"And we must take away his memories."
"What...?"
Only after claiming him as her own did the Goddess of Fate speak these other words.
"And all the connections he made before must be severed."
Only after the deal was sealed did the warnings come, causing a strong backlash from Eleonora.
"That's absurd! This isn't what we discussed!"
In fury, Eleonora was the first to challenge Morione, her voice sharp as a blade.
"What do you mean we have to sever all previous relationships?!"
Unable to accept the reality, Erina too raised her voice in protest.
However, for some reason... Mir and Miru remained silent, looking with different expressions. Mir seemed to harbor her own thoughts, seemingly unable to voice them, while Miru appeared sunken in guilt and regret, not daring to speak. Perhaps because she had been warned repeatedly in the past. She had been told not to intervene, that her continued involvement would only hasten his downfall. If she hadn't been in Izari, he wouldn't have been taken by the ancient god, leading to his death. If she hadn't met him in the first place, the curse she had passed onto him wouldn't have led to this disaster. Overwhelmed by regret and guilt, she remained silent.
"Nevertheless, you should know the reason. Up to now, Harold has been greatly corrupted because of the curse."
Despite the pushback, Morione confidently responded, raising her voice.
"You know, Eleonora, how tainted his inner self is... You are a divine being, but for mortals, once their soul is tarnished, it becomes irreversible like a crumpled paper."
Just as a crumpled piece of paper retains its creases, no matter how much you try to smooth it out, a mortal's soul can also be permanently scarred. Eleonora and Erina's expressions gradually sank into despair as they processed Morione's words.
"So, we need to give him an entirely different life, gather all the traces of his previous life, including his memories, and purify them gradually."
Both Eleonora and Erina seemed to understand Morione's logic, their faces sinking further into despair.
"Really... do we have to take everything away? Does that mean we can't be connected to him anymore?"
Eleonora, trying to grasp any strand of hope, cautiously asked.
"How long...?"
She had made up her mind. Having lived for an eternity, she was accustomed to loneliness.
"20 years."
For a deity, 20 years might not seem that long. But for a human...
"20 years, you say?"
It was an incredibly long time.
"Does that mean we can't meet Harold during that time?"
Erina, feeling this was an unjust condition, pleaded with Morione, her face a mix of disbelief and desperation.
"Harold has lost his memories. It's best to avoid situations where past memories might resurface, especially with cherished items or people he was close to. If things go wrong, the issues we've painstakingly resolved could get worse."
This meant that it wasn't entirely impossible. It could be interpreted that it might be okay to watch him from afar or have a brief accidental encounter.
"If you want to meet him, you'll have to act as if you're strangers, because to him, you are."
"It's like he's starting his life anew, so you should start your relationship from scratch. But avoiding meeting him would probably be the best solution."
With those words, silence enveloped the room. Everyone seemed to be struggling to maintain their sanity and accept the reality. "Now, at the very least, say your final farewells. Even though he won't be aware, it might comfort you to speak your last words to him."
Morione's words broke the silence, casting a heavy atmosphere over everyone.
Upon hearing this, Miru was inconsolable.
"Brother! I'm so sorry!"
Mir, resembling her, was oddly calm, but he didn't look happy.
"See you later..."
Erina also released all the pent-up sorrow, making a confession that he wouldn't feel.
"It will be lonely and painful without you... but I'll look forward to the day I can see you smiling again."
Lastly, only Eleonora remained.
"My knight..."
She was clearly crying, but for some reason, she whispered with a faint smile.
"In 20 years, you'll be a bit older, perhaps middle-aged?"
She gently caressed his forehead as she embraced him.
"By then, you might have grown a beard and have a few wrinkles."
She smiled lovingly at him, expressing her unwavering commitment.
"Even so, I will still love you, Harold. Regardless of how you look, you are my only devotee and my knight in shining armor..."
With a soft kiss on his forehead, Eleonora signified their temporary farewell and released him from her embrace.
"Stay healthy..."
Once everyone had said their piece, Morione lifted the now awakened man and began to share some of the plans for the future.
"If he wakes up, I'll first check his health with some simple activities, and then..."
She seemed to gaze into the distance as if looking far away.
"I'll have him attend the Academy. Thanks to your oath, he has a high aptitude for magic but lacks proper technique."
For him, who needs to live a different life, who hasn't been able to properly utilize the power he has, and for the uncertain future, attending the Academy was a good direction in many ways.
Morione looked around.
The main road was still ablaze from the fires, surrounded by fallen bodies and fresh bloodstains. Yet, there were no more screams.
"The night of horror is over."
The Goddess of Fate, sensing the end, made her final declaration and vanished, taking him with her. "Now, Harold, tell me about yourself."
Suddenly, the goddess asked me to introduce myself, catching me off guard.
"Morione? Why are you suddenly asking about me?"
Although I questioned her motives, I saw no reason to refuse, so I shared my personal details.
"Harold Wicker, from a rural village called Landroll, moved to the capital and became a devotee of Morione."
Upon summarizing who I was, she nodded in satisfaction and smiled.
"The Harold I know, indeed."
I couldn't grasp the context of the conversation.
"So, who am I supposed to be..."
"You've been acting strangely lately, haven't you? Saying things like you've forgotten something or feeling uneasy. I wanted to make sure you were indeed my knight."
Admittedly, I was the one who had been saying strange things.
"I apologize..."
I bowed my head in apology, but as always, she forgave me with a smile.
"Hehe, it's okay."
She then handed me an elegant-looking letter.
"What is this?"
She winked exaggeratedly and called it a gift.
"You will now attend the most prestigious Academy in the kingdom. I've written a recommendation for you to transfer there. Enjoy your time!"
Suddenly attending the Academy seemed a bit abrupt.
"The Academy?"
Noticing my puzzled expression, she explained the reason for sending me there.
"Your magical abilities are excellent, but perhaps due to your rural upbringing, your education might have been lacking. While you possess many spells and techniques, your mana level is quite low."
So, she wrote the recommendation out of her wish for me to become stronger? Such thoughts brought forth a wave of emotion.
"Thank you, Morione. I understand the intentions of the goddess and am deeply grateful for her consideration."
Bowing deeply to convey sincere gratitude, she waved her hand dismissively with a light-hearted smile, as if to say it was nothing.
"After all you've done for me, consider this a reward."
With that said, she flicked her fingers, and the doors to the temple began to open.
"A carriage is waiting outside the temple. You'll be heading straight to the Academy. All admission procedures have been taken care of. If you leave now, you can even attend the afternoon classes."
"Thank you so much. I promise to show growth every day!"
Declaring this confidently, with a bright face to her, she reciprocated with a warm gaze.
"Go ahead."
As her words fell, I took my steps, heading towards the door that seemed to shimmer with a dazzling light.
The Academy... It felt like it's been a while since I've experienced such structured societal life.
Relationships formed in a place of learning always have their unique charm.
With a heart full of anticipation and excitement, my steps felt lighter than usual.