After that, we left Maynard without much talk. While we were glad to have finished our mission, losing Shiro — who had been our companion despite not being able to speak — weighed heavily on us, draining any desire for light conversation.
Though our original plan was to stop back in Dal Canto’s palace once again for another celebratory party, things had become awkward because of the incident in Fatna. Instead of making a proper stop, His Highness wrote a letter announcing the purification of the Cristallo Sacro and left it at the gate before we hurried off. Everyone seemed relieved at the news that we wouldn’t be going back to Fatna. The incident had left everyone with a bad aftertaste.
“Are we going to stop in Vatis too?” Maria asked.
“No.” The prince shook his head. “King Herbert will send word, so we’ll head straight back to Banfield. Since we were supposed to stop in Dal Canto last after leaving Maynard, it was going to be up to them to let everyone know. News will spread much faster via fast messengers rather than us stopping everywhere. Plus, with all of the monsters gone, everyone will know soon enough.”
“So we’re going straight to Banfield, huh.”
“Yeah. Once we return, we’ll commission the Academy to create another magic crystal to send you home.”
“Um, about that. I was thinking... You might be able to use Shiro’s Crystal,” Eric said, chiming into the prince and Miss Maria’s conversation.
Miss Maria’s hand flew to her chest at the mention of ‘Shiro’s Crystal.’ There hung the stone that Shiro left behind, wrapped in a braided cord. While His Highness held the ‘Drop of the Cristallo Sacro’ that was needed to send Miss Maria home, she kept Shiro’s stone as a necklace, keeping it as close as she used to hold him.
But would she be able to use it to go home?
“Since I haven’t got the right instruments, I can’t be completely sure, but I can feel some pretty strong mana coming from it. So I was thinking it might actually be enough to send you home with.”
Miss Maria gripped the stone tightly as she listened to Eric’s explanation. So she’d be able to go home sooner if she used Shiro’s power. I got a bit choked up when I realized how close our parting was. I’d have to say goodbye to another person important to me, right after we lost Shiro. I wanted to send her off with a smile, but I didn’t know if I could manage anymore.
I must not have looked good after Eric’s words, because Miss Maria noticed, and came over to me from her spot beside the prince. “Lucia! Can you use Soap on me again, please?”
“Soap?”
“Yeah, I want a pick-me-up! It’s been a while since I last got you to do it. You can, right?” She begged with a wink.
Sir Gaius burst out laughing. “You really love that stuff, don’t ya! Haven’t heard that from you in a while.”
“Don’t say it like that, Gai! It’s fine, right? Pleeeeease, Lucia?”
“Ah... Okay. Soap!” I had no reason to say no, so I cast it for the first time since we left Maynard. “...Huh?”
Nothing happened when I cast it, shocking everyone, including me. Hmm? I cast it normally, right? Am I out of mana? No, I feel absolutely fine.
“S-Soap...”
I tried casting it again, being careful with my pronunciation, but nothing happened. It was almost like I couldn’t use magic...
“Wait, Lucia, here!” Eric rushed to pull the scale and mana recovery potions from his bag.
I put the scale in my mouth immediately, but the marker didn’t move an inch, unlike before. Shooting the tiny mage a worried look, he wordlessly passed over the mana recovery potion. I chugged it down, not even thinking about the taste, before putting the scale back in my mouth, but... The marker stayed right at the bottom. There was no movement at all.
“Why...” I whimpered.
My shoulders slumped, and Sir Celes silently pulled me close as I shook. What was happening? Why would I suddenly stop being able to cast it? My Soap had always been with me for as far back as I could remember. I’d never thought that I’d ever lose it.
“Maybe... Maybe it’s because the Cristallo Sacro have been purified,” he murmured.
“Eh?”
I looked up at him as he looked back at me with the sky-blue eyes I loved.
“If you think about it as if you had your powers for purifying the trees...”
“It disappeared because your duty is done?” Eric continued, finishing Sir Celes’s sentence.
“What about my power, then?” Moving her eyes from me to her own two hands, Miss Maria muttered to herself, eyebrows furrowed. “Orb of Light!”
A bright ball of light appeared as her voice echoed loudly.
“Ah...”
“The Sacred Maiden can still use her magic...” Eric trailed off as he stared at the ball.
Lord Reynard chimed in with, “Maybe that is because her duty isn’t finished in her own world?”
My magic disappeared, but Miss Maria’s hadn’t. Seeing the difference made me gasp. After that, no matter how long I waited, or how many potions I drank, my Soap was still gone.
A few days later, after absolutely no movement on the scales, Eric reluctantly put an end to our measuring attempts and accepted Sir Celes’s theory as fact.
“It’s really gone...”
I stared into space as I swayed on the back of Sir Celes’s horse, and he squeezed me tighter. It made me happy to know that he was thinking of me, even without saying anything. I leaned back against him, appreciating his feelings. It was nice to have someone who you could be affectionate with. I never realized how calming it is to be with someone you can just cuddle.