I explained the secret behind the nature magic that had caught her off guard, hiding nothing—not even the evolution of my magic swords.
The explanation was straightforward enough. While Licia clearly thought it was a rare ability, she didn't seem particularly shaken.
"So that's… why."
She looked thoughtful, her mind clearly drifting back to the time we returned to Clausel after the battle with Jelququ. Everything clicked—especially the reason I’d suddenly asked if she possessed a mana stone back then.
"Remember when you asked me that? You really caught me by surprise."
"I’m sorry. I didn’t quite understand the Light Magic Sword myself at the time."
"It’s… fine now. So, do you understand that sword better now?"
"No, not at all. I haven't been able to summon it since that day. Unlike my other swords, that one is a total mystery."
I knew that the power from Licia’s mana stone had been the catalyst. It went without saying that if I pushed that power too far, it would take a toll on her body.
"Do you see why I said it was dangerous now?"
"Yeah. I understand."
Rather than dwelling on the shock of my revelation, she focused on the reason I had kept it a secret. A soft, gentle smile touched her lips.
"Is that all of it, Ren? Everything you were hiding?"
"Yes. I’ve told you everything now."
Having finally spoken the truth, I felt a weight lift from my heart. Just as Chronoa had said, keeping it a secret all this time must have been harder than I’d imagined. I felt nothing but gratitude for her advice.
Licia smiled again, her expression warming as if the secret had brought us closer.
"Thanks for telling me, Ren."
It felt as if the bond of trust between us had deepened.
"And here I thought you finally told me, but you still have such a sorrowful look on your face," she added. "You don’t have to look so pained when you talk about it."
"On the contrary, I think you’re taking the matter of the Light Magic Sword too lightly, Licia-sama."
"And you’re the opposite. You’re taking it too seriously. You can trust me more—we can figure it out together."
Her voice, her cheeks flushed with joy, was buoyant. She looked happy enough to break into song.
"I’m glad you worry about me, but… I want us to have an equal relationship."
"Equal?"
"Right. I don’t want to worry about things like being a viscount’s daughter or the son of a knight."
It was a bit late to change a mindset I’d held for so long, but the shared secret seemed to have sparked a change in her heart. She took a deep breath, her eyes filled with determination.
"—So, please. Just call me Licia."
I blinked, momentarily puzzled. She looked much like she had when she first gave me permission to use her name without a title.
"I’ve been calling you Licia-sama this whole time, haven't I?"
"No, that’s not what I mean."
"Uh…?"
"Li-ci-a. I’m saying it’s time you dropped the honorifics and just called me by my name."
I understood what she wanted, but it was so sudden. I scratched my head with a wry smile.
"Isn't this a bit abrupt? And what do you mean by 'it's time'?"
"The time we've spent together. As for why now… well, I suppose it’s because I’m just so happy. Back then with Jelququ, I thought I was only being rescued, but it turns out my power actually helped a little, didn’t it? Knowing that makes me happier than I can say."
She admitted she’d just been unable to hold it back anymore. I scratched my cheek, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
"Fufu. If you call me by my name, I’ll forgive you for draining my mana stone. For now, anyway."
"Hey, isn’t it a bit unfair to use that as a bargaining chip?"
She wasn't being serious, of course; she was just teasing. I hesitated for several long seconds before letting out a long sigh. Licia watched me, knowing exactly what that gesture meant. I was settling my thoughts before giving my assent.
"Setting aside my hesitation about addressing my liege's daughter so casually, I think I’ll be too nervous if I change it right now. Can we leave the final decision for after we get out of the seal?"
"…All right. I’m happy to compromise on that."
Having secured my word, she nodded obediently. It was a fair enough answer.
"As promised, using my mana stone’s power is a last resort, okay?"
"Wait, I thought you said you’d let me off!?"
"No? I said 'for now'."
"Wow… I’m the one who missed that, but you’re devious, you know that?"
Licia began to walk, giggling to herself. Nothing would change if we just stood around, so we decided to head deeper into the site to figure out our next move.
We waited for rescue, checking our surroundings as the hours ticked by, but the state of the Time Cage remained unchanged. Eventually, our minds were made up.
"Chronoa-sama mentioned it, didn't she? That there’s a magic circle and a relic used to maintain the seal."
"We’re going to see if there’s anything unusual, then."
"Yes. If staying still won't change anything, we have to do what we can. Besides… we don’t have any food or water."
She didn't say it, but the implication was clear: if rescue took too long, we wouldn't survive.
"Ren, let’s go!"
We began to climb the stone staircase leading to the center of Roses Kaitas. In a situation no one could have predicted, we moved forward without hesitation toward the giant divine statues at the top of the mountain.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
As we ascended, the visibility improved. The thick fog wasn't blocking our path; in fact, the view was clearer than when we’d entered the forest earlier that morning. The zigzagging mountain path was long, the kind of place that would feel lonely alone, but with the two of us together, that feeling never took hold.
We spotted a small shrine huddled beneath the trees at the edge of the stairs. Its ruined state was a somber sight, and we stopped to kneel before it.
"…A scar from the war," Licia whispered.
"I wonder if these are remnants from back then."
The stone shrine had mostly collapsed. Though any bloodstains were long gone, I found an old sword lying beneath the altar. Nearby was a white staff that likely belonged to a cleric. We clasped our hands in a silent prayer before continuing our climb.
"The stairs are in ruins, too," Licia noted.
Neither the Demon King’s Army nor the soldiers who fought them remained; their bodies had long since been purified. Only the scars of war lingered in this quiet space, evoking an unspeakable heaviness in our hearts.
Eventually, the heart of Roses Kaitas came into view. After another ten minutes of walking, we reached the final step. The plaza ahead was even clearer.
Giant divine statues lined the mountainside in a great arc, though every single one was either half-destroyed or completely pulverized. A massive stone head lay shattered on the cobblestones. One statue towered above the rest—likely a representation of the Main God, Elfen.
At the base of the statue, weapons, armor, and scraps of gray cloth lay buried under rubble and dust. Licia fell silent at the sight of the desolation. I took a step forward.
(Is that—)
I stopped as I saw a brilliant magic circle etched into the cobblestones. Its intricate patterns shimmered, but sections of the light were flickering or dead. The abnormality was impossible to ignore.
"Ren, did you notice?"
"Yeah. Something’s wrong."
Something was floating at the very center of the circle. As we moved closer, we saw it was a silver necklace. This had to be the heart of the seal, a relic imbued with the power of the Goddess of Time. We had only come to investigate, but the instability of the magic circle was worrying.
"I wonder if it’s broken."
"I don't know if 'broken' is the right word… but something is definitely off."
"…I agree."
"Should we take a closer look?"
We weren't sure if it was safe to step inside, but as we approached the edge of the circle, a path appeared. The stones beneath the magic circle shifted, rising one by one to form a walkway leading straight to the center.
We hesitated for one last moment. But knowing the situation wouldn't change if we stayed silent, we stepped onto the path. I reached out to steady Licia so she wouldn't lose her footing.
Dozens of seconds later, we stood at the very center of the circle. Licia whispered as she looked at the necklace.
"If it comes down to it, if we have to break this to get out…"
It was quite the statement for a Saint to make, but given we’d been dragged into this mess against our will, it was a fair sentiment. I gave a wry smile.
"Haha… setting aside whether we even can break it, let’s keep that as a last resort."
"Fufu—you're right. Maybe we could just move it out of the circle instead. It’s a holy relic, after all; I’d feel bad breaking it."
"But isn't that basically the same thing as breaking the seal?"
"…Maybe, but it’s the thought that counts."
Licia pouted at me, but her expression suddenly froze.
The necklace emitted a blinding flash of light, and the shimmering particles overflowing from it suddenly died down. The relic fell onto the cobblestones, and the light of the magic circle began to fail. The glow beneath our feet flickered feebly.
"Re-Ren!" Licia turned to me, a wide smile breaking across her face. "Does this mean we can go back—!"
The sound of shifting rubble echoed from somewhere nearby.
I sensed the danger immediately. Before I could respond to her smile, I reflexively pulled her close and lunged away from the necklace.
In that heartbeat, a massive crimson greatsword plummeted from the heavens.
The silver necklace was pulverized beneath its weight.
I sprinted toward the edge of the magic circle, holding Licia tight.
"Damn it… What else is today going to throw at us!?"
As we fled, a second crimson sword slammed down, then a third. Finally, a fourth giant blade rained from the sky, aiming to impale us both.