How much damage is her magic capable of repairing and regrowing? Say she had an infinite supply of magic…would it be possible to regrow an entire body? The healing elixirs from the DemiOracle can heal a lot, but not this much— That’s it, isn’t it?
I’ve just realized something disturbing: the DemiOracle’s power and Aela’s are very similar. No, Aela’s powers are the superior version of the DemiOracle’s. I remember hearing that the emotionless puppet we call the DemiOracle is actually a homunculus made with the Demon Lord’s blood.
Clark’s words flash through my mind, filling in the puzzle pieces.
“The Demon Lord’s objective is to use Elle’s heart and the power coursing through his unique bloodline to resurrect his old body.”
Oh my gosh, why didn’t I realize it sooner? Why am I such an idiot to only figure it out now when I learned about it in the manga?
Saint Aela. Even in the manga, she was the only sorcerer in the world capable of using healing magic. That’s why people called her a saint
And manga Aela only gained her saintly powers because of Lylish. Lylish shows up from the Fairy Realm and makes Aela drink some sort of liquid under the pretense of it harboring God’s power.
I’m in shock over the theory I’ve drawn up after witnessing Aela’s power firsthand.
Then the thicket ahead of us moves.
“Aela! What are you doing here?! I thought I made it clear that I don’t want you taking off on your own…!”
Two people push their way out of the brush.
Prince Guido is the first to appear from the thicket, and he’s the one scolding her for going off on her own. The moment he notices she’s not alone, he draws his sword and shouts, “Why are you people here?!”
Golem follows after him and gives us an equally bewildered look.
Yeah, I bet they don’t have a clue what’s going on. I’m honestly just as confused when I take a look around me. Julius is here, I’m here; so is Sereniel, Regulus, and Aela. With Guido and Golem joining the party, we’ve collected most of the main manga cast, excluding Laurent. Aela’s busy healing Regulus’s arm and she just finished healing me…!
Uh, yeah, I seriously have no idea how to explain this. As I’m trying to think up a good explanation, Aela finishes with Regulus and stands.
“I’m sorry for taking off, Prince Guido. Please sheathe your sword! No one here has done anything wrong,” she says in appeal, but he just stares at her face, trying to assess these bizarre circumstances.
“A-Aela…what in the world is going on? Get away from them first. You’re surrounded by the Four Grand Magi!” he yells, looking at Sereniel and Regulus beside her. More like glared at them. Hatred flares in his keen eyes before he returns his gaze to Aela.
“Don’t forget that they’re responsible for Lylish’s death! Am I wrong? Their attack ended Lylish…!” Golem thunders, his battled-hardened face crumpling with her loss.
Right. Lylish died in Aela’s hands after protecting her from the village-obliterating attack. Golem’s woeful voice brings back the painful memory of what happened only hours ago.
“Prince Guido, Sir Golem…I have good reason for coming here without telling you. You see…I…sensed Lylish,” Aela confesses, her voice weaker than tinkling glass. The color has leached from her usually rosy cheeks.
“You sensed her? How? She died protecting us…,” Prince Guido reminds her.
“Yes. Lylish died.” Aela nods. “She burned up the last of her life energy protecting me and vanished in a spark of light. But then I sensed magic similar to hers coming from over here. So I rushed to the source…” Tears gradually fill Aela’s voice as she speaks until it becomes too hard to say the rest, and she drops her pained gaze to her feet.
Guido’s eyes bulge. “Lylish survived?”
Dismay shimmers in her eyes at his question, and then she quietly shakes her head.
“I…I don’t know. Wh-What I saw was definitely L-Lylish…but it was…Lylish…but not Lylish…because Lylish…!”
Crystalline teardrops finally spill over from her eyes. She chews out the words through her tears, unsure of how to express the truth she discovered.
Guido lowers his sword and approaches her. “Aela? What’s wrong? What happened?” he asks, tenderly putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her against his chest, as if to protect her from us. His animosity-filled eyes flick our way again. “What did you do to Aela? I’ve never seen her so flustered before. What spell did you bewitch her with?”
“N-No, Your Highness! They…they didn’t do anything! I’m sorry. I need to…be clearer…but I’m so confused… B-Because L-Lylish…!” Aela rambles, turning paler by the second and failing to finish that sentence yet again.
I think Aela’s kindness and, most of all, her love for Lylish is preventing her from saying the rest. Or maybe she just doesn’t want to accept the truth.
That’s why, even though it might make her sadder, I say it in her place.
“Lylish was a homunculus created by Analia’s newest Grand Magi, Clark,” I explain.
Aela’s wide eyes swivel toward me. She gives a slight nod and weeps.
“I see. So that’s what happened,” Julius murmurs beside me.
Julius was able to put the various pieces together after only hearing a fraction of what Clark said, but Golem and Guido are in shock because they have very little information about what happened.
“A homunculus? What do you…mean?” Guido inquires, baffled.
“It’s a long story. I have a lot of things to fill you in on, plus Aela must be drained after using her healing magic twice, and she’s crying, and I’m hungry. So let’s talk in detail after we return to my village,” I suggest.
Guido frowns as he weighs my suggestion, but he gives a slow nod after looking at Aela sobbing. “Fine. Let’s do that. You tried to protect us earlier… I’ll trust you.”
After the prince says his part, Sereniel sweeps her hair over her shoulder like a queen. “…I have a lot to ask you about, too. Like the Demon Lord’s true form… You will tell me, Elle.”
“I will.”
And so we trudge back to Elle Village to the sound of Aela’s sobs and a dark cloud hanging over our heads.