Chapter 193

There was, as expected, a record regarding the cost of casting Origin Magic at the final back page of the forbidden tome.

These characters all needed to be translated on the spot. Without the reference table that Sylatrella had provided, it would have been a complete nightmare. In the past, Sheffy had wanted nothing more than to burn this book, so why would she have wasted her time translating so much of it?

She had never read it before.

But now she knew.

“‘The one who fails to cast 【Origin】… will burn away their life. If they survive by chance, their memories will be scorched. To retrieve those memories, this incantation must be… must be… Ugh, this is so frustrating!! Belith! Didn’t you already translate this part? Just tell me what it says after this! Going through it word by word is driving me insane!”

“Isn’t it because Royal Sister said you had to translate it yourself…”

“I don’t want to translate anymore! Hurry up!”

“Okay, okay~ Then I’ll read it aloud for Royal Sister, alright?”

Belith took the ancient forbidden incantation that Sheffy had flung at her like wastepaper in a fit of irritation. She traced her finger to where Sheffy had stopped reading, and continued to recite each word to her, one by one.

In truth, there wasn’t much left to read.

The remaining sentence detailed the price that had to be paid to recover one’s memory.

“‘This incantation must be used to undo it. To reclaim the past, one must surrender the potential of the future in equal measure, thus achieving balance.’”

“What does that even mean? The potential of the future? That’s so abstract…”

Come on, you useless book—translating you into modern language wasn’t bad enough, now we have to play guessing games too!?

Thankfully, Belith had already studied it. She didn’t need to guess.

More than that… she deeply understood what price she had paid herself.

When Sheffy looked up, having pounded her little fists against the book, she just happened to catch a glimpse of the faint, sorrowful smile on Belith’s face.

But the smile lasted only a moment.

It faded the instant she met Sheffy’s confused expression.

Finally, she could say what she had buried in her heart all these years, and say it to her Royal Sister.

“The ‘potential of the future’ corresponds directly to the original purpose of 【Origin】. The spell was created to draw out one’s latent potential ahead of time, allowing one to instantly wield all the power they might possess in the future. But the price to regain memories is the opposite…”

“Hey… Belith… Don’t tell me you mean…”

Sheffy’s face suddenly paled.

“Yes, Royal Sister.” Belith closed the tome, as if closing the chapter on her own obsession. “The cost is the suppression of all future potential. In other words, the moment the incantation was cast, my ability to grow stronger ceased—forever.”

“!”

Sheffy’s mind thundered.

Her heart clenched tightly.

It felt like a nightmare unfolding before her.

Behind Belith, three wings spread on the left, two on the right—an asymmetry that hinted at a sixth, final black feather barely forming, only to dissipate into a haze of black starlight.

What scattered were not just feathers, but the dreams of a girl who had loved gazing at the stars since she was small—her yearning for the skies.

Sheffy might not have been the most dependable older sister. After all, she was selfish. She hadn’t spent enough time by Belith’s side.

But the things Belith had said when she was little, trailing behind her sister… Sheffy remembered all of them.

【I want to fly just as high as Royal Sister.】

【Why?】

【So I can see the same scenery as Royal Sister!】

【Why would you want to see the same thing as me? Isn’t it fine to just keep your feet on the ground? It feels more secure that way. The higher you fly, the harder you fall.】

【No way. Actually, when you’re not around, Royal Sister, a lot of people laugh at me. Hehe… but you still take time to come back home to visit Belith! As long as you’re here, I don’t care if they laugh. They can say whatever they want—because I’ve got Royal Sister! And you’ll keep coming back, right?】

【…Probably? Wait, who’s been laughing at you? Give me a list. I’ll go beat them up.】

【“Mm, Royal Sister, don’t be fooled by how small I am. I actually understand things well—I know that fists can’t win over people’s hearts. And them laughing at me… well, they weren’t exactly wrong. Belith really was too lazy. But that’s okay. From now on, I’ll work harder and harder. One day, when I have six wings just like Royal Sister, everyone will say we’re the most perfect pair of sisters in the whole world!”】

【“You dummy… who even describes sisters as a ‘perfect pair’? Well… I just think you don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself. If you want to see the view from up high, I can just take you flying with me, can’t I?”】

【“But… if I don’t fly on my own…”】

If I don’t fly on my own…?

Which sentence was it, back then, that had left Sheffy feeling angry and sad, disappointed yet aching with affection—so much that she turned away and walked off?

【“If I don’t fly on my own… Royal Sister will fly farther and farther away, to a place Belith won’t be able to reach, and she’ll abandon me.”】

【“Nonsense.”】

Was it really nonsense…?

Belith had said it even then.

Don’t let her size fool you—she had already grown to understand many things.

Royal Sister longed for freedom. If Belith couldn’t become strong enough to match her, then one day, during one of Sheffy’s impulsive escapes, she would lose her for good.

I was afraid. I wished. I spent countless days and nights hoping to grow just as strong as you, to shoulder all the slander for your sake, even if it meant changing everything about myself.

Along this path, I once lost my way. I forgot why I had even started, blinded by my pursuit of power.

But that flame… the one that devoured my Origin, finally burned me awake.

Ahh… if Belith could have just one more chance, she would surely remember—remember what it was that made her take her first step.

—It was so that you wouldn’t have to fly away alone.

—So that even if you did fly far ahead, she could still chase after your shadow and not fall too far behind.

—So that she could remember every moment the two of you spent together.

In those long days and nights of forgotten memories, Belith had sat by the lake, crying alone. She hadn’t even known what exactly was making her feel so bitter.

Was it because Royal Sister kept growing stronger… and everyone laughed at how slowly she herself progressed?

No, that wasn’t it.

Belith realized more and more that such things no longer troubled her.

She used to care deeply—but whenever those thoughts surfaced, a hazy, violet flame would rise up in her mind and burn them away completely.

That flame… what was it, truly?

She only knew that something… something had been forgotten.

The Forbidden Book Repository…?

Yes… the Forbidden Book Repository.

If there was anything she couldn’t remember, the answer had to be in there.

Such an intense intuition had driven Belith to the other side of truth.

And when she learned that reclaiming those lost memories would require abandoning her future—

Belith didn’t hesitate.

Ha… if one doesn’t even remember why they began, then no matter how far they charge forward, what meaning is there in such blind resolve?

Belith’s steady hand closed around Sheffy’s trembling fingertips.

“Royal Sister, don’t be sad. I don’t regret my decision—not one bit.”

“You idiot… you’ve always wanted to become stronger… Just last night I was trying to think of ways to help you break through to six wings… and now…”

“And now today, you tell me this… Why are you like this…”

Please don’t be sad. Don’t hang your head in sorrow.

When Sheffy looked down, her silver bangs veiled her eyes, and the trail of tears sliding down her face added the final piece to Belith’s release.

Belith reached out her finger, and gently caught a shimmering tear.

Belith couldn’t bear to flick it away. To her, this was the most radiant gem in the world.

“Royal Sister, tell me—if I reach six wings, will I really be able to keep up with you?”

“How should I know… But you’ve already…”

“Mm, if there’s really no chance, then maybe I’ll only ever be five-winged.”

“That’s why I said…!”

“But now, I’ve finally caught up to you.”

Sometimes, rather than charging ahead with eyes shut, a glance backward—pausing to look behind—may be the most breathtaking moment of all.

All along the path ahead, there had been no sign of Royal Sister.

But when she turned back to look—Royal Sister had been standing right behind her, watching over her all along.

Ha… No wonder she had flown so far and still couldn’t find her.

So this is where you were.

—

24. That Flower Garden

Uwah… she was in trouble now.

Belith had never imagined that her words would actually bring her fearless Royal Sister to tears.

Or maybe she had imagined it…

Belith herself wasn’t exactly strong-hearted.

Giving up the possibilities of the future—saying it was easy.

She didn’t regret it, but Belith had still carried an enormous burden in her heart.

And that burden had weighed heavily on her until now. Speaking to Royal Sister like this… it made her feel so much lighter.

Thus, in this ancient stone cavern beneath the lake, where sunlight had not touched in a thousand years, unfolded a most “absurd” scene:

The taller little sister was gently patting the head of the petite elder sister, trying to comfort her.

The two of them knelt face to face, huddled together like they were sharing warmth.

Even though the Forbidden Book Repository was perfectly insulated, not the slightest bit cold.

“No more tears~ Ehhh, Royal Sister, seriously… Didn’t I already say I’ve come to terms with it? You don’t need to burden yourself either.”

“Ugh… You little brat… Get your hand off me… Who needs your comfort… Damn it, all you do is make things harder for me!”

“Make things harder…? I didn’t, did I? Ah, no no no! I did, I did! Don’t cry anymore, Royal Sister! But I really didn’t…”

If we’re talking about causing trouble, then Belith really felt wronged.

In the end, whether to give up progressing or charge ahead without turning back—those were choices she had made herself. She fully understood Royal Sister’s concern, but she would never bring actual burdens to her.

She might no longer be able to stand on the front lines and help Royal Sister solve problems in battle, but when it came to strategy and tactics, she could still contribute plenty!

What she didn’t know, however, was that what Sheffy meant by “trouble” wasn’t that at all.

She hadn’t cried like this in years—with tears streaming down her face like pear blossoms in the rain.

Maybe she’d cried herself hungry—because now, her stomach started to misbehave.

——gurgle~~

In an instant, the cozy atmosphere they’d built up froze in place.

The tears stopped. Belith’s comforting smile froze too.

But it was okay.

“Pfft… Hahaha! Royal Sister, you’re always like this. Even when you’re sad, you somehow end up making me laugh!”

“How is that my fault?!”

Sheffy couldn’t take it anymore. With a backwards flip, she stood up on the spot, pointing at Belith while clutching her growling stomach, accusing loudly!

“We wasted too much time in here! And you… ugh… I still want to cry… No, listen! I meant it when I said you’re causing trouble!”

“Even Royal Sister has to be reasonable…”

“I’m going to explode…! You blockhead! And to think everyone calls you the brains of the Demon Clan—I say you’re just dumb! Don’t you get it? You gave up your future, your room to grow, so of course I have to find a way to break the curse of that price! And you still say you’re not giving me trouble?!”

“!”

Belith’s eyes widened, her astonishment plain as day. Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the hem of her skirt.

What she had been expecting from Royal Sister were words like “It’s okay,” or “Even without power, you can still shine.”

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