It was because of this strange passive skill that Mitsuki felt different.

It was as if he could no longer feel anything beyond a faint calmness, but it was all the result of his new skill. Even so, Mitsuki now wondered how long that skill would continue stripping away his emotions.

He stared carefully at the system screen, then looked at the tattoo on his forearm—the information was the same.

’So right now I’m under extreme mental stress, which is why the skill is active. This probably has something to do with my mind and soul being broken. Something about that should appear in the General Status section that just got updated, but that’ll be the last thing I check.’

Truthfully, there was something far more important among everything he had already read. The final notification, referring to the moment before he lost consciousness after defeating Cinderella.

He focused on the last section.

[ You have claimed your power. ]

The moment his eyes landed on those words, the system glitched with pixelated lines and static noise, like the corruption of a broken computer program.

He frowned, waiting for something to change.

Fortunately, something did change. The system stabilized and displayed the full section along with its information.

[ Authority of Cinder: 2 / 4 ]

Mitsuki’s eyes glowed with a dark purple trail for an instant... 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

’This is one of the things I was expecting. Defeating the strongest being corrupted by the curse unlocks the option to claim the accumulated power—the Ash Curse. Looks like I already have two out of four. It’s obvious the rest are in the other two kingdoms of Nemoria that I haven’t visited yet.’

The power was waiting for him, ready to be claimed, but each kingdom was a dangerous trial of strength and cunning. After meeting two of the "anchors" of the Kingdoms of Holylight and Axorhibis, it was more than clear that he needed to kill the remaining anchors to finally gain authority over the Mystery of Cinder itself.

These powers had lain here for hundreds of years, silently waiting for him to come and claim them.

’I need to think about how to reach the other kingdoms. If I manage to obtain that power, I’m sure surviving in this world will become much easier. Besides, I have a feeling each mystery is a clue to finding my way back home.’

What would happen once all the Great Ancient Mysteries fell into his hands? Would he gain enough power to cross between worlds?

Once again, they were questions without answers.

Besides, the truth was that the Four Great Ancient Mysteries were not the only mysteries waiting within this world. Mitsuki was already aware of that, because this world had a long history left to tell.

Every tale would carry its own mystery, and every mystery would bring him closer to the end.

For now, he thought deeply about the cards in his hand.

There were many possibilities, most of them bad due to his weakness and the titles that pushed him toward an inevitable spiral of tragedy.

To avoid that tragedy, Mitsuki needed to become stronger.

***

The rain outside continued, softer now than it had been a few days ago. It seemed the storm clouds were slowly dispersing, meaning clear skies would soon return.

Inside the house next to the one where Mitsuki and the girls were staying, Marco squeezed his eyelids shut as he woke from his deep sleep.

Lying on a bed covered with different animal pelts, he groaned from the sharp pain in his muscles and opened his eyes.

He found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.

He remained confused for a few seconds, but then looked to the side. There was a bed made from branches growing out of the ground—someone had used magic to create it—and Azel was there, sleeping peacefully beneath the same animal pelts.

Marco sat up and touched his aching head. He stayed like that for a few more seconds before finally deciding to stand.

He looked at himself; bandages tightly covered his torso and arms.

He chose not to remove them and walked over to Azel. He touched his neck, making sure he still had a pulse, and sighed in relief when he realized his friend was alive. However, something was missing.

He looked toward the wooden door made of branches and roots, and thought of that dark elf.

He left the decaying room, that place stained with ash and ruin, and continued toward the nearby rooms. It didn’t take long for him to find the only room with another branch-made door, so he entered without asking permission.

There he found old Aslan placing a cold towel over Monar’s nonexistent eyes while he rested on a similar bed.

The sight of that poor elf lying there without moving made Marco lower his head in pain, but Aslan interrupted by deciding to speak.

"Good morning, young Marco. It seems you’re feeling better already."

He looked at the unconscious Monar and continued.

"Lord Monar is a very strong man; a true man. You’re very fortunate to have a friend so honorable, someone willing to sacrifice his life for his friends."

Marco sighed. He raised his head and looked at Aslan with disdain, but upon hearing Monar’s ragged breathing, he swallowed his resentment toward nobles and approached his friend.

He knelt beside the bed.

"When is he going to wake up?" he asked.

"He will soon. We only need patience. Despite being a mage, Lord Monar possesses remarkable endurance. He alone endured the burden of both a god’s power and a primordial demon’s power at the same time."

Marco sighed and clenched his fist.

"If only I had been stronger..."

"Things happened as they were meant to happen, young Marco. There is no value in lamenting the past anymore; all we can do is look forward and strive to improve from the mistakes we’ve made."

"A noble isn’t going to tell me what it means to move forward without regretting the past," he replied irritably. "You can’t say that... not from your privileged position."

Aslan smiled faintly.

"Perhaps I can’t. But at least take the advice calmly and reflect on it. Perhaps, just like Lord Monar, you too can become a true man."

"And what’s that supposed to mean? More importantly, why are we even talking? This is the first time we’ve exchanged words."

"And yet we’ve seen each other a few times in the past. Besides, it’s good to have conversations with the people you look up to from time to time. It helps broaden your understanding of the world through another person’s eyes."

Marco clenched his fist again, but calmed down once more when he looked at Monar.

He truly began thinking about what this old man was saying, but there was something else beyond everything they had discussed.

"Where’s Mitsuki?"

"He’s resting in the next house. Miss Ellegaard and the princess are taking care of him. You should thank them, since Miss Ellegaard was the one who healed everyone’s injuries and saved you from the jaws of death."

That wasn’t good news—not from Marco’s perspective. Owing those women anything was the worst thing he could imagine, but he had no choice except to accept it.

He stayed silent for a few seconds. In the end, he didn’t respond to what Aslan had said. He simply kept his gaze fixed on the dark elf, who suffered silently within the depths of his dreams.