“It’s black...but also blue?” Ein wondered out loud.
The black diamond in front of him had a touch of blue flickering within. As he continued to stare at it with great curiosity, he heard his grandfather’s voice.
“Olivia, don’t touch that,” Silverd warned his daughter.
“Of course. You do the same, father,” she replied.
Worried for each other’s safety, the father and daughter urged one another to keep their distance as Ein approached the pedestal—his gaze firmly locked on the Dullahan’s magic stone. After sharing a few words with his grandfather, Ein reached out for the stone. With a deep breath, he took the enshrined stone into his grasp. As he exhaled, the boy’s concentration shifted to pouring all of his will into the diamond. To become stronger, Ein must do something that only he could do: absorb the stone’s power.
“The Dullahan’s magic stone will surely assist you in the future. For a while now, I’ve thought that this stone exists for that purpose alone,” Olivia said.
Meeting her affectionate smile, Ein nodded and shifted his focus back onto his palm. As he prepared to absorb the stone’s power, he heard a mysterious voice. The voice didn’t belong to his mother or grandfather, so he thought that he must’ve imagined it.
“All right, I’ll begin,” the boy said.
With a large gulp, he relinquished all of his senses to the item on his palm. He felt his senses growing sharper and stone growing warmer along with them. Once Ein began absorbing, a surprising incident occurred.
Huh?! Why?! What’s...going on?!
The Dullahan’s magic stone seemed to have a mind of its own. In contrast to Ein’s intentions, it seemed to be pouring its magic into the boy. Then suddenly...
“Ugh! Wh-What?!” Silverd cried.
An immense maelstrom of pressure blasted out of the stone.
“Olivia! Stand behind me!” Silverd yelled.
“F-Father?!” Olivia gasped.
Quickly stepping back, the king raised his sturdy arms to protect his daughter. For Ein, it was just a weak gust of wind that blew his bangs aflutter. Then, a light, as brilliant as a crack of lightning shone from the stone, combining with a vortex of wind to create a fog of blue and black smoke that engulfed the boy.
Wait, wait, wait! Will I be okay? he thought.
Contrary to his wishes to simply absorb it, the power of the Dullahan’s magic stone poured itself into Ein. The fog was slowly absorbed into his body, filling him with an overwhelming sensation of omnipotence.
“Ein, if you feel anything odd, let go of the stone immediately!” Silverd yelled.
It was the first time Ein had heard the king raise his voice to him, but his grandfather’s actions came from genuine fear for the boy. The blinding light soon faded to purple, joining the fog that surrounded Ein.
“I-I know, but...” Ein stammered.
Try as he might, he couldn’t let go of the item, as if it were glued to his palm. Seemingly in response to the boy’s anxiety, the stone generated an odd warmth.
Does this mean I’ll be okay?
The brilliant light and strong winds gradually died down with the remaining fog that surrounded Ein dissipating into the air. The only thing that remained was a bolt of lightning that ran along his body, which also disappeared into him after a few final flashes of light.
“I-Is it over?” the king asked.
“It seems to be, father,” Olivia replied.
As though they’d just returned from an intense battle, a wave of calm silence suddenly rushed over the three. Ein slowly returned the stone to the pedestal and turned towards his approaching mother and grandfather.
“I’m sorry for making you worry,” he said as he clenched his fists to confirm his newfound power. A sense of accomplishment filled his face. “I think it was a success. My body is filled with energy like never before.”
It was like he was born again—all five of his senses felt completely renewed. Although the king and his daughter were concerned with what they had just seen, Ein didn’t seem to be too troubled by it. Silverd felt the tension leave his body and let out a hearty laugh that deepened the wrinkles on his face.
“Ha ha ha! But of course! You’ve absorbed the power of a legendary monster, after all!” Silverd said.
Olivia giggled. “It’s just as your grandfather says! You’re even more wonderful now, Ein.”
She brought her hand to her mouth and smiled as she slowly went to her son’s side. She gently stroked his hair before bringing him in close to her for a hug. Following this expression of his mother’s love, Ein removed a card from his inside pocket to show off his newfound strength.
Huh, the Dullahan’s magic stone tastes like coffee. Not that I’m complaining—it tastes good. A rich aroma accompanied by a thick texture had tickled his palate and coursed through his body. Its scent was luxurious while its taste put him at ease.
“The Dullahan’s armor requires magical power, and has been created with the use of a skill. Ein, you might be able to utilize that item as well!” Silverd said.
Brimming with excitement at the king’s words, Ein’s eyes sparkled as he turned his attention to the card. He gazed at his stats, the numbers indicating that he’d become way too strong. He couldn’t help but smile at the news. He was suddenly hit by a flashback of the life he had lived up to now, struck by a memory of his life living under the roof of the count who disinherited him. I was terrified as to what my fate would be once my younger brother was declared to be father’s successor. He couldn’t help but feel a little sentimental looking back at the moments that led him to today.
Though Ein’s life had been filled with its ups and downs, it might have all really started that one time he met God. God was pretty easy to talk to, Ein thought, thinking back.