Chapter 79 The Stone Summoning The Demon Race
"Maia, do you have any idea about that mother's illness?"
After confirming that Rick and his mother had fallen asleep, I asked Maia in a place away from the building.
From her previous behavior, it seemed like Maia knew something about that mother's illness.
Maia spoke with her head down.
"That is... the 'Curse of Astripias.'"
"Astripias?"
Maia nodded in response to my words.
"Astripias is a snake that was once highly regarded by the demon race. It is an extremely rare species that still exists today. Feeding on its flesh is said to cure all diseases."
It was a story I heard for the first time.
Teti seemed to be in the same boat, listening silently to Maia's matter-of-fact explanation.
"I see. A snake that cures all diseases, huh... But why is that considered a curse?"
"If you feed the sick person with the flesh of Astrapias, they will surely recover. It has been said to be more effective than any medicinal herb. However..."
"However?"
"However, those who consume the flesh of Astrapias will be cursed."
"Cursed... Could it be related to that mother's..."
Maia simply nodded in response to my question.
She seemed noticeably different from her usual self.
"But why do you know about such things, Maia?"
"My mother was afflicted by the same curse. That's why I looked into it."
"I see..."
I had heard before about Maia losing her mother at a young age. The words of her mother during her lifetime had a significant impact on Maia's values.
However, it was the first time I had asked about the cause of her mother's death.
"My mother relied on the power of Astrapia to treat the illness she suffered from when I was young. Based on the information I heard at the thieves' den, it seems that Rick also did the same to his mother..."
"..."
To protect someone important, huh...
Maia might be associating her deceased mother, herself, Rick, and Rick's mother.
She now narrows her beautiful blue eyes and gazes towards Rick's house she was looking at just a moment ago.
"Um... Maia. How to lift that curse..."
In response to Teti's question, Maia shakes her head.
There is no way. That's just how it is.
"In order to find a way to lift the curse on my mother before, I scoured through every book. I searched for anyone who might know. But..."
"Could the leader of that band of thieves know the method that you couldn't find even after all youe research?"
"That's impossible. Moreover, the leader mentioned that the 'medicine' is the way to help Rick's mother. There is no existing medicine that can cure the curse of Astropias."
Upon hearing those words, I instinctively clenched my hands tightly.
Taking advantage of Rick's desire to save his mother, they are showing false hope and using it.
That's what a man named Avengio is doing.
――Unforgivable.
I suppressed my anger and embraced Maia's shoulders.
Maia naturally leaned in, wetting my black clothes with tears.
It took some time for Maia to calm down.
* * *
"I-I'm sorry, Adel-sama. I'm fine now. We need to resolve things with Rick-kun and the others."
Maia smiled, not hiding her swollen red eyes.
I couldn't help but think back to when we first met, how strong she still is.
Accepting her mother's words and trying to move forward as she had advised, her attitude was admirable.
"But, what should we do? I understand that we can't forgive that person named Avengio, but if we continue like this, Rick's mother..."
Teti, who had been worried about Maia until then and patting her back, muttered.
As Teti said, we couldn't forgive Avengio for using Rick. However, among us, there was a common desire to help Rick's mother.
What should we do?
Without finding an answer, there was a moment of silence. Then, I remembered a certain part of the previous conversation and asked Maia.
"Hey, Maia. That Astrapias, it's a snake, right? And it was said that the demons used to favor it in the past?"
"Yes. That's what the research documents mentioned..."
"..."
"Adel-sama?"
"Why did the demons favor something that would curse them if used?"
""Ah...""
Maia and Teti gasped at my question.
"Could it be that the demons knew how to lift the curse of Astropias?"
When I voiced that hypothesis, it seemed like both of them recalled a certain person's name.
That girl Sicily might know a solution.
"But Adel, do you have any idea where Sicily is?"
"No, I don't. I don't, but..."
I cautiously followed my hypothesis with hope, slipping my hand into my pocket.
Then, I took out the black stone given to me by Sicily.
――I remember, Rick used it before...
"(Magic Crystal), release――"
Holding the black stone, I muttered the words from my memory.
Suddenly, a black hole opened in front of me on the ground. It resembled a dark abyss, a sight we were familiar with.
"Good evening, Black-Robed Executor-san. Do you have any business with me?"
A witch hat wider than her shoulders, and a bewitching smile that strangely suits her young body floating behind it.
Standing there was a girl from the demon race, Sicily Grandor.
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