Another world, Celeste

Chapter Nineteen, pt 3

"Why am I being forced to clean the stables?!"

Roy loudly complains after entering the room smelling foul that the elves back away from him before the smell reaches their noses.

"It's the ideal punishment for you. The waste is flammable, you can't use your fire magic to disintegrate them," says Lord Sol.

Luna adds on monotonously. "If you ignite them on fire without protection, the toxic odour will be released and once you breathe them in, you will suffocate."

"You should be grateful you're only made to clean the stables," Luda finishes.

Maya is checking over the data compiled by the healers and not listening to the bickering noises from Roy and the twins.

Flashback to the day after the tainted monster incident.

When Iris returns from the sanctuary that day, her face is clearly drained with exhaustion and she immediately goes into her room without so much as having dinner and fell asleep. In Iris' room, Maya walks to her bed and pull the blanket closer to her chest. From her breathing, she's deeply asleep and probably won't wake up until morning. While watching Iris's sleeping face, Maya thinks when Lorelai comes to the house earlier along with a letter from the head elf explaining about the monsters' unusual behaviours, the appearance of the tainted monster and the aftermath. The letter also includes his observation of Iris' initial reaction; her sensitiveness to presences which she describes as he quote, "annoying". It is different from how others perceive it when encountering black mana and tainted monster, especially during their first time. Maya recalls what she heard from Luna about the matter with the Rhine. A small trace of black mana was found during its early stages, but Iris never mentioned anything of the sort.

Could it be her reaction is different between active and dormant black mana, or maybe towards mana with corrupt intention in general like the guild cards manipulation incident? The letter also says about how she was clearly avoiding her gaze from the source of the annoyance. What concerns him is afterwards. Iris' grief for the monster's passing.

Maya contemplates the notion silently beside Iris's sleeping figure. It's a relief that Iris is adjusting well to her life here and the villagers have no qualms with Bane, but Maya worries that Iris's attachment might weigh more towards monsters and magical beasts-alike than her very own people. It's because Iris would sometimes talk about her grandparents whenever she succeeds in recreating her family recipes, but she tries very hard to mask her expression whenever someone mentions her parents or ask about her childhood. Every time that happens, she seeks the comfort of Bane's silence and stays with him for the rest of the day.

Only the moonlight is illuminating the room with the steady breathing from Iris's mouth, Maya quietly utters, "I pray to you goddess Celeste, please kindly look after this child. After losing my husband and Lyla, my daughter," Maya pause for a moment to open the locket hanging on her neck, "I do not wish to lose this child whom I adore as a daughter as well."

After leaving the healer's house, Lorelai drops by the residence where Luna and Luda are residing which is also the place where Roy is staying, telling them that the Lord wants to hear an explanation about what happened. Roy at first denied his involvement of the unsealing of the monster then obediently follows Luna to the sanctuary after being subtly threatened with the mention of his old man. Luda shakes his head witnessing the return of Roy's childishness in front of Lorelai even after reaching the age of maturity for a human.