Chapter 570: The Secret Medicine of Oblivion

On the 14th day of the month of the New Sun, two visitors arrived early in the morning at the Secret Temple of the Fire Shrine, which stood quietly within the Royal Castle of Avalon. Both wore the traditional and formal uniforms of the Imperial Academy – a sailor’s suit for one, and a school uniform coat for the other – and from beneath their hems peeked fresh bandages wrapped around their wounds.

They were none other than the First Princess of Avalon, Nell Julius Elrod-still bearing wounds from the fierce battle at Selene-and Xerex, the eldest son of the Arclight family, the first of the Twelve Noble Houses.

When Vergleusen, the Black Dragon Priestess and mistress of the Fire Shrine, saw their faces despite the fact that their wounds had not yet healed, she quickly understood the situation.

“It seems you’ve regained your memories of Kurono, Nell.”

“Yes, thanks to you, Bel-sama.”

Nell replied with a bright smile. Faced with this intense presence, Vergleusen could not help but break out in a cold sweat.

“Hmm… Since you’re not rushing in and throwing punches, I assume you understand. Even so…”

“Yes, I have an idea of how things stand – but I still need to hear you explain it, Bel-sama. Otherwise, I won’t be able to accept it.”

“Very well. Let me tell you why I entrusted the Secret Medicine of Oblivion to Xerex.

This goes back several months, to the day before Nell left for Sparda upon hearing the news that Kurono was alive, brimming with excitement at the prospect of reuniting with the one she loved. It was then that Vergleusen summoned Xerex, who had been chosen to accompany Nell.

“Not that it was too complicated. I told him that you, Nell, had feelings for Kurono–and that he was to keep you from running wild. And as a last resort, should the worst happen, I gave him the Secret Medicine of Oblivion.

The Secret Medicine of Oblivion was a kind of magic item that Vergleusen had made based on fragments of ancient knowledge she possessed. It looked like water – clear and colorless – but as its name suggested, its effect was to erase memories.

Its original purpose was to free someone from painful experiences or trauma by making them “forget”-essentially a kind of mental stabilizer. By vividly recalling the memories one wished to forget and inhaling a tiny amount of the secret medicine, its effects would manifest.

When Nell witnessed the unspeakably shocking scene of Kurono being “taken” by another woman, she suffered a mental breakdown bordering on insanity. Administering the medicine at such a time naturally caused her to forget the crux of the ordeal – Kurono.

And indeed, the Secret Medicine of Oblivion worked perfectly, hiding the “root cause” that was Kurono from Nell’s heart. Thanks to Vergleusen’s plan, the worst outcome-that the Princess of Avalon would lose her mind and become an invalid or a lunatic-was averted.

“That is exactly what happened. I am deeply sorry, Princess Nell, Priestess. It is my incompetence that allowed the situation to deteriorate to the point where the Secret Medicine of Oblivion had to be used.”

With a somber expression, Xerex bowed his head. His posture was a model of sincere apology, though to some it might have looked like he was avoiding Nell’s gaze.

“I see… Indeed. I suspected as much.”

Nell let out a sad sigh, then spoke calmly, neither raising her voice nor venting her anger as she offered Xerex her forgiveness.

“I heard the story from Xerex when we got back,” Vergleusen added.

“It’s embarrassing, really… That I was so careless as to fall into an evil witch’s trap and disgrace myself so thoroughly…”

All the Secret Medicine of Oblivion does is “make you forget. It does not actually erase memories. They can resurface if triggered by a certain event or awakened by the person’s will.

Had Nell stayed away from Kurono for the rest of her life-never met or interacted with him again-she might have kept those maddening memories buried in the darkness forever, living out her days as the ideal princess her people imagined her to be. She probably would have had a political marriage to a prince of suitable status, but still built a happy royal family through mutual effort.

“But it’s all right now. Everything is fine. After all, hee hee… Kurono-kun came to see me. He rushed all the way from faraway Sparda, thinking of me, coming to help me – ah, so this must be what they call ‘destiny.'”

Or perhaps one could say that the gears of destiny had become misaligned.

Seeing Nell’s rapturous expression, both Vergleusen and Xerex gave her a look that seemed to say, “She’s finished; it’s too late now.

Still, neither could abandon her – Vergleusen considered her a dear student, like a granddaughter, and Xerex revered her as royalty and a friend. They exchanged the briefest of glances, then tried a little resistance.

“However, Princess Nell,” Xerex began, “it is quite clear that Lord Kurono already has a significant other. At this point, there may be no room left for you…”

Even with water poured on her feelings so abruptly, Nell smiled as she replied:

“Kurono-kun is being deceived.”

Xerex immediately looked away. He couldn’t bring himself to look.

“That evil witch tricked him. That is why I have to save him. Just like he saved me…”

Nell’s face lit up with a gentle compassion befitting a merciful goddess, and Xerex found himself at a loss for words.

“Nell,” Vergleusen said, “when you were in Sparda, it seems that Kurono drove you away. But do you understand why he did that?”

“Of course. I have thought a lot about what happened. Thank you, Bel-sama. I believe that thanks to the time granted to me by the use of the Secret Medicine of Oblivion, I was able to calm down and reflect on all my mistakes.”

In an ironic way, Nell’s claim sounded perfectly rational – but that only made it more frightening. Still, Vergleusen pressed the matter.

“Then tell me, what would you say you did wrong?”

“My love wasn’t strong enough,” Nell replied, her face resolute.

“My love wasn’t strong enough, so Kurono-kun never noticed my feelings. Therefore, I must love Kurono-kun more – much, much more – or my feelings will never reach him!”

Vergleusen and Xerex both paused for a moment: She’s saying something impossible again. Her logic about love was so far beyond broken that they couldn’t even react properly. And they both knew that any attempt at correction would be drowned out by her sheer fervor.

With a heavy sigh, Vergleusen decided to say something else:

“Then why not just confess your feelings? They won’t reach him unless you say them out loud.”

“E-e-ehhh!? Th-that’s i-impossible! N-no, no way! A-a c-confession, to Kurono-kun… That’s unthinkableeeee!”

“Waugh!? P-Please calm down, Your Highness-guhpff!”

Xerex tried to restrain the wildly excited Nell before she completely lost control, but her flapping wings landed a critical hit on his face. Still, he struggled to calm her, earning Vergleusen’s admiration for his chivalrous devotion.

“Dear me,” Vergleusen said as he watched Nell flail and squeal, “this wound is beyond serious – call it terminal.”

Looking at her now, Vergleusen was filled with regret. Perhaps his half-joking approach to coaching her about love when she was lovesick had backfired. She had been in a fragile state even then, but he had believed in her pure heart, having seen her kindness since childhood.

Now, however, her love had taken on a heavy, threatening form, while ironically, she remained completely innocent when it came to confronting her beloved. The gap between the depth of her passion and her ability to act on it was immense.

One had to wonder how much Nell really understood the heart of this man called Kurono.

“All right, Nell,” Vergleusen sighed. “Let’s put things in order. Fortunately, Kurono is here in Avalon recovering. Why don’t you pay him a visit first?”

“Y-yes, you’re right! I’ll visit Kurono-kun in the hospital!”

“You’ll take Xerex with you.”

“Eh!?”

The one who reacted with exaggerated surprise wasn’t Nell, but Xerex, for some reason.

“What’s going on?” Vergleusen asked. “You fought against that monster at Kurono’s side, so it’s only right that you visit him, too, isn’t it?”

“W-well… yes, that’s true, but…”

Xerex began to fidget like a shy maiden. His slender, pale fingers – hard to believe they often held a sword – now traced his own soft lips.

“Listen carefully, Nell,” Vergleusen continued. “If confessing is too much for you, then deepen your friendship with Kurono bit by bit until you can confess. Don’t rush into anything.”

Vergleusen and Xerex did not know the details of what had happened during Nell’s private exchange with Kurono, only that Nell had been utterly devastated to see Kurono and Fiona passionately entwined. They realized that Nell, already naive about sexual matters, had come to see such things as an even more frightening tangle, like a bomb waiting for a stray spark.

Hence Vergleusen’s desire that Nell first cultivate a pure friendship, completely divorced from sexuality. As for the potential scandal of a princess if things went wrong – that could always be hushed up, as long as it didn’t escalate into something irreversible like an unwanted pregnancy.

They hoped that putting Xerex between them as a “shield” would keep any real trouble from arising – whether that trouble was Kurono making a move on her despite having a lover, or vice versa.

“Understood, Bel-sama. Then let’s go!”

“Yes, go. And while you’re at it, bring Kurono to see me as well. I want to take a look at this lady-killer who’s made Nell so-o-o-o deeply in love.”

“Yes, I promise to introduce him to you soon. Xerex, let’s go!”

“Ah, Princess, please wait – I’m not ready yet!”

“-Hello, Kurono-kun. How are you feeling?”

Shaking her white wings, with a gentle smile on her lovely face, the princess before me was the same Nell I knew so well.

“My limbs have already been reattached, so I’m fine. All that’s left is to wait quietly for them to heal.”

I caught myself thinking, “What a cowardly thing to say. In the heat of the battle against Chaosic Rim, personal grievances had been put on hold – that was the rational thing to do in the face of an imminent threat.

But now that everything was settled, I had to admit that I’d pushed Nell away by my own choice. I still hadn’t made my feelings for her clear. I hadn’t apologized by saying, “I was wrong back then,” nor had I rejected her again by saying, “I still hold a grudge, so we can’t be friends.

“I see… Well, I can’t really say, ‘That’s wonderful news,’ because it hurts me so much to see you hurt like that. It hurts my heart to see you in such a state.”

In her face, I could only see the sincere concern of a friend worried about my condition. No actress could achieve this level of pure emotional expression. Her words and her eyes overflowed with care.

“I’m not in much pain, so don’t worry. The fight was fierce, so I’m just treating this like a nice, long vacation.”

Then, for a moment, we talked about mundane things.

First, we rejoiced that both sides had survived the Chaosic Rim battle. I mentioned how amazing Nell’s fighting had been, seeing her as a Battle Priestess for the first time, only to be showered with even more praise by both Nell and Xerex, which embarrassed me a bit. We chatted about their own wounds, still covered in bandages.

When I asked how they planned to divide the Chaosic Rim carcass, they both immediately waived their rights and ceded everything to me. When I asked if they were sure, their answer was:

“We’re not after the money”, “And we have no desire to incorporate the remains of such an evil monster into our weapons or armor”.

Which was basically a total denial of my own intention to make “Chaosic Rim” gear, but hey, personal taste is personal taste.

Anyway, there was no ugly fight over loot. Everything was peaceful and pleasant.

Only later did I notice that Sariel, sensing the mood, had discreetly left the room.

“Hey, Nell. Remember what we talked about in Sparda?”

I decided to bring it up myself. As much as it would be easier to pretend it never happened, or to continue chatting like good friends, I felt I had to face it. It wasn’t so much honesty as it was me trying to deal with my guilt and sense of betrayal. With Xerex here, it was uncomfortable, but I feared that if I let this moment pass, I might never bring it up again.

So it had to be now.

“I-I… this is…”

Nell’s soft, calm aura vanished. Even I, stubborn as I am, could see her face clouding with emotion.

“Don’t apologize. I had no idea what was going through your mind back then, since I don’t have telepathy, but it doesn’t matter. You did nothing wrong.”

I was so devastated at the time, but in the end it was just my personal reaction.

I hold no grudge against Nell. I don’t feel that she “betrayed me” or “never believed in me. I no longer cling to such selfish thoughts.

I’m okay with the fact that she never trusted me.

Fiona has already been there for me, healing me with her kindness. I’ve been allowed to lean on her.

Even if Nell never really trusted me, I wouldn’t hold it against her.

“I wasn’t calm then, either. Of course, I couldn’t have been. But maybe if we’d talked things through carefully, it wouldn’t have ended so badly… So I’m sorry.”

In the end, I’d practically forced her out. Now that some time has passed, I can see that there might have been a better way.

“Kurono-kun, it wasn’t your fault! I was the one…”

“It’s okay. It’s okay now. Nell, I’m really relieved that we can talk like this again.”

So relieved, in fact, that I wanted to let it all go. So relieved that I could let her kindness carry me along as if nothing had ever happened.

All of which told me that I really had no grudge against her.

“Neither of us is wrong, neither of us was right. It doesn’t matter. I wanted to make things right because… I still want to be your friend. Isn’t that okay?”

Damn, I screwed up the ending. I’m sure my grin came out clumsy. But I said my piece.

Now it all depended on whether she’d take my outstretched right hand – no, wait, my right hand is unusable, so I held out my left – whether she’d take it or not.

Ah, wait, is offering my left hand rude?

“Ku-Kurono-kuuun!”

“Uwoah!?”

Ignoring my offered left hand completely, Nell threw herself into my arms.

“I-I wanted to make up, too!”

“I-I see… that’s good, Nell… thank you… ngh.”

At what should have been a touching moment of reconciliation, I couldn’t quite celebrate. She came in full force, wings outstretched like a hawk swooping down on prey. In panic, I twisted my body a little to catch her on my left side, protecting my still-injured right arm and leg.

Still, she clung to me so tightly that I was left in an awkward, strained position that hurt a little.

Ugh, I’m going to blame Chaosic Rim for that. Yeah, that works.

“Princess, please avoid rough contact with an injured person.”

Nice assist, Xerex. So he’s not only handsome, but considerate as well. Truly a perfect man.

“Aah!? S-sorry, Kurono-kun! I was just… so happy…”

“Enough, Your Highness. Come now.”

Deeply reluctant to part, Nell was pulled away from me by Xerex’s arm lock, presumably for my own safety.

Then the two of us, along with Xerex, managed to calm a teary-eyed, overjoyed Nell. It took some effort to get her to calm down, but once she did, the conversation flowed smoothly again.

With the great weight off my heart, I felt able to speak freely, smiling genuinely.

“Princess, time is running out,” Xerex finally pointed out.

“Eehhhh…” Nell sulked like a child being told to go to bed. But the window was tinted crimson by the setting sun over Avalon, making it obvious that visiting hours were almost over.

“Kurono-kun, can I come back tomorrow?”

“Sure. I’m stuck here until my leg heals, so come by anytime. I’m bored stiff.”

The best I could do was sit in a wheelchair and walk around the temple’s fancy garden. But being a big guy in a wheelchair pushed by the petite Sariel drew a lot of strange looks from other patients, which frankly made me uncomfortable.

“Then, if I push your wheelchair, can we go somewhere together, just the two of us?”

“No, Princess. I won’t allow you to do such a task alone. I insist on accompanying you.”

“Well, there is no official restriction on going out, so I guess it’s okay. But it could be a problem if we go too far-”

“Not to worry. Carrying a single man’s weight around Avalon is no problem at all with my abilities.”

So confident in his strength, Xerex. Perhaps he can lighten my weight with gravity magic? Or maybe, as a magical swordsman, he can just carry a hundred kilograms effortlessly. And if Nell buffs him with Force Boost, that’s even easier.

“Well, I might as well take you up on that. Lying in bed all day is boring,” I said.

“Yes! Then let me show you around Avalon, Kurono-kun!”

“That sounds perfect. And it looks like we can keep our promise to the priestess soon, too.”

“Oh, right, Bel-sama… I should introduce my Kurono-kun to her as well…”

“Someone you want me to meet?”

“Yes. Think of her as my ‘master’ in terms of being a Battle Priestess.”

I was a bit curious. Whoever taught the priest’s Healing Magic level skills and the insane melee skills she showed against Chaosic Rim must be interesting. Maybe it’s a muscle-bound tough guy like King Leonhardt, or a reclusive sage with a long white beard… Or, since she’s a priestess, maybe it’s a different woman altogether.

Well, I’ll see when we meet.

“Anyway, we’ll go now… um, Kurono.”

“Yeah-take care, Xerex.”

He called me by my name, a bit shyly, as if he was not used to it. Kind of girlish for a handsome guy, but no sense reading too much into it. He definitely doesn’t have the same dangerous aura as Falkius.

“Kurono-kun, see you tomorrow—”

With a bright, childish smile, Nell left the room. She was like a schoolchild on the eve of a field trip, brimming with excitement.