's not just hard.
A soul that flexibly and softly receives all impacts, and quickly recovers even wounds created in the process.
That was the source of Libertas's mental power.
"But..."
However, emotions were different.
"Your emotions are sufficiently strong, but they're not being expressed outwardly. More precisely, they're not being expressed enough to resonate with the souls in the spirit realm."
The bumpy sphere in Mur's hand gradually converged and became a perfect sphere.
However, that sphere doesn't move from that state, it's just firmly coalesced.
It never bounces up or explodes.
As if someone is not showing their emotions outwardly.
"That's right."
Libertas simply expressed affirmation.
It was a fact she had been feeling herself.
Her soul magic was structurally as solid as could be, but that was all.
It's firmly constructed at the structural stage, but phenomena are not realized.
The language used by souls is 'emotion', but because sufficient expression of emotion doesn't occur, the souls don't understand the phenomena she wants.
"In other words, Lady is like a person with aphasia in the eyes of the souls."
"Aphasia..."
At Mur's expression, Libertas didn't hide the bitter smile that naturally rose.
Thinking about what she had experienced in the past, she thought it wouldn't have been strange if she really had gotten aphasia.
"Beautiful and wonderful enough to want to follow, but because communication doesn't work, the souls will feel frustrated too. They follow because Lady creates a path with other magical talents."
"That might be so."
Among magic that has coordinates in the spirit realm, she can do anything that causes other phenomena by fusing with necromancy or elemental magic.
No matter about resonance with the spirit realm, she can forcibly create complete phenomena by pressing down with her magical talent.
But that way, it would be difficult to obtain the complete soul magic she wants.
And she found magic interesting, and its phenomena enjoyable.
"...May I look inside you and find out the cause?"
"..."
So, she finds herself contemplating even these words that she would normally firmly reject.
Whether it's okay to touch things that might still be sleeping inside her.
She wanted to handle magic well.
She wanted to acquire all the magical knowledge in this world.
She was that greedy.
Above all, she already knew that this heart problem was something she had to overcome someday.
"Of course, if you still don't trust me..."
"I'm not foolish enough to not give trust to someone I use. It's just..."
Libertas shook her head firmly, then stayed still as if frozen with her gaze fixed on one side.
Then, with a sigh, she utters one word.
"...I'm just not confident."
-Master. Are you lonely?
"No, Mary. How could I be when you're here."
Watching her like this, Mur Felix felt her heart boiling up once again.
This noble lady was wavering.
Although it was so subtle that it wasn't easily noticeable.
And there were people in this place who read that faster and more certainly than Mur.
Two of them.
"Master. It doesn't have to be right now."
"Or, shall I do it...?"
"Sonia... Xue."
'Oh...'
Mur, who had stepped back, watched the scene that now included the two women who had approached Libertas's side.
A werewolf with long white hair and crimson eyes.
A magician with short gray hair and blue glowing eyes.
Both were wary of her.
'This is interesting too.'
She placed one hand on her cheek out of habit and examined the composition of the three people.
It was obvious at a glance.
That the two cared about Libertas more than usual.
That two who should normally be considered rivals were simultaneously embracing one person.
"Let's end it here for today. I need to think about it."
"Of course, Lady. I'll prepare and wait. Whether it's me or someone else who will examine your heart."
"Alright. Rest well."
"Have a pleasant night."
A smile was still hanging on Mur's lips as she bowed once and left.
She had lived for a longer time than the other three here.
Although she felt goodwill and curiosity towards Libertas, it was just towards a special student.
From the beginning, the direction of her affection was different, so there was no reason to compete with others.
At least not yet.
* * *
"You were rude to the teacher, Xue."
In the place where Mur had left, I put on a stern look towards Xue.
"But that person... looked at Master suspiciously."
Subtle vibrations occurred in Xue's previously calm eyes.
It wasn't her usual beastly nature, but clearly a whimper.
Although it was just an act with a little sincerity mixed in.
A sigh-mixed answer flowed out naturally.
"It's rather a desirable virtue for a teacher to be curious about their student, Xue."
"...I'm sorry."
"I see."
When I pulled the neck of the werewolf who apologized honestly, she naturally leaned her head on my leg.
Tears didn't flow out.
I didn't find it unexpected.
I knew that she had thought of Mur as a rival and acted quite coldly.
Even her jealousy, I was willing to embrace.
"Sonia."
"I'm sorry, Master."
Next, my gaze turned to Sonia.
Unlike Xue, she was looking at me with firm eyes.
Unlike Xue who moved on emotion, these were eyes that thought there was a justifiable reason.
"Master. That's a dangerous method."
Although Sonia learned curses from me, she had almost no aptitude for pure soul magic.
For spirit arts or necromancy.
It's not a common case but not nonexistent either, so it's not something to worry about much, but it seems to bother her.
Seeing how she's started to delve deeper into study lately.
"Examining the inside of the mind in another way... showing one's own mind, ultimately creates room to be controlled."
In the end, it means she also has enough knowledge background to properly worry about this matter.
"I know that too. But apologize properly later."
"Yes. I understand."
Sonia's appearance nodding while answering me was somewhat reliable.
Except for glancing at Xue's figure leaning on me.
"Come here."
"Uh..."
"Come on."
"Yes."
Sonia, who approached me, carefully leaned her cheek on my hand.
It was obvious that she was conscious of Xue next to her, and then she tightly closed her eyes after seeing something from Xue.
When I poked Xue's head, she stopped glaring.
'It seems she's not without jealousy...'
Rather than that, she still shows me 'sympathy'.
Human sympathy.
'To sympathize with someone who should rightfully be hated.'
It would have been very difficult for me.
Because I had many people I hated.
Because I wasn't someone who knew forgiveness like her.
I hated my father who, tainted by others' evil, pushed me to the limit.
I detested my mother who was not only weak but also brainwashed by pseudo-religion.
I despised my younger sister who, following my father's evil, pestered me to cover up the crimes she committed.
And beyond that.
The society, country, world that made our family like that.
'I hated everything.'
Once the hatred burst, it poured out like a waterfall.
That waterfall swept away many things.
The lives, futures, and possibilities of countless people.
My only limit was fixing its direction towards criminals.
However, there clearly weren't only evil people in there.
'I went too far.'
Only when the sewage piled up by that waterfall reached my neck, did I think I should build the dam again.
But it took a long time to rebuild the dam of self-control that had been broken once.
So I was afraid. To open that dam again.
'What lies beneath the hatred poured out freely?'
I became afraid even to look into that underneath, into my heart.
"Master will be able to overcome it soon..."
As if reading my thoughts, Xue said while making eye contact with me.
Looking into her red eyes like a waveless lake, I felt the turbulence in my heart subsiding.
"Is that so."
"Yes."
Her silver hair swayed gently with a firm nod.
"It's not faith or worship..."
When I grasped that hair in my hand, she continued speaking while rubbing her cheek against my hand.
"Master is that kind of person. You didn't collapse even alone. And now we're here too, so Master will be fine..."
"Many people fall in difficult situations."
"But few people try to climb up even a little by turning their gaze upward in that situation."
Xue, who held one of my hands and pressed it firmly, slowly continued one word at a time.
"Everything of Master's was a tool to protect your people and yourself."
"A tool to heal the pain of the soul..."
With each touch of that warm hand, a gentle warmth spread in my heart.
I felt like worries were being pushed away here and there.
"That's right, Master."
Sonia also added words from the other side.
"I don't know much even about myself... But still, I want to help as much as I can. Please let me be of strength."
-Cheer up! Master!
Following Sonia, Mary also adds a word.
My heart had already become much lighter.
Others who aren't here now would have felt the same if they knew my situation.
"Thank you. All three of you."
Before I knew it, a small smile formed on my lips.