"A golden apple?"
"Yes, a golden apple."
Haruto was still in the Witch Princess's mansion in Svel. Juvia was entertaining Haruto, the hero, in her parlor, telling him a Midgar myth.
The credibility of the story Juvia was telling him was considered to be incredibly low, but Juvia still insisted on sharing the story with the hero. After all, Juvia was sure this myth was closer to the truth than any other myth in existence, no matter what anyone else claimed.
"There used to be no mana in Midgar. This was because the white-winged folk who lived on top of the tallest mountain in the world, Vanaheim, cleaned up the impurities, or mana, of the world by gathering it up. That is the true form of the golden apple. And people were forbidden from touching the fruit."
"Forbidden… fruit…"
"But someone among the winged people broke that taboo and ate one. That person angered the Goddess and was exiled from the mountain. Having lost his wings, he became a human. You could say that this person who ate a fruit on a whim is the link between the flugels and the rest of humanity. After this incident, the flugels lost their ability to gather mana, causing the world to overflow with it."
Juvia turned the page in the book he was reading from. The title of the book was History of Midgar Part 1: The Secret of the Birth of the Seven Races.
"But… this is just a story, right?"
"Yes. It is. I'm sure no one believes in this story. Even I would have considered this tale ridiculous if I hadn't met her. But the thing is, it exists." Juvia smiled gently as she looked over at Haruto. Then, she spoke of the one thing that the hero party wanted to know about the most. "You all called it a 'secret method,' a way of quickly raising a person's level… Well, that method is golden apples… And as far as I know, the only person in the world who can create them is Lunaru Fenris."
After ruminating on what Juvia had told him, Haruto had an incredible urge to facepalm.
We're screwed. Actually, we've been screwed from the start.
Haruto no longer thought of Naru as an enemy. Rather than defeating her, he wanted to find a way for them to join forces. If I still thought of her as an enemy, I'd be running straight into an unwinnable battle…
In order to get to level 1000 to be able to stand against Naru and the Grimm King, golden apples were the key. But Naru was the only one who could make them. No one would help if someone came up to them and said, "I want to beat you. Please help me."
Haruto once again realized just how correct the path he'd chosen was. We really shouldn't be enemies with her.
"Why is she the only one?"
"That's a good question. Still, I can only speculate about it, since I wasn't alive back then. Do you still want to know what I think?"
"Please."
Juvia nodded after hearing Haruto's unhesitating response. Once again turning the pages in the book, Juvia started to speak.
"Hmm… The first flugel were able to gather up impurities, or mana, and turn them into golden apples in this mythical age. This power has undoubtedly been inherited by Naru. The question is, why did that happen? The criminal who ate the golden apple was exiled, while the rest of the flugels had the ability taken away from them. Thinking logically, there's no way anyone would be left with this ability. But just by looking at the results, it's clear that the ability remained in the world. The Goddess probably overlooked someone. But… unluckily, that person had eaten the forbidden fruit." Juvia then muttered an aside, saying, "At least, that's how I see it," before continuing on.
"That person's children must have been lucky enough to be born with white wings. And, luck upon luck, they'd managed to hide their family's crimes. But their secrets came to light. The person's descendants probably exhibited stronger ancestral blood after a few generations, and the power to gather mana that should have been lost was lost no longer. That's probably the reason for her black wings, as well as the reason why black wings are hated for being taboo. And of course they are. Black wings are proof of guilt. They're a brand revealing to the world that the person ate the forbidden fruit."
"So that's why… Lunaru Fenris…"
"Yes. At least, that's what I believe.… It's all speculation on my part." Haruto sunk into thought with an appreciative hum.
I see. It makes sense at a glance. There's pretty much no proof, so it's hard to say this is all correct, but it should be all right to consider this a good theory. At the very least, it's easier to believe than someone just randomly being born with pitch-black wings and amazing strength.
"At any rate, it's true that Naru has the ability to produce golden apples. All of us, including Naru, used them to absorb far more mana than usual in order to become this strong."
"Umm, the White Princess of Gjallarhorn is flugel, right? Was she okay eating what's basically lumps of mana?"
"You can probably figure it out from the fact that the person got exiled, but the fruit itself doesn't affect the flugels in any way. Their hatred of mana is probably from the Goddess manipulating them. She most likely imprinted the knowledge of the exiled one's cardinal sin in their subconscious, which causes them to feel unwell just by being near mana.… The reason why their wing colors change so much must be because of that subconscious knowledge, too."
Juvia finished speaking and closed the book. Everything she'd said was mere speculation without any proof. But given the current situation and the knowledge at hand, there was no other conclusion to draw.
"Now, how do you feel after hearing all that? I believe you understand why I separated you from your friends."
"Yeah… There's no way I can talk about this stuff. It's just too shocking." Even though they'd come all this way to find a method to get stronger, it turned out Naru was the only one who could execute that method. On top of that, the apples were a symbol of sin. It'd be really hard to accept. It'd be totally impossible for Mitokado, at least, since he was an acolyte with strong faith in the Goddess.
"But you'll have to tell them eventually. And they'll have to accept it, too. I'll leave the timing to you, but I'm sure their worlds will be turned upside down no matter when you choose to tell them. Those are the consequences of this thorny road you chose."
"…!"
"They'll probably look at you coldly. They might treat you like a crazy person. They might even consider you a traitor and turn on you. So, do you still want to walk down the path that leads to the truth?"
I'm being tested. Haruto felt that instinctively. The Witch Princess was trying to get a measure of Haruto.
If he backs down now, then that's all he's worth, Juvia thought. Even if he went down the path of truth, he wouldn't make it all the way. So make me believe. Make me believe that you'll be alright.
Juvia was trying to secretly bring out Haruto's resolve.
In response to Juvia's question, Haruto decided to stay true to his beliefs and answered firmly.
I've never been that skillful at this kind of stuff. I'm just not smart enough for it. So all I have to show is the sense of justice I've inherited from my father. I believe that's the best answer to show who I am.
"My father used to be a police officer. In this world, I guess the closest thing would be a knight? Anyway, it was a job where you investigate crimes and catch criminals."
"I see."
"I was really proud of my father. He was like a hero to me when I was a kid. But one day, my father arrested an innocent person. While there was physical evidence and sufficient testimony, it was all fake… No one doubted it, though."
Even now, when Haruto thought back, all he could remember was his father's expression, drowning in regret. Haruto vividly remembered how worn out his father, who used to be so strong, had looked that day.
"My father… he actually already had an inkling that something was wrong. He thought that they should have re-launched the investigation. But he couldn't win against his surroundings. Everyone else thought the case was closed and that it was weird for him to be objecting like that, so he ended up going with the flow. He… pointed his gun at the wrong person."
"May I ask what happened to the person who was arrested?"
"…He killed himself. My father drove an innocent person to suicide." Juvia closed her eyes as she thought of Haruto's father, a person she'd never seen before. A wrongful arrest… That's something that happens often in this world.
The crime rate of Midgar couldn't be compared to that of Earth. Since people were freely allowed to carry weapons in Midgar, it was easy for crimes to turn deadly. Quick arrests were essential, and there were a lot of cases where it would've been too late if those in authority had tried to gather all the necessary evidence first. The standard practice was to arrest anyone who was a suspect. Then they could take their time gathering evidence. That was why it wasn't rare for innocent people to go to jail. But even if it wasn't rare, it wasn't something that people should've gotten used to.
"My father told me many times to never point your gun at the wrong person. He also said that no matter what everyone around you says, always choose the right option, even if they hate you for it."
"…I see." Juvia thought back to her own past and let out a small sigh.
Those are fine words, but that's all they are, she thought. Anyone would pick the correct path if they could. But it's also common for people to not know what's correct and what isn't. They only find out after the fact. But still. If back then… If one thousand years ago, I myself was able to choose the correct path… If I'd just been able to believe in my friend, I'm sure the world would be very different. Naru might just be the one who can defeat the Goddess and win true freedom.
"Hero… huh?"
I was a coward. I feared Naru. I didn't even try to face her head on. That's what led to the fight one thousand years ago.
But while this boy may be immature, he's fully prepared and willing to go down the thorny path instead of the easy one. His beliefs might only be borrowed, and his bravery may just be an imaginary feeling pushed forward by his regret for his father, but he's still trying to move forward.
"I see… I understand why you were chosen. You certainly can become a 'Hero' to Midgar. Namikaze Haruto."
Right now, Haruto is weak. Instead of proactively charging into monsters like the heroes from tales, he's trying to find a way not to fight. But the kind of bravery this world needs right now is one that's not afraid of Naru; it's one that can look straight at her.
Someone needs to stand against the doubt and apathy from the wider world and the Goddess's control over our hearts, while still managing to find the just path. What we need isn't the courage to face enemies. It's the courage to empathize with them and reach out our hand in peace. And this boy certainly has it.
"So, does your 'correct path' mean joining hands with Lunaru Fenris?" Surprisingly, Haruto shook his head in response to Juvia's question. "No." From how things were going, a person might think that joining hands with Naru would be the way to go, but Haruto and the others were missing one thing.
"I still know far too little about Lunaru Fenris. So first, I need to meet her."
"Hehe. So you want to meet and talk to the Black Empress, feared over all of Midgar? It's common sense in this world that talking doesn't work with Naru."
"But that's not true, right?"
"Yes, it's not. She's quite willing to talk. In fact, she's rather magnanimous. While she shows no mercy to her enemies, you shouldn't be attacked on sight at the very least, as long as you don't do something especially rude."
"Then it's decided." Haruto nodded firmly as he declared his intention to Juvia. "First, I'll go talk to her. Then I'll come back here once I've decided what to do."
"Okay. Then when you get to that step, attach a letter to this and send it to me."
Juvia snapped her fingers. When she did, a wooden bird that had been left in the corner of the room took flight and landed on Haruto's shoulder.
"What's this?"
"A golem I made on a whim. If you give it a letter, it'll deliver it to me."
"Uhhh, how is this flying? It should be too heavy for those wings to carry it."
While flying golems were rare, they did exist—for example, Penny of the Twelve Zodiac Guardians. But unlike her and her large jetpack, this bird had nothing but its wings, and it should have been too heavy for those to give enough lift. Haruto wasn't especially knowledgeable about golems, so he didn't know about Penny, either. But he did at least know that there was no way for the bird golem to fly unless there was some trick involved.
"It has a mana engine implanted inside it. Mana engines are something I've invented. They take the mana from the air and use that to power themselves. Anyway, just think of this as a cutting-edge prototype golem. The plan is to eventually make a golem that can use magic."
Even Haruto, who was rather dull on the subject of golems, could tell that a project like that wasn't on the level of a whim, but he didn't say anything. Being given something this amazing was basically a show of Juvia's expectations.
That was the way Haruto chose to interpret it, so he gave his thanks. "Th-thank you very much."
"Once I receive the letter, I'll summon you with an Xgate. Got it?"
"Yes. Thank you for everything."
"Don't worry about it. This conversation has been beneficial to me, too. I'll pray for your safe travels. Not to the Goddess, but to your father."
Haruto's plan was to figure out the path he should take first. In order to do that, he had to meet Naru and talk to her. Hardening his resolve, Haruto bid the Witch Princess's mansion farewell.
Honestly, I'm scared, Haruto thought.
Actually, both the Black Empress and the Grimm King had become a source of light trauma for him rather than simple fear. As a living being, Naru was on a whole other plane of existence than Haruto. Naru could wipe out Haruto's entire party on just a simple whim or for even the slightest offense.
Even if she just playfully said something like, "Let's test the hero's strength!" and threw a light jab, Haruto would probably be turned into chunks of meat. She could kill Haruto without even meaning to. That was just how wide the gap between Haruto and Naru was.
But I've already decided. I'm going to talk to her in order to find the path that I won't regret taking.
After that, the dog Plue immediately tried to run when Haruto declared that he'd go to meet Naru…
Well, it was charming, in a way.