Once, long ago, in a different era.
"Hey, what is this place?"
A girl walking through the city asked the man at her side.
"Would you please finally start calling me by my name?"
"No. It’s embarrassing."
"...It would only take a single word. You just have to say 'Cecil.'"
"Still impossible."
She spoke bluntly, but her shyness was evident. Just knowing that was likely enough for the man named Cecil.
"So, where are we?"
"It’s a city that branched off from the nearby metropolis. A New City, as they say."
The two were walking through a town that was still in the middle of development. However, because of its proximity to the capital, it was growing at an unprecedented rate, and many nobles had already taken up residence there.
As they spoke, they moved down the street wrapped in heavy robes. To any observer, they looked like mere travelers, blending easily into the passing crowd.
"If a knight happens to question us, let's make a run for it."
"There’s no way they’d question us. What would they even ask?"
"For example... about how I took you away by force?"
"How? My very existence was a secret. What do you think the knights would even know to ask about me?"
It was a simple fact; until recently, the Eroding Princess had been imprisoned, and very few people in the world even knew she existed.
"Regardless, they could still declare us outlaws if they wanted to."
"Ah... I suppose so."
Having said her piece, the girl walked ahead of Cecil. She moved with light, rhythmic steps, the hem of her robe swaying as she went.
"But take one thing back."
"What would that be?"
"The part about you taking me away by force. I followed you of my own free will, so don't get the wrong idea."
The girl spoke bluntly again, hiding her bashfulness. As the days passed, she had begun to show him friendly smiles more often, and watching her warmed Cecil's heart.
"...Do you understand?"
Dissatisfied by his delayed response, she poked her index finger toward the tip of Cecil's nose.
The two eventually arrived at a building tucked away in a corner of the city.
"Is your friend really here?"
"Yes. He’s the most important person at this orphanage."
"...An orphanage?"
There was no sign indicating the building's name. The visitors didn't know that the original sign had broken during recent storms and a new one was still being crafted.
"Let’s go through the back. The children should be sleeping by now, and I don't want to wake them."
"...Very well."
They circled to the rear of the building and knocked on a plain wooden door. It opened to reveal a member of the orphanage staff. Cecil spoke with the employee in a familiar tone and was led inside.
The interior was hushed. Perhaps because the children were asleep, not a single sound disturbed the air. Cecil and the girl walked toward the room at the very back of the building.
Once the staff member bowed and departed, Cecil turned to her.
"There is one thing I must apologize for."
"...I’d like to think I’d forgive you for anything, but tell me anyway, just in case."
"My answer is in what I’m about to do. It might be better if you see for yourself."
The two stepped into the final room.
"──!"
As soon as she saw the man waiting inside, the girl—the Eroding Princess—almost let her power spiral out of control.
However, the Promised Item Cecil had given her held the surge back, and because Cecil took her hand in his, the tension subsided safely. From the pocket of her robe, a single Eroded Mithril Coin fell with a soft clink and rolled away.
Eventually, having regained her composure after hearing the explanation, the Eroding Princess peeked at the man while hiding behind Cecil’s back.
The man gave a wry, bittersweet smile.
"It seems you’ve become close with my sister."
"...Why act like a brother now? You treated me like I didn't even exist all those years."
"That isn't true. I feel sorry for Geno."
Cecil looked at the princess's brother and spoke his name. He explained that Geno had devoted his life to his sister; in places she never saw, he had been researching every possible way to seal or suppress her power. Even today, he had wanted to see her before they left the city to confirm how much her power had been stabilized.
"Geno performed an Analysis on items touched by your power, researching how to suppress it. It seems he even sent for the pens you used to use just for that purpose."
"I... I see..."
"I won't ask you to believe me. But—that is the truth of it."
Geno spoke with a touch of sadness and let out a long sigh. Then, he invited them both to step outside.
They walked to the Academy Garden near the orphanage's playground equipment, where Geno stood before a prepared canvas.
"Let me paint while we talk."
"Us? Why?"
"Painting is my only hobby. Surely you can let me capture at least one image of my sister before I see her off."
Cecil and the Eroding Princess shared a look and nodded, deciding that much was fine. As Geno watched the two of them share a peaceful moment, his brush began to dance across the small canvas.
They continued to exchange words as he worked.
"Cecil, do you really intend to never return to the public eye?"
"Of course. I plan to live somewhere quiet with her."
"...Are you certain? For a man of your stature—"
"Geno. No more of that."
"...My apologies."
The Eroding Princess tilted her head at their cryptic exchange. Sensing the weight in the air, she refrained from interrupting and sat on a swing to watch them.
"But if you're going to say that, the same applies to you, Geno."
"To me?"
"In times like these, I think there is great meaning in saving children at an orphanage. But even so, Geno, you aren't the kind of person who belongs here."
Geno laughed softly.
"It is precisely because of these times that I am here. Besides, I can do as much work as I need from this place."
After a while, Geno stopped painting.
"Is it finished?"
"Don't be silly. It isn't done yet. I still have to fill in the background and dozens of other details. This is merely a milestone."
They headed back to Geno’s room. Looking at the wall covered in paintings and the small Altar, Geno fell into thought for a moment. Then, he spoke a sudden, startling suggestion.
"By the way, have you two held a ceremony?"
"A-A ceremony!?"
"──Wh-?!"
Geno smiled at his best friend’s stunned face and the look of sheer shock his sister displayed—a look he hadn't seen in years.
"I take it that's a no. And it seems you had no plans to hold one, either."
As the Eroding Princess’s face turned a deep crimson, Cecil answered.
"...Given our situation, it was simply impossible. For now and for the future."
"Phew... I thought as much. I'm glad I arranged this meeting. If you are willing, I shall give you my blessing."
Neither of them had the slightest reason to refuse.
The Marriage Ceremony held there was a modest affair that would catch no one's eye. It was a secret union that would never be recorded in the annals of history.
But that was enough.
They didn't need a crowd of guests or a grand banquet. All they required was the proof.
"I ask of you, Cecil Ashton. In this Marriage Ceremony—"
The rites proceeded without a hitch, and eventually, the two departed from the city. Geno didn't ask where they were going, nor did he ask what their future held. He felt that was for the best.
A few days later, he looked at his canvas in a corner of the Academy Garden, just as he had that day. As he finished the painting, he spoke to the empty air.
"I’ve painted a good picture."
With a serene expression, he looked up at the vast, clear blue sky.
—This was an event from a long, long time ago.
Something that took place long before Ren would ever find that painting.