Chapter 18: Madozono Mima's Perspective: ~My Niece, Maria~

The story continues for a long time from Mima's perspective, in a serious tone...

I wonder if there will be some humor despite the serious tone, given the difference from Maria's perspective (^ω^;)

Chapter 18: Madozono Mima's Perspective: ~My Niece, Maria~

More than six months have passed since Maria arrived at the Madozono mansion, and to Mima, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

All the businesses under the Madozono family's wings, reported to Mima, the head of the household, were profitable.

Even the results report for the main business, Exorcist Business, showed no serious damage or casualties.

To Mima, it almost seemed as if Maria, the "Saint", had brought good fortune to the Madozono household.

No, strictly speaking, it hasn't been confirmed that Maria is the "Saint".

But for Mima, Maria was now more than just a "Saint."

She was the orphaned child of her beloved sister, and the great benefactor who freed her daughter, Tomoe, from the curse-like "shackles."

And the immense magical power residing within her seemed to be the very embodiment of hope, capable of severing the cursed darkness of the Madozono family and building a new future.

When Mima had Tomoe's female tutor assess Maria's academic abilities, the tutor, unable to contain her excitement, praised Maria's brilliance.

If this tutor, who disliked flattery, said so, Maria's academic ability, even for a child, must be quite remarkable.

Mima felt proud of the fruits of her late sister's education.

To raise her to be a suitable daughter of the Madozono family, she was given lessons in flower arrangement and tea ceremony, just as a hobby, but every teacher single-handedly praised Maria.

"Her composure and refined manners are remarkable for a child."

"I can't wait to see what the future holds for her."

And so on.

As her aunt, Mima was incredibly proud and happy to hear so much praise for Maria.

However, at the same time, a nagging anxiety began to creep into her mind.

Maria was so perfectly talented, worthy of being called the "Saint"....

She was a being destined to achieve a great feat, even at the cost of her life....

Along with the legend of the "Saint" Mima couldn't help but recall the "Quest for the Holy Grail", one of the great epic tale of the Arthurian legends.

The Knights of King Arthur's Round Table all embarked on a quest to obtain the sacred relic, the Holy Grail.

While most of the knights failed or lost their lives, only one knight succeeded in finding the Holy Grail.

His name was Galahad.

The son of Lancelot, considered the "First Knight," the strongest of the Knights of the Round Table.

Possessing the strongest sacred weapons—the "Sword of the True Knight, Arsnil," the "Shield of White, Abdiel," and the "Armor of Radiance, Angelos"—he was a noble knight, even praised by King Arthur as "The Greatest Knight in the World."

Only Galahad, who could only be described as flawless, was able to truly accomplish the task of finding the Holy Grail.

But that was as far as it went.

To manifest the Holy Grail, the vessel of miracles and mysteries, on this earth, a price had to be paid.

That price was the soul of a pure and good human being.

In other words, it was Galahad's own soul.

What a contradiction.

To obtain the Holy Grail, a human soul worthy of holding the Holy Grail is necessary.

Immediately after obtaining the Holy Grail, Galahad was summoned to the realm of the gods, and the Holy Grail, having lost its master, also vanished from the world.

The "Quest for the Holy Grail" concludes with the tragedy of the disappearance of the relic and the death of the world's greatest knight.

Mima sees a parallel between the Saint Maria and the Knight Galahad.

An extraordinarily vast amount of magical power, bewitching beauty, and a mental maturity unbelievable for a child.

A Flawless Being

A life dedicated solely to achieving a great feat.

Mima felt a chill run down her spine at the thought.

(That won't happen, no, I won't let it happen!

I won't let my beloved Onee-sama's daughter to become a disposable item for the sake of the world and the so-called Fate.

I will protect Maria in Onee-sama's place!)

Mima made this firm resolution and began to try to improve her own strength as an Exorcist.

She also ordered all combat units under the command of the Madozono family of Exorcists to report on the current state of their forces and any problems they encountered on the field.

This is to further enhance the fighting power of the Exorcists that only the Madozono family can control.

They must create an elite Exorcist unit that doesn't rely solely on the Saint.

Even in the midst of a great depression resembling a hellish scene of screams and suffering, they must create the strongest army that will calmly protect and save people!

Yes, a future where the Saint bears the burden of everything alone must not be allowed.

Maria will probably become the strongest Exorcist in the world in this generation.

Whether there will ever be anyone who can rival her strength is another matter.

Even for Mima, in her position as her guardian, protecting Maria might be a presumptuous thought.

But it's no longer a matter of logic.

(Even if I can't protect her, I must help and support Maria.

I can't do it alone.

But if the entire Madozono family works together, it should be possible.

To resist the worst possible fate—that Maria will lose her life in battle against the Great Kaima!)

Maria herself knows that in the future, she is destined to fight a powerful Kaima.

Mima had received this report from Kanaho on the very day she ordered Kanaho to become Maria's personal maid.

In truth, Maria, too, feels fear and anxiety about that destiny, as is appropriate for her age.

Mima thought it was only natural, since Maria was only five years old.

Mima, as Maria's aunt, was hurt to some extent that Maria had confided her hidden fears to Kanaho and not to her.

But she also considered Maria's feelings, thinking that perhaps she couldn't tell Mima, her family, is exactly, because they are family.

Maria's mother, Mami, is Mima's older sister.

And she, the daughter of Mima's sister is destined to fight Great Kaima and potentially lose her life...  

Could kind-hearted Maria really tell her mother's younger sister, who had just lost a family member, something like that?

(She couldn't possibly say it.)

Maria must have intended to endure it alone, so as not to worry Mima.

However, she must have inadvertently revealed her true feelings to Kanaho, who was about to become her attendant.

Thinking back, when Mima was little, she used to confide in Sougi, who was her attendant at the time, about all sorts of worries and frustrations that she couldn't tell her older sister, Mami.

Mima reminisces about her childhood.

She had her beloved Onee-sama, and Sougi—and together with those two, she innocently dreamed of becoming a great Exorcist...

But those days, those dreams, were suddenly all taken away from her.

Now that Maria has given Mima her Onee-sama's letter, she finally understand everything.

Her Onee-sama, Mami, was swallowed up by the darkness of the Madozono family and disappeared... and then, she herself was attacked and defiled in a horrific ritual.

If it weren't for Sougi's love and devotion, she might have broken down mentally like her mother.

Shivering at the memories of the past, Mima thinks of Maria and her daughter, Tomoe's future.

The old man, the root of all evil, has been eliminated.

(I want these children to seize the future that Onee-sama and I longed for but couldn't obtain...

For that reason, I must train them both to become top-class Exorcists.)

Thinking this, she intended to rigorously train them, starting with basic magic manipulation training, but.....

On the first day of training, Mima was once again astonished by Maria's extraordinary talent, just as she had been the first time she met her.

Not only could Maria convert magic into light, but she could also imbue that light with various colors, and even manipulate it at will.

Maria had already mastered this skill.

"Onee-sama, that's amazing!"

Tomoe, who had also learned to manipulate magic and started training with Maria, praised her innocently.

Amazing is an understatement.

Maria's magic manipulation skills were already on par with a first-class Exorcist.

This brilliant manipulation of magical light couldn't simply be attributed to her Onee-sama's excellent teaching.

Mima even felt a sense of fear at Maria's talent.

The training was conducted in dim light so that the magical light would be easier to see, but Maria's magical light painted in the void was something like a ball of stars, almost a form of art.

Even Mima, a top class Exorcist, was so captivated that she forgot the physical strain of manipulating magic, and the dangers involved.

"....Ah! Maria! That's too dangerous! Stop manipulating it right now!!!"

Mima snapped back to reality and hastily called out to stop her.

"It's alright, Mima-nee-sama. I can still.... I can still do it...!"

Maria continued to manipulate the magical light, responding in a pained voice.

Mima felt something was off about Maria's usually compliant response, and looked at Maria's face.

(She is smiling...!)

Even generating magical light is an incredibly difficult task for a toddler.

To sustain it for an extended period, and to manipulate it freely while adding vibrant colors, the fatigue would be close to forced labor for a child.

(And yet, a smile on her lips!?)

Mima suddenly reached a conclusion.

Maria must be in a state of ecstasy, her normal consciousness fading due to excessive mental concentration.

(She must be in a trance state, a state of soul-shifting…!)

As soon as she reached this conclusion, Mima placed her hands on Maria's small shoulders.

And at that moment, as she was about to shake Maria violently to bring her consciousness back, Maria's knees buckled, and like a puppet with its strings cut, her body seemed about to collapse.

Before Maria could collapse to the training ground floor, Mima caught her in her arms.

"Maria!!!"

"Onee-sama!!!?"

Mima and Tomoe's cries echoed throughout the training ground, overlapping with each other...

AN:

There are various theories about Galahad's story (^^)

The Galahad's equipments Mima is talking about is completely fabricated (^∀^;)