The Keeper of Duty
We followed the faint light and walked deeper into the passage.
Before long, we reached a vast chamber and found something we never expected to see.
That's...!
And not just a fragment but a big chunk at that?
What's it doing in a place like this?
You didn't know anything about this?
The Heart of the Star is one of Candle Square's most critical assets.
It's a gem that supplies the vital energy for every living thing on Lavistar.
And the artifact Carnelia stole, the [Light of Dawn], exists to regulate the power of the Heart of the Star.
Strange. Every Heart of the Star across the continent should be catalogued in our database.
But it never mentioned any Heart of the Star located inside these ruins.
It could be that this one remained undiscovered until now.
That's impossible...
There's no way this big one went undetected...
Huh?
The real issue is that the curse of immortality had seeped deep into this.
And through this crack, the curse leaked out... causing what you've seen along the way.
How tragic.
The curse was inside the Heart of the Star? But... how?
W-wait! None of this would've happened if you hadn't tried to break it in the first place!
Stop right now!
Bell looked ready to lunge at any moment, but I held her back and faced Carnelia.
Why are you doing this?
Ah... so you are the one.
The [Captain].
I've heard much about you.
Heard about me? From whom...?
...From a wretched witch, a victim of unrequited love.
Anyway, to answer your question, the reason for my action is quite simple.
I accepted a [quest].
And as a maid of Candle Square, I must [fulfill] any quest that I accept.
Even if that assignment involves the destruction of the Heart of the Star...
Or any other act that can never be forgiven in this world.
Stop talking so dumb!
Candle Square maids never accept quests like that!
True. Under normal circumstances.
But... the reward I was offered was something I simply couldn't refuse.
And that is?
...
Freedom.
The freedom to die.
The freedom to feel that I am alive.
That is the reward promised to me by the [Witch of Favoritism].
Freedom to die...?
What are you even talking about? How is that even a reward...?
Carnelia... You really did lose your mind...
The curse of immortality got the best of you.
And you were driven to commit such—
...I see.
I never expected you to understand.
Bell, you came here to fulfill a [quest] of your own, correct?
Then as befits the maids of Candle Square...
Let us prove our mettle.