Julius's face darkened, the golden glow in his eyes dimming as the realization sank in. "Then this isn't just an external threat anymore," he murmured. "The infection runs through the kingdom itself."
Dave nodded grimly. "Exactly. The devil doesn't need to wage war. All it has to do is wait. The moment enough mana from those bloodlines resonates with the ancient curse, the elves' residual souls will reawaken—and this time, there might not be a way to separate them."
Mereoleona clenched her fists, flames flickering faintly across her knuckles. "So what—you're saying the nobles of Clover are walking bombs, and we're supposed to just sit around until they explode?"
Dave's eyes glinted in the candlelight. "No. We find the pattern. There's a trigger—there has to be. The reincarnation spell wasn't random. It was bound to mana frequency, lineage, and exposure to corrupted magic. If we can identify which bloodlines carry the highest resonance, we can predict who'll awaken first."
Yami leaned back, puffing out a slow trail of smoke. "And then what? You plan on knocking on every noble's door and askin' if they're part elf?"
Jack smirked. "Heh, I'd pay to see that."
Julius ignored them, his voice steady but tense. "You mean we'll have to investigate the noble families—discreetly."
"Exactly," Dave confirmed. "If the nobles learn what's really inside them, panic will spread faster than we can contain it. We can't afford that. For now, we keep it contained to this room."
Charlotte nodded slowly, though her expression remained stormy. "Then we'll need to act quietly. If even one of those reincarnated souls senses we're onto them, it might accelerate their awakening."
Fuegoleon's tone was calm but iron-hard. "Then we must strengthen our people. If a civil conflict begins, every magic knight must be prepared to face those they once served or respected."
Mereoleona smirked faintly, firelight dancing in her eyes. "Heh. About time this kingdom started burning off its rot anyway."
Julius sighed softly, his expression thoughtful yet burdened. "We'll need to divide our efforts carefully. I'll authorize covert investigations into the noble houses under the guise of mana stability research. Dave, you'll lead the identification process—use your analysis magic to find anyone whose mana pattern doesn't match their bloodline record."
"My Analyses magic?' Dave ked confsued, " the same one you used to see William have two souls" Julius replied as Dave pursed his lips'I know the plot just' he thought but didnit said it aloud.
Dave inclined his head slightly. "Understood. I'll start with the royal archives and the mana signature registry. If there's a hidden pattern, I'll find it."
Yami crushed the butt of his cigarette and stood, his usual grin replaced by something colder. "Guess I'll keep my eyes open too. If any noble starts glowin' green or talkin' ancient elf nonsense, I'll handle it my way."
Julius gave him a faint, weary smile. "Try not to cut before you confirm."
"No promises," Yami muttered, earning a quiet snort from Jack.
Fuegoleon turned to Dave. "How much time do we have before this… awakening begins?"
Dave was silent for a moment before he answered. "It depends on us. We can do it even right now. We just need to find the magic stones and use their power to resurrect them." He watched the captains' faces as they listened.
"Then we just won't do it," Charlotte said sharply. "We won't risk bringing those souls back."
"That's not that simple," Dave replied. "Over time, the elves' souls have become tied into the magic that the nobles hold. They don't wake instantly. It could take decades or centuries. But when they do, they don't return as weak spirits—because that bound mana is huge. Each awakening would be like fighting a captain-level mage or stronger."
Julius nodded. "So we don't really have a choice. We must act and prepare."
"What do you plan to do with the my bretheren" William — or rather, the voice of the false Licht — asked.
Dave looked at him and said, "To free your people's souls, we must first awaken them. Then, if they are willing, we can release them properly. Until that point, their souls are trapped in the abyss."
The false Licht's voice asked, "What if someone doesn't want to go? What if they prefer to live?"
Dave's tone was blunt. "They won't have that option forever. The vessels—human bodies—don't last, as it will be incompatible with the Elves soul. Sooner or later, the body will die. The soul will be forced back into whatever form it can cling to. Leaving them trapped only delays a worse fate."
The room grew tense. No one spoke for several moments. The weight of Dave's words hung in the air like a storm about to break.
William — or rather, the false Licht — lowered his gaze. The faint shimmer of mana flickered around his eyes, a mixture of sorrow and defiance. "You speak as if you understand their pain… their centuries of silence… their hatred."
Dave's expression didn't waver. "I don't claim to understand it. But I know what happens when souls refuse to rest. They twist. They rot. And eventually, they destroy everything they once loved."
Fuegoleon crossed his arms. "Then what's our next move, Dave? If this awakening can't be stopped, we need to contain it before it spreads."
Dave considered for a moment. "To do that we need to locate all the magic stones, then use them to properly release the elves' souls—and the devil along with them."
Julius frowned. "Why release the devil as well? Won't that make things worse?"
"The devil's magic is the binding force," Dave said. "If we don't deal with it, the corruption stays. We have to eliminate the devil first." Several captains nodded.
"And only a few people can fight a devil directly," Julius added. "Yami, me, Dave… and Asta—are those the ones who can stand against it?"
Dave gave a slow nod. "Yes. Either us, or someone else with above power the devil. That's an extremely rare thing."
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