We were met by a wave of cheers as we stepped out on the balcony in the front of the castle. The royal couple waved elegantly, but I was shaking nervously from the pressure of being somewhere I wasn’t used to being!
“Everyone! I’m about to head on home!” she shouted with a wave.
The crowd went silent. Though they had been told that she was going home in advance, it was still a great shock. I could even see some people covering their faces with their hands.
“But don’t worry, I’ll definitely be back! I’ll return home, learn lots of things to help this world, and come back as your Queen!”
The crowd erupted in response this time, with a mixture of murmurs and their own shouts in response. Some said thank you, some asked her not to go, some told her that they’d wait, but they all melted into cheers in the end.
Miss Maria stepped back, and His Majesty moved forward in her place. He called out to the people, speaking calmly, “The Sacred Maiden from another world did everything she could to save ours, despite being summoned here against her will. There isn’t much we can do to repay her but send her to the world she came from. But, she has sworn to return to us, and of her own free will. I promise you all that I will remember my thanks towards her and work towards improving our country until the day she returns to us!”
The cheers swelled up again at his words, but he held up a hand to silence them, continuing.
“Both the past King and I, and the people around us, committed grave sins against both Maria, the Sacred Maiden from another world, and Lucia, the Sacred Maiden from ours. I would like for all of you to remember this day, so that the same tragedy is never repeated. I swear that I will devote my entire life to the world that the Sacred Maidens saved. I will also ban the summoning of Sacred Maidens, so that a tragedy like this will never befall them again. Even if the Cristallo Sacro are defiled once more, there will definitely be another Sacred Maiden in our own world. We will protect our world with our own hands, instead of calling forth another Sacred Maiden to ours without her consent. This is our duty as citizens of our world.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Once Miss Maria’s final address was over, we all headed towards the room where she was summoned, hearing the people behind us.
It was finally time. I must not have been the only one to think that, because a quiet tension filled the air. There wasn’t even a peep from the usually lively Sir Gaius or Eric. “The Room of Beginnings,” as it was called, was at the top of a tower close to the chapel where our wedding ceremony was held. Climbing the thin spiral staircase in single file, we finally arrived at the small room. It was so small that it could barely contain all eight of us together.
“Okay, Sacred Maiden. Stand on top of the magic circle.”
“Wait, Eri-kun! Let me say goodbye properly!”
Interrupting him as he was about to begin the ritual of return, Miss Maria hugged all of us in turn. First, His Majesty. Then Sir Agliardi, Lord Reynard, Sir Gaius, Eric, Sir Celes, and finally, me. She spoke to all of us, regretting our parting.
“Lucia, I’m giving this to you,” she said, pulling a small notebook out of her pocket.
The cover of the small gray notebook was a smooth material I’d never seen before. I wonder what the strange glyphs on it mean?
Turning the book over, there was a very elaborate portrait of Miss Maria on the back. The image seemed as if it would come alive at any time. I didn’t think a human could make something like this. As I stared at the tiny image in shock, Miss Maria laughed.
“That’s a photo. You’ve never seen one before?”
“A photo?”
“Yeah, I told you about them before, right? This is my student notebook. I really shouldn’t be giving this to anyone, but this is all I have, so I want you to keep it.”
“You’d give something that important to me...! Shouldn’t you be giving this to His Majesty?”
“No, I want you to have a picture of me. I already gave Ed something important yesterday! Look at this and remember me, okay? Don’t forget about me.”
“I would never forget you!” I exclaimed.
“Okay, that’s a promise! Oh, let me take a picture of all of us! My smartphone is still charged. I might not have a signal, but I can still take photos! C’mon, everyone, group up!”
✦ ✦ ✦
After pushing the notebook into my hands, she pulled a small rectangular object from her pocket and called everyone over. When we got closer, she slid her fingers across the object. We were shocked enough at the image changing as she did, but we were all stunned to silence when we could suddenly see ourselves in it.
“WHAT IS THAT!?” Eric shouted, eyes sparkling.
“It’s a camera. This is what you take photos with. And I’m not giving this to you. I’m taking one so I have something to look at back in my world!” Miss Maria explained, pushing him backwards. He pouted, but she ignored him, instead yelling that she was “taking it.”
After making some strange wooshing sounds, Miss Maria lowered the object, touching it with her fingers again.
“Okay, that looks good! When I come back, I’ll bring you all a copy. You guys can all see it then.”
She smiled, satisfied, before stretching herself out again.
“Now let’s get me home!” she declared as she sauntered over to the magic circle.
Kneeling, she put her left hand on the round stone in the center of the circle, holding the necklace with the Drop of the Cristallo Sacro and Shiro’s stone out with her right. Once the Drop touched the summoning stone, she’d be sent back to her own world.
We all swallowed hard as we watched her turn towards us. She didn’t even try to hide her tears as she spoke.
“I’m glad I came to this world... Thank you...everyone. I’ll be back, so just wait for me. See you all later!”
And with that, she touched the crystal in her right hand to the stone in her left. The room filled with dazzling white light. It was just like her light magic, and Shiro’s scales.
“Mari, thank you! I’ll be waiting!”
I didn’t know if she heard me. Leaving us with a teary smile, she disappeared into the light.