The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
“Entering the heart… you say?”
What does that even mean?
The phrase was so vague that it could be interpreted in countless ways, making it impossible to pin down a clear meaning.
Looking around, it seemed the others were equally confused, tilting their heads in puzzlement.
Sora and Luna also appeared to have no idea, wearing similarly puzzled expressions.
“Well, I can understand Rain and the others not knowing… but why don’t Sora and Luna understand? I taught you this a while ago, didn’t I?”
“Um… did you? As far as I remember, I have no recollection,” Sora replied.
“Indeed, I don’t remember either,” Luna added.
“It was when you were young, but I clearly taught you.”
“When exactly was that?”
“Around the time you two could just barely stand.”
““There’s no way we could remember that!!””
Sora and Luna shouted in unison.
“Hmm? I thought I was giving you an elite education from a young age. Strange.”
“What’s strange is your approach to education, Mother…”
“Even for spirit-folk, there’s no way we could remember something taught before our sense of self was even properly formed…”
“Ugh…”
Al looked shaken, receiving exasperated expressions from her daughters.
“W-Well, if you don’t remember, I’ll just explain it again.”
“She’s trying to cover it up.”
“Totally covering it up.”
“Ugh, silence, you two! Even I make mistakes from time to time! So don’t dwell on it. If you dwell, you lose.”
Wiping away a bead of sweat, Al forcefully changed the subject.
Sora and Luna still looked dissatisfied, but…
For now, we wanted to prioritize the discussion about treating Nokia.
“Al, what exactly does it mean to enter someone’s heart?”
“Yes, it’s just as it sounds. Using a special kind of magic, we enter Nokia’s heart and remove the Black Blessing.”
“I’ve never heard of such magic before.”
“Does a magic like that really exist? Are you sure you're not making it up, Mother?”
Due to the previous exchange, Al’s credibility had dropped sharply in the eyes of her daughters.
Seeing their doubtful eyes, Al hastily responded.
“O-Of course it exists! I wouldn’t lie about something like this in such a situation. It’s just a difficult and rare magic that few can use—that’s why Sora and Luna haven’t heard of it.”
“Well, if that’s the case…”
“I suppose I could accept that.”
“Why must I be spoken to so condescendingly by my own daughters…”
You kind of brought that on yourself.
…Though I decided not to say that out loud.
“Anyway, let me explain in a bit more detail…”
Because of the Black Blessing, Nokia had lost her memories—but it wasn’t as if they were completely gone.
It was more like the drawers of her memory had been locked, making them inaccessible.
So, they would enter her heart and destroy the lock.
That way, Nokia’s memories should return.
…That was the explanation we were given.
“Of course, the ‘lock’ is just a metaphor. Something is binding Nokia’s memories, and by destroying that something, her memory impairment should be cured.”
“I see… so that’s why you need to enter her heart to treat her.”
“Nyaa… but, is that dangerous? Will Nokia be okay?”
Al answered Kanade’s question with a serious expression.
“To be blunt, it’s very dangerous. Both for the person entering the heart, and for Nokia herself.”
“First, regarding Nokia… allowing another person into her heart imposes a massive burden. The mental shock could even trigger new issues.”
That would defeat the purpose.
If we cured her memory loss only to give her another trauma, it would be meaningless.
“Also, it’s dangerous for the one entering her heart. The heart’s world is different for everyone, and you won’t know what it’s like until you’re inside. On top of that, the remnants of the Black Blessing may have mutated into violent creatures, and eliminating them will be extremely difficult.”
“Hey, what happens if you get seriously hurt inside her heart?”
“You die.”
“Just like that!?”
“Since it’s a mental world, the physical body won’t be harmed… but the heart can still be damaged—and if it dies, the person becomes an empty shell. As good as dead.”
“…”
It was quite a terrifying story.
So far, all we’d heard were risks.
“Is there no other treatment method?”
“There might be… but as far as I know, I’m not aware of any alternatives. This is the best option.”
Al spoke with a bitter expression.
She was likely frustrated that she couldn’t offer a safer solution.
“Also… there’s one more piece of bad news.”
“Ugh, we’ve had enough bad news already…”
“But we can’t just ignore it. Mother, what is it?”
“It’s not something immediate, but… if left untreated, Nokia’s memory disorder will likely get worse. In the worst case, she might forget even language and common sense, ending up like a lifeless shell of a person.”
“No way…”
Hearing the worst-case scenario, Nokia trembled.
To comfort her, Von gently took her hand.
“That’s how troublesome and insidious the Black Blessing is. Those cursed by it lose everything. Given that, it’s safe to say the curse is still in its early stages.”
“…”
Everyone’s expressions darkened, and they looked down, each lost in thought.
But there was no reason to despair.
Though it had been mostly bad news…
There had also been good news—one ray of hope.
“But… right now, she can still be treated, right?”
When I said that, everyone looked up in surprise.
“There might be danger, but there is still a way to cure her. Right, Al?”
“Yes. However… the one entering her heart faces even greater danger. They’ll be diving into an unknown world and must eliminate the remnants of the Black Blessing. It won’t be easy. If the success rate is even five percent, that’s considered good.”
“Even so…”
I looked at Nina.
She was on the verge of tears, staring intently at Nokia.
It was as if she were silently begging: Please remember me. Please call my name. Please be kind to me again, like you used to.
Seeing her like that, doing nothing wasn’t an option.
Even if it’s dangerous, we have to do what must be done.
“I’ll bet on that five percent.”
“…Rain…”
“No matter how low the chances are, I will save Nokia.”
“Yes! Well said! That’s the kind of human I placed my hopes in!”
As if expecting my answer, Al smiled with satisfaction.
“It’s a daunting challenge… but if it’s you, Rain, I believe you can pull it off. I’m counting on you. And of course, I’ll support you to the best of my ability, so don’t worry.”
“Got it!”
“That’s so like you, Rain. Nyaa, I’ll do my best too!”
“Yup! I’m all in too, let’s do this!”
Everyone’s spirits lifted—
“Ah, I should mention—everyone can’t enter Nokia’s heart. The maximum number of people who can go in is… let’s see… probably four.”
“What!?”
At this sudden piece of withheld information, we all shouted in surprise.
Seriously, you should’ve told us that earlier…
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