the meeting is to discuss Ursula’s incident and the strange powers she displayed earlier. A heavy silence hangs in the small church bedroom, filled with tension as we all wait for someone to break the ice.
“Ursula,” I begin gently, trying to ease the situation, “can you tell us what happened back there? We need to understand.”
She remains silent, staring at the floor, her small hands clasped tightly together.
“Please,” I urge, “we’re here to help you. It’s important that you speak up.”
Reki, sitting next to her on the bed, leans in closer, her expression softens, “Ursula, it’s okay. You’re safe here.”
After a moment, Ursula finally lifts her head, her blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I… I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” she whispers, her voice trembling.
“I know,” I respond reassuringly. “But you did something incredible, something powerful. We want to understand your abilities. Can you tell us how it happened?”
She nods slowly, wiping her tears. “I felt something inside me… something dark. And then when I was scared, it just… happened.”
Seriel, who had been quietly observing, speaks up for the first time, “What you experienced is a part of who you are, Ursula. We need to learn how to control it together.”
Ursula looks confused but intrigued. “I don’t want to be a monster.”
“You’re not a monster,” I assure her. “We’ll help you learn to use your power for good. Just like any ability, it can be turned into a tool for protection, not harm.”
Reki smiles gently, “You can use it to protect your friends and the village. We’re all here for you.”
Taking a deep breath, Ursula nods, the resolve returning to her demeanor. “Okay… I’ll try.”
As the atmosphere shifts slightly, the burdens feel a little lighter. We all sit in an understanding silence, knowing that this is just the beginning of a long road ahead. But together, we can face whatever challenges come our way.
“Let’s work together,” I say, feeling hopeful. “We’ll figure this out, one step at a time.”
The air feels charged with a sense of determination as we begin to form a plan for Ursula’s training and understanding her powers, ensuring that whatever unfolds, we will face it together.
It’s time for me to start the conversation. Honestly, I can’t predict how it will unfold… well, whatever will be, will be.
“I swear to God that the story I am about to tell will be a secret among the four of us here. Ursula, can you talk about the abilities you’ve been hiding? Even if it’s something terrifying, I promise I will absolutely not harm you.”
Though I started with those words, the room remained silent. It was impossible that they hadn’t heard me, but still, when I could no longer endure the silence that made me want to repeat my words, a response finally came.
“U-um, Chloe-sama, Um, well… uhh…”
Reki was trying to make an excuse, clearly trying to protect Ursula, but he was stammering to the point of being pitiful and not even making sense.
But perhaps it was because of Reki’s desperate attempt. It seemed Ursula finally resolved herself and raised her face.
“…It’s fine, Reki. I had thought that a time like this might come.”
“Uru, but!”
Shaking her head vigorously, Ursula rejected Reki’s restraint.
Then, in a soft and trembling voice, she began to speak.
“Chloe-sama, my body is… cursed.”
I couldn’t help but glance at my own hands. What I saw were the Gray Gloves, which still offered no response.
For me, the “curse” is not something to be despised but rather a partner that is my closest ally, empowering me.
However, the curse that Ursula was referring to was likely something different.
“Is that white mist the curse?”
“Yes.”
“Does it appear suddenly, regardless of your will?”
“No, normally it doesn’t come out. Whether it appears or not is up to me… but in dangerous situations, it can come out on its own.”
“So this time, you summoned it on your own, to protect Reki.”
“…Yes.”
As I praised her, saying “You did well” while patting her head, I understood.
The reason Ursula risked her safety and dashed out from the church, which was the shelter, was that she possessed the “power of the curse” when the moment called for it.
Perhaps the incident with the Crusaders, which was the initial trigger for meeting the two of them, could have ended with Ursula turning Mashuram into a skeletal corpse in just another ten seconds without me needing to intervene.
“But you can’t completely control that power of the curse by yourself. Am I right?”
“I’m sorry. I almost killed Reki.”
“That’s not true! Reki is totally fine, Uru is not at fault!”
But making one misstep, Reki could have truly died.
At that moment I witnessed, Reki was in the midst of being attacked by the white mist. By distancing herself, Ursula prevented Reki from being targeted further, and that was definitely the right response.
However, since I was present at that scene, the process leading to the conclusion might be slightly different. First, I picked Reki up immediately and tossed her into the church. Next, I evacuated and isolated Ursula to a nearby house.
Since Ursula understood that this was the best course of action, it was completed swiftly, and I was able to return to the battlefield right away.
“Right, Reki is safe like this. Therefore, let’s just be satisfied with that for now.”
What’s important is not to preach the danger of Ursula’s power. What’s necessary first are the facts.
“Ursula, can you tell me everything you know about your curse?”
“…Y-Yes.”
She affirms, but Ursula’s expression looks extremely painful. It is clear, contrasting sharply with her usual demeanor, that she is distressed.
“You might have suffered because of the curse. So, if there’s something you really don’t want to talk about, you don’t have to.”
“No, it’s fine… I can talk to Chloe-sama and Sister Yuri.”
“Are you really okay with it?”
“Those who have seen my curse become frightened or try to kill me. Just the fact that Chloe-sama didn’t kill me is enough to trust you.”
With her cold eyes that seemed to kill any emotion, Ursula left me speechless.
To her, I am a man who can kill her at any moment. I thought we had become somewhat friendly. I thought she had come to like me a little.
What a fool I am. A man with superhuman combat abilities must be a source of fear for Ursula. No matter how friendly we might appear on the surface, if she were to be discovered… it must be beyond imagination, the stress she endures.
“I’m sorry. But it’s true that I trust Chloe-sama and Sister Yuri.”
Did I unintentionally show my feelings so clearly that she had to say such supportive words? I feel completely pathetic.
Yet, Ursula showed no sign of caring anymore and began to convey the details about the power of her curse.
“My curse is… innate.”
She clarifies that it’s not due to being cursed by someone or possessed by some evil entity. Apparently, Ursula had been aware of the power within her since she could understand things.
“But my parents were overjoyed and thought this power wasn’t a curse, but something wonderful.”
For the people of Ivrham, it may have been recognized as a holy power similar to a blessing.
“I don’t remember the details. What I recall is that my parents spoiled me for having this power. I can’t recall their faces, nor can I remember how I got separated from them.”
One day, she found herself being protected in a church as an orphan. She understood that she had become an orphan and that she was taken in only after about a year of being at the church.
Ursula’s vague memories may not be so unnatural. If a young child loses their parents due to some unfortunate accident and is taken to an orphanage, they might not be able to grasp the situation in real time.
However, having suddenly lost their parents and having to live in a different place would make such an anxiety deeply engraved as stress in a child’s heart. It wouldn’t be surprising if it turned into trauma.
Nevertheless, from what I gather, Ursula seems to have no such issues. It feels as though she naturally began living together with other orphans after finding herself at the church.
“In that church, Reki was… apparently.”
“I remember a little about when Uru came.”
“I see, that’s where they met.”
“No, at first I didn’t talk to Reki at all.”
“Uru never spoke to anyone and was always alone.”
“So, how did you become friends then?”
“My curse caused an incident.”
At that time, Ursula had not opened up to any of the orphans and had been alone. Whether child or adult, a solitary existence in a communal living space often draws attention. Ursula was no exception.
Bullying.
“But mine wasn’t that terrible. The place had strict supervision, so not much could be done.”
Still, bullying is bullying. Whispering behind her back and ignoring her were normal. She had also experienced theft of her belongings several times.
“I don’t remember well what they did to me back then. I didn’t really care… but I clearly remember the incident.”
One day, Ursula was subjected to more extreme bullying than usual.
“I was falsely accused of stealing a ring.”
And thus, I heard the outline of the incident.
“I’m sorry, wait…”
I felt like crying. In fact, I might be crying a little. My eyes were getting warm.
Ursula and Reki were watching me with somewhat warm gazes.
“What I want to say is, I’m sorry… it might be out of line to say I sympathize with you, but… ah, it seems I’m weaker to such stories than I thought.”
A girl being bullied in an orphanage is a common story, something I’ve seen somewhere before. I know such dramas exist, and I’m fully aware this happens in real-life Japan too.
However, hearing that a girl I had become familiar with had gone through such experiences… the shock of it… I may have begun to feel the reality of the tragic past borne by orphans for the first time.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s all in the past now.”
“To be able to say that, Ursula, you’re strong.”
Because I too had endured painful experiences, I understand the difficulty of overcoming them. I have seriously considered giving up the fight with the Crusaders and just escaping with Lily and Fiona.
“By the way, Reki was quite the mischievous one back then.”
“Nooo! That’s an old story!”
Reki reacted like a college student reminded of her embarrassing middle school character, covering her blushing face with her hands and flopping onto the bed, kicking her legs.
I think she shouldn’t be that embarrassed.
“Isn’t it cool to suddenly knock out the main culprit?”
“Stop it already!”
It seems that stories from those wild days are strictly off-limits. I am very curious how Reki, who used to beat everyone equally regardless of gender, turned into the bright and lively personality she has now, but I’ll let it go for now.
“I’m sorry, let’s get back to the topic. What happened after that incident? Were they all alive?”
“Not a single one died. If there had been deaths, I would have surely been executed.”
That was certainly not an exaggeration.
According to Ursula, after the incident, the priest immediately accused Ursula of being a ‘cursed child possessed by a demon’ and called for her execution at the church.
Due to the severity of the incident, where dozens of children and even adult clergy had fainted, Ursula was quickly brought before an inquisition.
I don’t know much about what an inquisition entails, but from what I heard from Fiona, it seems to be something like a witch trial. In other words, once you’re put on trial, you’re already guilty. You are condemned in the name of God.
“But, Priest Nikolai saved me.”
Thus, my predecessor and officially recognized priest of the frontier village, Priest Nikolai, makes his entrance.
He pleaded for Ursula’s life since she was still a child. Normally, it wouldn’t be accepted, but Priest Nikolai was a fairly well-known figure at the church, so his plea was heard.
However, this wasn’t just a simple dismissal of charges. Instead, in place of her execution, Priest Nikolai took responsibility for converting Ursula and vowed to exorcise the demon and lift the curse one day. It could be said he adopted Ursula under such a pretense.
In any case, Ursula was thus safely protected in Priest Nikolai’s church.
“So, did you part ways with Reki at that time?”
“No, Reki came along too.”
“I was worried about Uru!”
“More like a hassle.”
“Ulu!”
It seems Reki was also quite the troublesome child full of fights, so she was being handed off to Priest Nikolai in this context.
But his greatness lies in the fact that after hearing the outline of the incident, he pleasantly took her in, believing that Reki would surely become a good friend to Ursula. And the truth of that is evident in the sight of the two of them happily playing around in front of me.
“I see, that brings us to today.”
“After that, my curse could still manifest from time to time… but it never escalated to such seriousness as that incident, so there were no particular problems. However, I was warned severely by Priest Nikolai.”
“Did Priest Nikolai mention anything about this power?”
“No, not really. He only said that if I led a righteous faith and life as a sister, someday the curse would be lifted.”
If Ursula can manifest her power at will, then indeed, while it may be impossible to resolve the fundamental issue, as long as she leads a peaceful life, there should be no opportunity for her powers to activate.
“So, it seems Ursula knows almost nothing about her own powers.”
“The curse moves as I think… but it’s too powerful for me to suppress.”
After defeating Dortus, the mist surrounding Reki was likely a result of that. It was clear from the outside that she couldn’t control her powers.
“Besides the attack that turned Dortus into bones, do you have any other abilities?”
“I think they’re all the same… if I make it stronger, it turns into bones, but if it’s weaker, it just makes them fall down, that’s just how it feels.”
“Essentially, it’s the same ability.”
“Also, if I want to hide, I can make myself invisible.”
“That is… amazing. The mist seems to be light attribute, and it might be able to allow for transparency or reflection.”
“I don’t really understand. But thanks to this, in the storage shed, I was able to avoid being discovered by that man.”
I see, that’s right. At that moment, only Reki’s figure was visible inside. She must have been hiding away in the corner of the shed.
“Do you have any other abilities?”
“No, that’s all I can do.”
“I see… thank you for sharing so much.”
When I patted Ursula’s head again, she seemed to be ticklish but looked a bit happier than before when I had patted her. Perhaps she felt a bit relieved after being able to talk about her curse.
By the way, is Reki giving me a bit of a sulky look? I wonder if that’s just my imagination.
“Ursula, may I ask you one question?”
“Ask anything.”
That’s a good expression. She seems to have thrown away all secrets and is proudly displaying her face.
“Have you ever heard the voice of the curse?”
“A voice? I’ve never heard anything like that.”
“I see, I understand well—”
Hearing that reassured me and simultaneously solidified my resolution.
“—Ursula, shall we try to gain control of the power of the curse?”
“…Is that really possible?”
“If you have determination, Ursula, you will definitely be able to do it.”
“B-but… it’s dangerous. Just touching that mist—”
“You don’t need to worry. I’ll be fine.”
Because, I confidently continue, seizing the moment.
“I am confident in handling curses.”
April 17, 2015
Next time will be updated on Monday as well. Please look forward to it.