Monar and Aslan walked along the outskirts of the ruined house. The dark elf held his magical staff with the only hand he had left while sensing the energy around him.

Even though he was blind, he could still "see" without needing eyes, but that required intense concentration, along with all the disadvantages that came with it.

"You sacrificed a large part of your memories? I’m sorry to hear that. It must be difficult for you," Aslan said, walking close enough to help Monar if needed.

"Yes. Most of my childhood is gone forever. The Lord of Green is always demanding when it comes to granting me power, so it’s unavoidable. Besides, I can always read my diary to remember the important things, but from my perspective, that wouldn’t truly be my past anymore."

"Memories are the most precious thing a person has, so throwing them away must have been extremely difficult."

"Sometimes sacrifices have to be made. And, to be honest, I’d rather sacrifice my memories than my life."

Aslan smiled sadly.

"I wish nobody had to sacrifice themselves for anything, but that is life. That is the path of true men."

Suddenly, a "poof" echoed through the area as Mitsuki appeared atop one of the nearby rooftops. Monar, his eyelids still shut, looked around in confusion. This time, it took him longer to realize it was Mitsuki.

"Hello, Monar," he said. His words carried no emotion, just like the expression on his face. "Hello, Aslan."

Aslan nodded, and Monar smiled. Mitsuki dissolved into ash and reappeared beside Monar.

"You look better than I expected."

"I know. Aslan helped me a lot."

The old man nodded. Monar continued.

"With time, I’ll manage to recover my eyes and hand, but for now, I plan to take it easy. I want to return to Luxar to rest and discuss a few things with Lionel at the Guild."

"I see. And Aslan, how have you been? Where are the girls?"

"I’ve been well," the old man replied. "Fortunately, life still smiles upon me. As for the young miss and the princess, they are currently investigating the Curse of Ash throughout the kingdom. They should return soon."

"I can’t tell whether that’s good or bad news, but I’ll take it as normal. As for me, I’ve been wondering: what now?"

Mitsuki looked at the ruins of the ash structure and the destroyed castle with its glowing crystals jutting from the sides. Then he continued speaking.

"After fighting the specter of a warrior princess and nearly dying in the process, I’ve gained a better understanding of what I can and can’t do. So I plan to return to Luxar as soon as possible to stock up on supplies."

Monar raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Why do you need supplies? Are you planning a trip?"

"Yes. That’s the plan."

[ Authority of Cinder: 2 / 4 ]

’I need to obtain the power waiting for me in the other kingdoms.’

Aslan frowned slightly, knowing who Mitsuki truly was. Mitsuki noticed it with a single glance, but ignored the fact to pretend he was still just a normal guy in Monar’s eyes... even though Monar no longer had eyes.

"I need to become stronger if I don’t want something—or someone—to kill me like I’m a cockroach. Though, for now, that’s going to be difficult. I lost my arm in the battle, and I learned that I need the proper materials if I want to restore it."

"So that’s what happened... I’d like to help, but I don’t possess the raw materials necessary to reconstruct an amputated limb. My apologies."

Mitsuki shook his head.

"I think you already have enough problems right now, so don’t worry about it."

Aslan, one hand in his pocket, cleared his throat.

"You’ve changed, Mitsuki Kirishima."

Caught off guard by the sudden comment, Mitsuki and Monar turned toward him at the same time.

The old man spoke analytically.

"You speak naturally with others now. I no longer see the fear that used to linger in your eyes. To be honest... I don’t see any emotion in your eyes anymore."

"Well, that’s something I’m currently trying to figure out. During the battle against Cinderella, I learned how to use the skill Limit Break, and it ended up damaging both my soul and mind."

Aslan stopped dead in his tracks.

"Limit Break? Young Kirishima, do you understand how incredibly dangerous that skill is?"

"I understand it now."

Monar also stopped, his face lowered toward the ground.

"Mental damage can heal with time, but damage to the soul is another matter entirely. Listen, Mitsuki—the soul is like a glass mirror; fragile, and the only reflection of who you truly are in life itself. If that mirror breaks, repairing it becomes extremely difficult. Worse still, if it shatters completely, you become an empty shell without emotions or purpose."

Striking his staff against the ground, the dark elf summoned glowing green particles. Right there before him, an oval hand mirror formed.

"Think of it this way. The soul is divided into two parts: Vital Principle and Spiritual Essence. The Vital Principle, as the name suggests, is what gives life to the body; what makes it emotional and rational. The Spiritual Essence, on the other hand, is what grants power to the body—the immortal essence of a soul connected to the origin of the universe itself. It’s what allows us to use magic and exert strength... If the soul is broken, then both of those concepts are broken as well, and that’s very bad."

’That sounds worse than I thought,’ Mitsuki reflected, his thoughts spiraling further.

"The soul is far too important to life, and Limit Break forces the body, mind, and soul beyond their limits. The consequences of using it are always severe," Aslan said.

The old man seemed to know quite a lot about Limit Break.

Mitsuki sighed tiredly.

"I see..."

But Monar placed a hand on his shoulder, missing a couple of times before finally managing it.

"Now I understand why you speak in such a monotone voice. I suppose you can’t really worry right now, but there is a solution for this kind of thing. Healing the soul is difficult, but not impossible, because the soul is like the most important muscle in the body."

"Lord Monar is right. You’ll need to strengthen your soul if you want to heal it. And I know the perfect person who can teach you."

Clearly, he was referring to Ellegaard.