How the Cult Saves the World

As soon as I stepped out of the carriage, my gaze fell on a beautiful mansion that resembled a villa.

-What a wonderful place.

'...I know, right?'

I replied briefly to Kyros's admiration, then looked down. Just then, an older butler with a slightly formal expression greeted us.

"Welcome, Young Masters. It's been a while."

He was tall and slender, with shiny white hair neatly combed back, not a single strand out of place.

I recognized him immediately, even without an introduction. He was someone who had been by my grandmother's side for decades, a familiar face from Revelof's memories.

"Long time no see, Max."

Sevenus shook hands with the old butler. I stood beside him, quietly greeting Max with a bit of awkwardness.

"Long time no see."

Max looked at me for a moment, then suddenly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He used it to dab at the tears gathering in his eyes.

"M-Max?"

I called out to him, flustered.

He trembled slightly but soon composed himself and spoke, his voice filled with emotion.

"Please excuse my unseemly display. I'm just so relieved to see Master Revelof looking so healthy after all this time..."

Unlike his formal exterior, Max was a deeply affectionate person.

"It's okay, Max. I get like that sometimes too."

Sevenus comforted him.

'Wait, Sevenus sometimes feels this way too?'

No way he cried when he heard I'd gotten better.

Just when I was really shocked at those words, someone burst through the mansion's wide-open doors.

"Sevi! Levi! My dear grandchildren! You're here!"

I looked up at the sound of her strong, aged voice and saw my grandmother. She looked slightly different than I remembered.

'She's a bit different from my memories, but...'

Helena Holden, the grandmother of Revelof Holden, looked uncannily similar to her daughter, Leira Holden. Her silver hair, still beautiful despite her age, her striking purple eyes, and her familiar features made it obvious she was family. The only noticeable difference was her wrinkles, though even these were not a lot for her age, as expected from someone who'd reached the peak of physical skill as a Sword Master.

-Ho. She looks just like your mother. And even aside from appearance... She's beautiful. How fascinating. But something seems...no, I must be mistaken.

Even Kyros, the God of Beauty, admired her appearance. As a transcendent being, he appreciated not just external beauty but the beauty of one's soul. Her clear gaze and dignified posture spoke of her inner strength, although the ending seemed kinda uneasy.

'She's definitely...'

According to Revelof's memories, Helena Holden, like her daughter Leira, was a war hero of the Empire.

'No wonder. She's a Sword Master, after all...'

As a swordsman of rare skill even within the Empire, it was no wonder she'd led them to victory in war.

"It's been so long since I've seen you, my little ones."

Though now, she looked exactly like a doting grandmother, full of love for her grandchildren.

With a bright smile, she ran toward Sevenus and me, hugging Sevenus first.

"Have you been good, Sevi?"

"Yes, Grandma."

Sevenus replied warmly, his usual cold expression softened. With the same hair and eye color as hers, it was obvious they were family.

'I'm a bit different though.'

After hugging Sevenus, she approached me slowly, arms open.

"My dear little Levi."

I thought she'd hug me immediately, but she took my hands in hers first, her purple eyes growing moist.

"I'm so happy to see you in good health."

"Grandma..."

"I wanted to visit you long ago, but I was afraid I might break down in tears..."

She looked at me with an apologetic expression before pulling me into a warm embrace.

"You've been through so much, Levi. It must've been so hard... That terrible illness... I wish I could've done more to help. I'm sorry."

"No, no, Grandma."

I hugged her back. Her embrace, stronger than I expected, brought me comfort and a feeling of support I hadn't realized I needed.

"I'm always on your side, my little puppy. You can rely on me whenever you need."

"Yes, Grandma."

-This is kinda touching.

I felt my eyes water even though she was not my actual blood relative, and I stayed embraced in my grandmother's arms for quite a while.

***

After a short or long reunion (depending on how you think of it) in front of the mansion, we entered the mansion. Despite her old age, she seemed to be full of energy, and led us straight to the reception room.

"I prepared your favorites."

On the table in the living room, tea and dessert were neatly laid out, as if they had been prepared in advance. Even while drinking tea, my grandmother looked at me in particular.

"I was always worried about you. But I'm glad your face has so much more glow to it now. Are you completely better now?"

Even though she'd already heard the whole story from my mother, she seemed to want to check with me directly. So I explained to her the 'made-up' version of things that had happened as specifically as possible, and only then did she smile, satisfied. Although I felt a little uncomfortable because it wasn't true.

After a peaceful dinner, my grandmother, who was going to bed early, left first.

As it was quite late, I also followed Max as he showed me to the prepared guest room.

***

-You look tired.

'Well, I did ride in a carriage for multiple days.'

I looked around the antique-style room and answered Kyros.

-Still, it looks like you're having a lot of fun.

'...Yes. It was more fun than I thought it'd be.'

Even though they weren't truly my family, I felt a sense of comfort and warmth somehow. Maybe it was because I'd spend quite a lot of time adjusting to life as Revelof Holden, or maybe I had been craving this kind of family closeness all along.

Feeling connected to a family you've only seen in memories.

Knock, knock.

As I was thinking that, the door opened.

"Levi, you're still awake."

Sevenus came in.

'...Why did he suddenly come here?'

Isn't he tired? Forcing a smile, I sat up from the bed where I had been lounging.

"You don't have to get up. Just stay seated."

"Oh, okay."

I thought I could finally relax a little. I noticed Sevenus. He had pulled up a chair near the bed and was sitting silently for a while.

'What on earth is he here to talk about?'

As I quietly observed him, wondering what could be so serious that he had to talk at this hour, Sevenus finally opened his mouth.

"Levi, don't be surprised and just listen."

"Yes, Brother."

"I'm not sure if it's right for me to tell you this, but..."

"Just say it. What's going on?"

"Actually, our grandmother... hasn't been in good health for the past year."

This came out of nowhere. To be honest, I was a little taken aback. She had reached the peak of physical strength as a Sword Master. Yet he's telling me she wasn't in good health? I did my best to keep calm, as Sevenus had requested.

"How bad is it?"

When I recalled her age from my memories, I estimated she must be around 70 years old. It could just be because of aging, I thought. But then...

"You may have heard of it---it's because of a disease called 'Mana Burn'."

"...I've heard of it."

My initial guess was wrong. If it had been due to old age, that might've been better.

'Mana Burn'. Not only had I heard of it, but I also knew exactly what kind of disease it was.

In this world, everyone is born with 'Mana'. For me, of course, it's 'Holy Power'  While mana and holy power come from the same root, they are fundamentally different---like the difference between grapes and green grapes.

'And the biggest difference is...'

Since holy power originates from the gods, it is unlimited. Mana, on the other hand, has a clear limit.

Of course, not everyone can sense the mana within their bodies. Only a select few are able to.

Those who can sense and manipulate their mana often become magicians, alchemists, or knights capable of wielding Sword Energy. They are acknowledged by society and the nation, and live lives of privilege and success. But, for these people, there is one crucial danger they must be mindful of to maintain their way of life.

'That's Mana Burn.'

Anyone who senses and manipulates mana faces a slim chance of developing Mana Burn. The cause of this condition remains unknown, even now.

It's an incurable disease that can afflict anyone who uses mana.

'And if I remember correctly...'

Once someone contracts Mana Burn, the mana in their body gradually dissipates, eventually leading to death. In essence, it drains away life force, as mana itself is tied to a person's life force.

Sevenus, noticing the seriousness on my face, continued speaking.

"...I see, so you've heard of it. Then, do you know this?"

"What is it?"

"Those afflicted with Mana Burn typically only live about five years."

That meant my grandmother had only around four years left at best. I bit my lip.

I knew about Mana Burn because it was mentioned in the original work, but Helena Holden, from Revelof's perspective, wasn't a character he could meet. I had no idea she was suffering from this disease.

"Did you know about Grandma's condition?"

Sevenus lowered his gaze, answering my question in a subdued, almost apologetic tone.

"...Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. At first, I couldn't bring myself to mention her illness while you were still sick. She also asked me not to. She wanted me to hide it for as long as possible...but now you're old enough to know."

He apologized repeatedly, but I simply stared at him, rubbing my face in frustration. There was no reason for him to apologize---he was only honoring Grandma's wishes.

"...That's all I wanted to say. Just don't let her find out that you know. That's what she wants,"

Sevenus said before standing up.

"Alright."

"Sleep tight, Levi."

After Sevenus left the room, I sat on the bed, deep in thought.

'Mana Burn...'

I wanted to treat her right away. But unlike Malone's disease, Mana Burn was incurable.

'There was no mention of a cure in the original story either.'

Even the divine power of 'healing' couldn't fix it.

'In other words, I can't cure her on my own.'

That didn't mean I could just give up.

This family might not really be mine, but they gave me a sense of belonging I had never felt before.

I wanted to do my part as a family member, but it felt like every path forward was blocked.

'What can I do?'n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

-Child.

When I was thinking about it, I heard Kyros's voice, soft yet firm.

'Yes, Lord Kyros?'

-How about you look into that disease in detail first?

'Yeah, I guess that's the first step, right?'

"Do you think that will help?" I asked.

- Yeah, sometimes, when you don't see the path ahead, understanding the destination can show you the way.

'You're right.'

I said, smiling faintly as I lay down.

'I don't know if researching Mana Burn will lead to a solution, but I still gotta try .'

Finding a cure for something that hadn't existed in any route of the original story felt overwhelming. As I stared at the ceiling, my mind buzzed with thoughts. Could this be because of the hidden route variables? And if so...was it my fault that Grandma was sick?

As I mulled over my thoughts, I let out a bitter smile and spoke.

"Zain."

[Yes, Master. Did you arrive safely at your grandmother's house?]

"I did. By the way, I need a favor."

[Just say the word!]

"Get me all the books you can related to 'Mana Burn'."

[Huh? Books on Mana Burn? That disease? Why?]

"...I need them. Get every book available on the market. Even out-of-print ones. If it's related to Mana Burn, buy them all. No matter the cost."

[I'll do my best.]

Why did Zain's voice sound so hesitant? I sighed softly and added.

"I'll make sure you get extra allowance."

[Consider it done! I'll have them for you by tomorrow morning!]

Zain's enthusiastic reply gave me some relief as I ended the connection. If I could find even the smallest clue in the books he brought, there might be a way forward.

'By tomorrow morning, I should be able to start looking into it.'

I thought this to myself before going to bed. But things didn't go as planned.

Early the next morning, someone abruptly threw my door open.