“No matter how great he is, he couldn’t come back victorious from the first encounter,” muttered Carmen while repeatedly opening and closing the lid of her lighter. Gilead and Gion felt dizzy from hearing the annoying ping, ping, over and over again, but they didn’t say anything. Although Carmen looked the youngest out of the three, she was still an aunt to Gilead and Gion.

“No one’s ever broken through the Dark Room on their first attempt in the Lionheart’s history, right?”

“In the first place, those who reached the Sixth Star of the White Flame Formula aren’t common,” answered Carmen with a shrug. “And it’s even rarer for anyone to reach seven Stars. In that sense, our generation has been greatly blessed. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Great Founder is looking after us personally.”

“I think so too.” Gilead nodded with a faint smile.

Indeed, this truly was a blessed generation. The previous elder, who had reached seven Stars of the White Flame Formula, was dead, but Carmen was still alive and well. Moreover, Gilead and Gion were still active, and in their prime, so it was entirely possible for them to someday cross over to the next level. But more than anything else, it was a true miracle for the Lionheart family. Moreover, Cyan and Ciel had reached the Fourth Star of the White Flame Formula, so the current generation of the Lionhearts was strong enough to be counted in the entire history of the family.

“Hmm.” Carmen was the first to sense the change. She stopped flicking the lid of her lighter and pulled herself up. Gion and Gilead immediately felt it as well, and they stood up from their seats with stiff expressions.

The door to the Dark Room was tightly closed, but the three could feel a presence approaching the door from beyond.

Gion whispered with a deep sigh, “Was it the right decision to leave my sword behind…?”

Gilead gave a bitter grin in response. Carmen did not use a sword, but both Gilead and Gion did. It was true that they were powerful individuals who would fare just fine even in the absence of their weapons, but considering the situation and their opponent, not having their weapons was disappointing.

“We wouldn’t want to accidentally cut off a limb or kill him outright.”

It was harder to subdue than to kill an enemy. In particular, they were aiming to suppress and contain Eugene while avoiding inflicting injuries as much as possible. That was why the three of them — Carmen, Gilead, and Gion — were here together.

“It would be better to worry about us rather than him,” said Carmen while spitting out her cigar. She knew exactly how well Eugene fought, and although the three of them had to fight so that Eugene didn’t get hurt, their opponent would rampage without any considerations at all.

“I wonder if it would be better to endure for half a day or try to subdue it as quickly as possible.”

“Whatever the case, we won’t find out until we try it.”

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Carmen pulled back her gloves, Gilead tied his long hair back, and Gion unbuttoned his sleeves.

The door to the Dark Room opened. Eugene walked out, but it wasn’t actually Eugene. His dim eyes showed no signs of intelligence. The moment Eugene died and lost consciousness, the phantom had taken his place, and although the phantom existed to test those who entered the Dark Room, once it possessed the subject, it would obey its destructive instincts and run wild without attempting to try anything.

“As expected,” said Carmen as Eugene stepped out of the Dark Room. A huge flame erupted from Eugene’s feet and wrapped around his body. Carmen’s gaze and expression hardened when she saw the size and intensity of his flames. Then, while clicking her tongue, she took off her coat from her shoulders. “It’s going to be hard to subdue him quickly.”

***

How long had he been asleep?

Eugene opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling without getting up. He noticed his left arm was back where it was supposed to be and no longer severed. However, it wasn’t as if he felt well. Eugene felt each of his joints and muscles throb and ache. He tried to wiggle his fingers.

‘It’s not the aftermath of Ignition,’ Eugene realized in an instant.

It also wasn’t Anise who restored his left arm either. Eugene’s lips curled up into a twisted smile. It was just as he expected. The phantom of the Dark Room was a powerful type of magic affecting the mind. The moment Eugene entered the magic circle in the Dark Room, a hidden spell had taken hold of his mind without him noticing.

‘In the end, everything was happening inside my mind,’ Eugene concluded.

The room had not collapsed even though the battle resulted in many explosive clashes that would have torn it apart. Moreover, the phantom had unmistakably utilized physical force, which Eugene had been slightly suspicious about. As it turned out, Eugene was right in his assumption.

However, having his suspicions confirmed didn’t mean that he was unsurprised. Rather, he was shocked that it had been mind magic. He clearly remembered how he suffered from Giabella’s Demoneye of Fantasy in his previous life. But as a result, Eugene had gained immunity to most magic affecting the mind. Nevertheless, he had failed to even notice the activation of the Dark Room’s magic.

‘It wasn’t like I let my guard down either.’

Eugene turned his head from side to side, feeling how stiff his neck was. The sensation of having his head cut off was still vivid in his mind. In fact, it was an even clearer memory than his death as Hamel, so the death he experienced from the phantom felt more realistic to him.

“You’re not mad, are you?” asked Eugene, clearing his throat and looking sideways. Quite a few people were sitting next to his bed. Mer was bobbing her legs in a chair with a pout, and next to her was Kristina glaring at Eugene with squinty eyes. Ciel sat with her head tilted sideways and her arms crossed. Cyan and Gerhard were… sandwiched between the girls with droopy shoulders. Thankfully, but sadly, the two were the only ones who expressed pure concern for Eugene without any anger.

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“Why would I be angry?” spat Mer.

Kristina’s lips twitched, and she said, “She’s right. Why on earth would we be angry? It’s not a big deal that you decided to do something without telling us anything, which resulted in you losing consciousness, Sir Eugene.”

Ciel couldn’t lose out, either. She nodded vigorously while chiming in. “Right. Why would we be angry?”

However, Cyan couldn’t bear to just listen to his sister’s words. He gave a cough before tapping on her shoulders. “No, but…. We should be angry. The adults got hurt because they got caught up in Eugene’s mess.”

“So Father and Uncle got hurt because they got caught up. So what?” retorted Ciel.

“Well, you should be angry…,” muttered Cyan.

“No. I will not get angry. I have no reason to get angry, and neither our Father nor Uncle would want me to get angry over this. Not to mention Lady Carmen. And speak for yourself. You’re not getting angry either,” said Ciel.

“Well…. That’s true, but….”

“Their injuries weren’t light, and they were exhausted, but all of them remained conscious. Auxiliary Bishop Kristina treated their wounds, right? But what about Eugene? He was out all night,” said Ciel.

“Uh…. Well…,” Cyan stuttered.

“And aren’t we here right now. Why? It’s because we are worried about Eugene. Do you understand what I’m saying? I’m not angry; just worried about him. I’m only angry because I’m worried about Eugene,” explained Ciel.

Cyan truly had a difficult time understanding his sister’s words. It felt like his head was spinning because of how fast she was spewing out her words. Why was she contradicting herself like that? Why was she getting angry right after saying she wasn’t angry? Was there actually a difference between getting angry out of worry and simply getting angry?

“Are you feeling okay?” asked Ciel with a worried expression while grabbing a wet towel and wiping Eugene’s cheek, as if she had never been frowning in the first place. “Do you know how worried I was about you? You weren’t even tossing and turning all night as if you were dead.”

“Though I was responsible for treating him,” said Kristina, directing her glare toward Ciel.

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Ciel snorted in response to the harsh gaze and tapped Eugene’s cheek with the wet towel. “Thank you, Sister. I’ve known Eugene for nearly ten years while we lived in the same house. So every time he gets injured, I feel as if I am injured instead of him.”

It wasn’t completely true, strictly speaking. They had not seen each other every day for ten years since Eugene had entered the main house at the age of thirteen before leaving for Aroth at the age of seventeen. Ciel had also left for the Black Lion Castle around the same time, so the two of them had only been around each other for four years at the longest.

However, such minor details weren’t important to Ciel.

“The relationship I share with Eugene is special. Although we don’t share a drop of blood, our relationship is deep, just like that of siblings. No, allow me to correct myself. Our relationship runs even deeper. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he’s my other half,” continued Ciel.

She had always excelled at whatever she did ever since she was a child. In this regard, being related to Eugene without sharing a drop of blood was a fact that was more than sufficient for her to use as a weapon.

Pathetic little girl, mumbled Anise, listening to Ciel’s proud monologue. She coined a mere ten years as a deep relationship? And although Kristina didn’t voice it, she had similar thoughts as Anise. Weren’t bonds formed between people who went through life and death situations thicker and truer than a bond shared between family members who didn’t even share a drop of blood?

“…Ehem.” Gerhard finally cleared his throat as he listened to the drawn-out conversation. He could not understand why he was currently here. Was it because he was worried about his only son? That much was a given, but the sharp atmosphere and the hidden struggle between the girls were too much for him to endure.

“…Son,” he called out.

“Yes, father,” answered Eugene.

“I won’t scold you because of your recklessness or the worry it has caused me. I know you would not want to hear it anyways…,” Gerhard said softly.

“I didn’t get hurt because I wanted to get hurt…,” mumbled Eugene.

Gerhard continued, “But I am very proud of who you are now. I was afraid to imagine how you would mature when you were a kid….”

“What was there to be afraid of?”

“Try to understand the feelings of a parent who had a son beat up all the children in the neighborhood….”

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Gerhard was an easygoing person, and the children of Gidol had not cared about the authority accompanying the name of Lionheart. Therefore, Eugene had taken it upon himself to teach the cheeky neighborhood boys that authority came from the fist, not the family name.

“But you grew up very well. I cannot believe so many people besides me would worry about you…,” Gerhard continued as he looked at his son.

“How did you imagine your son to be like, Father?” asked Eugene with genuine curiosity.

“Someone like a yahoo. Well, mostly from when you were young,” said Gerhard before rising to his feet. “Since there are so many people to worry about you, I’ll get going. I’m sure that the family head might want a companion to talk to while he’s bedbound.”

“I’ll come as well,” said Ciel, quickly standing up from her seat. She then grabbed hold of Gerhard’s hands while glancing sideways at Kristina. Kristina’s eyebrows twitched in annoyance at the provocative gaze.

“Fa-ther,” said Ciel.

“…Eh? W-what?” asked the confused Gerhard.

“Let’s go, fa-ther,” Ciel said once more. Gerhard had never heard Ciel call him father. So far, she had only ever referred to him as Sir Gerhard.

Cyan glanced at the ridiculous sight of his sister dragging Gerhard away, then said to Eugene with a deep sigh, “You look fine, so I’ll get going too.”

“Are you sure about that? Aren’t you curious how I ended up like this?” Eugene asked with a mischievous smile. Cyan knew the meaning behind Eugene’s smile all too well, so he glared at Eugene with a frown.

“I’ll admit that I’m curious, but I’m not going to ask. I will reach the Sixth Star of the White Flame Formula like you and then see with my own eyes what you experienced,” responded Cyan.

“Hitting six Stars by forty sounds plausible,” retorted Eugene.

“Bastard, you just wait. Once I’m thirty years old…. No! I’ll attain six Stars when… I’m… twenty-five years old,” shouted Cyan.

“Good luck,” said Eugene, raising his fist, and Cyan responded by lifting his middle finger. Once Cyan, Ciel, and Gerhard left the room, Mer jumped up on Eugene’s bed.

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“Why did you leave me behind?” she asked.

“It’s not a place I can take you to,” Eugene answered simply.

“You’re not lying, are you?”

“Why would I lie to you?”

After hearing Eugene’s answer, Mer took her place next to him with a pout. Kristina looked at Mer with a strange gaze, then grabbed Ciel’s wet towel before throwing it behind her.

“What did you go through?” asked Kristina curiously.

“I’m more worried about what the others experienced rather than what I went through. Are they all right?” asked Eugene.

“Well, they didn’t fare too badly,” responded Kristina.

Last night, Gilead, Gion, and Carmen had knocked on Kristina’s door while covered in blood. They had multiple broken bones, torn skin, and damaged organs. None of their wounds were light enough to be brushed apart.

“But oddly, your injuries weren’t very severe when you arrived on their back, Sir Eugene,” Kristina stated.

“Considering that, I feel really stiff,” Eugene commented.

“Since you ran wild, it’s entirely possible that your muscles were contused, right? I was going to treat all four of you to the fullest, but Lady Anise convinced me otherwise,” responded Kristina.

“Why?” Eugene asked, perplexed. 𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮

“According to Lady Anise, if I started treating all your small wounds, you would get spoiled.”

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Spoiled? What kind of nonsense was she spouting? Eugene grumbled while massaging his stiff shoulders, then he began explaining the events of the Dark Room.

“So, doesn’t that mean you failed the test in the end, Sir Eugene?” asked Kristina.

“That’s right.”

“Then won’t the same thing happen again next time?”

“If that really happens again, Lady Ancilla will definitely try to poison you, Sir Eugene,” Mer said while recalling how Ancilla had sobbed her eyes out when she saw Gilead all bandaged up.

Eugene felt uneasy and uncomfortable as well. Even if it had been unintentional and inevitable, he did not want to hurt Carmen, Gion, and Gilead.

“Do you know where everyone is?” Eugene asked.

“Sir Gilead and Sir Gion are resting in their rooms. Lady Carmen is….”

“She’s taking a walk in the garden.”

“A walk?” asked Eugene in confusion.

Why would she be taking a stroll out of the blue? At least, that’s what he thought at first, but he came to an understanding after seeing her in person. Carmen had her arms wrapped in a bandage with a strap across her shoulder and held a crutch with her other hand. She even had a large bandage plastered across her cheek.

It was hard to describe exactly what she looked like, but… it was very close to an ostentatious realization of a pubescent, fifteen-year-old teenager’s secret aspiration. In fact, Carmen had not suffered a leg injury that warranted a crutch nor a wound that required her arm to be wrapped and fixated by a strap. Moreover, she was not injured enough to have a large bandage on her cheek. Instead, her leg had been scuffed, her wrist sprained, and her cheek lightly scratched. But Carmen insisted on her look as she walked through the Lionheart’s garden with a rebellious expression that screamed, ‘I have a story to tell!’

“You’re awake,” said Carmen, looking back at Eugene. She leaned on her crutch, and Eugene stared at her dumbfounded for a moment before bowing his head. He couldn’t think of any words to say.

“Uh…. Well…. I’m sorry,” Eugene finally said after a while.

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“What’s there to apologize for?” asked Carmen. She was completely serious. “You resisted a bit stronger than expected, but it was a pleasant experience. A nasty, close battle allows me to experience what living and breathing as a warrior means.”

“Yes….”

“And neither Gilead nor Gion have had any active combat in recent years either, so this should have been a good experience for them. Kid, don’t tell me you feel guilty about hurting us, do you?”

“A little bit,” answered Eugene.

“A useless thought. We were injured because we were inadequate. To tell the truth, if I had decided to kill you instead of subduing you, I wouldn’t have gotten injured at all,” Carmen said smugly. She was a proud warrior.

She looked up and down at Eugene with a relaxed smile. “So, kid. How do you feel after experiencing the Dark Room?” she asked.

“It was an interesting place,” Eugene answered honestly.

“I guess you weren’t thrown into despair by defeat,” commented Carmen.

“I want to enjoy it as much as possible. But I don’t know if you or any of the others will enjoy it as much as I do…,” muttered Eugene.

“…What are you talking about?” asked Carmen with narrowed eyes.

The Dark Room was special, and Eugene couldn’t think of an immediate solution to defeat the phantom. Therefore, he wanted to take this as an opportunity to train and improve himself while challenging the phantom a few more times. However, in that case, Eugene would need someone to restrain him every time the phantom possessed him, and naturally, Carmen, Gilead, and Gion would need to step up to the task.

“If anyone is reluctant because it would be difficult, then I will not rechallenge the Dark Room until I am fully confident,” said Eugene, intentionally mixing in some provocation.

“Do not underestimate the Silver Lion of the Lionhearts.” Fortunately, Carmen immediately fell for it. No… rather than falling for the provocation, her pride as a warrior had been ignited. “If you challenge the Dark Room repeatedly, it will be a good, rare opportunity to train for Gilead, Gion, and me. Although the three of us worked together to overpower you, we were immature due to our inexperience in fighting together. However, it will be less difficult next time since we will be used to working together. Once I get used to it, I alone will suffice.”

“As expected of Lady Carmen,” said Eugene, clapping appreciatively. He stole a glance at Kristina. Misunderstanding his intention, she imitated Eugene and started clapping as well.

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“…Why are you clapping, Auxiliary Bishop Kristina?” Carmen asked, bewildered.

“I’m not sure either,” Kristina answered truthfully.

“What?”

Eugene hastily intervened. “No, well…. I just thought that maybe you could also wait in the Dark Room alongside Lady Carmen and the others and assist with divine magic.”

“Ah. Oh, ah… I see.” Kristina nodded in understanding.

“Although I’m not sure if you would be allowed….” Eugene trailed off while glancing at Carmen.

Instead of giving an answer right away, Carmen sank into thought. The Dark Room could be considered a top secret within the Lionheart family. However, Carmen understood that Kristina was special, so she had not hesitated to talk about the Dark Room in front of her.

“The Saintess of Yuras has maintained a close relationship with the Lionhearts for three hundred years. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Saintess is a member of the Lionheart family,” said Carmen. Though Eugene thought that it was slightly far-fetched. “Traditionally, outsiders are prohibited from entering the Dark Room, but the Lionheart clan has been striving to break away from fed-up, useless traditions of the past. So, the Saintess, who could be said to be a member of the Lionheart family….”

“I’m still a candidate,” Kristina interjected.

“…I think it would be fine for the Saint Candidate to enter the Dark Room. I won’t need treatment, but it would be troublesome if you end up injured because I couldn’t hold myself back adequately. In that case, it would be for the good of the family to have the Saint Candidate on standby to treat you,” Carmen addressed Eugene as if there hadn’t been any interruption.

“As expected of Lady Carmen,” said Eugene.

“Leave it to me to convince Gilead and Gion,” said Carmen, flicking her hair to the side with her bandaged hand.

“By the way, Lady Carmen. I have a question about the vision you see before the phantom appears,” Eugene asked suddenly.

“Is that the term you decided to use? Isn’t it cooler to call it the event horizon?” she responded.

“Would you also see things like your past life there?” Eugene asked, trying to ignore Carmen’s comment with a straight face.

Carmen’s expression changed the moment she heard the words past life. “Eugene Lionheart. Do you believe in past lives?”

“Well, I don’t think it’s impossible….”

“You’re still young. I don’t believe in things like past lives. The only thing that’s real for me is me, living and breathing here and now. My existence alone is proof for me,” Carmen said. Hearing Carmen deny his previous life and calling him young felt rather insulting. “I thought you were precocious, but it seems you are still an unawakened boy.”

Eugene decided to stay quiet in the face of these insults.

“I don’t know what you want to say, but I have never seen anything like a past life in the Dark Room. I haven’t heard such a thing from Gilead, Gion, or even the late Sir Doynes.”

Carmen approached Eugene while clicking her tongue, then patted his shoulder.

“So, Eugene. Don’t be disappointed that you didn’t catch a glimpse of your past life in the Dark Room. I understand how you must feel since your belief in a past life was denied, but it’s something that doesn’t exist in the first place.”

Eugene barely managed to contain his anger. Simultaneously, he recalled the previous life he saw in the Dark Room. Something had followed after the images of Hamel’s life.

‘What was it…?’ Eugene tried to recollect the scene.

It had been an obscured battlefield of blood.

There had been a man and a mountain of corpses.

The man had been sitting on the hill.

Eugene grabbed his necklace.

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