Mami Tomoe was only a junior high student, but living alone after her family passed had given her a level of vigilance far beyond her peers. This was why she had been so cautious.
Lancer had clearly noticed this, so when he revealed the truth to her, he didn't choose a simple explanation. He knew someone with her personality wouldn't be convinced by words alone. He chose a more "blunt" approach.
He offered no extra explanation; he simply laid the "evidence" before her and let her draw her own conclusions. Without a doubt, this method worked best for "smart people."
However, Lancer plan had a flaw: he had overestimated Mami mental fortitude.
She looked mature, but she was still just a kid. She was strong, but she had never experienced the deception and darkness of the real world. Realizing the potential link between Grief Seeds and Soul Gems made her lose control of her emotions.
Fortunately, Kyoko Sakura's presence helped soothe her nearly broken heart.
Looking at Mami, who was crying in her arms, Kyoko didn't react at first. In her memory, Mami—who was her equal in strength—not only had a figure she envied but was also incredibly mature in everything she did.
"It's okay, Mami. I'm right here..."
The contrast between the "Big Sister" character suddenly showing vulnerability and the "Rebellious Brat" showing a maternal side was striking, but Lancer had to interrupt.
"I can't call it a total success yet, but after two days of effort, this Grief Seed is almost restored. However, I must warn you: even I don't know what changes will occur once the negative emotions are dispersed. Please be mentally prepared."
Lancer didn't make any promises, but his attitude actually helped Mami calm down. Eventually, she nodded.
It was late at night, and the residential area was almost entirely dark. But one spot stood out, appearing even gloomier than the rest. This was due to the massive accumulation of negative emotions filtered out from the Grief Seed.
Lancer could do nothing about this. Even with the house's wards active, "negative emotions" were too ethereal to be fully contained. But right now, he didn't care about that.
The only light in the dim room came from the azure "gem" in Lancer hand. Though it kept the shape of a Grief Seed, its brilliant radiance spoke of its transformation.
The three girls surrounding it were filled with excitement, looking beautiful in the azure glow. In contrast, Lancer looked pale, with dry lips and dark circles under his eyes—he looked completely drained.
And that wasn't an exaggeration; Lancer was indeed "drained."
Lancer mana was converted from his "Vitality" through his Runes. Consequently, his mana capacity wasn't huge, but his recovery was fast. The problem was that conversion required "raw materials." After ten hours of continuous conversion, it was no mistake to say he was drained.
Exhausted as he was, Lancer suddenly felt a surge of energy because the object in his hand had completely changed.
The original "Grief Seed" had become a "Purified Grief Seed." Lancer couldn't use it before, but now things were different.
[Purified Grief Seed]
Category: Special Item
Rank: B-
Description: Seems to contain a sleeping soul.
Status: Ready to be awakened.
Lancer strange reaction was clearly visible to the other three.
Mami, full of expectation, could hardly contain her excitement. But then she saw Lancer close his eyes again, and the brilliant light from the seed in his hand softened into a gentle, pale blue aura.
"Dr. Lan..."
Mami was about to ask him something, but a hand blocked her.
"Wait, Mami. This guy looks weird."
It was weird. Although Lancer still looked "drained," a faint smile played on his lips—a look of happiness so serene it was eerie. Kyoko was certain something was off, so she stopped Mami.
Mami watched Lancer nervously, while Olga Marie alone took out a notebook and began writing.
She hadn't been with Lancer for even a month, but he wasn't a complex person. Those who knew him could see the signs. To Olga Marie, Lancer had succeeded; otherwise, he would have warned them. Since he had succeeded, there was no need to worry. She just scribbled away.
"Soul Gems are special 'magic items' made using human souls as raw material. However, it seems their operation consumes the user's positive emotions. Excessive intake of negative emotions turns them into Grief Seeds, but purification via mana might restore them..."
To Mami and the others, Soul Gems seemed normal, but Olga Marie, from a lineage of magi, saw their unique nature. In fact, when she first heard Lancer description, she had already thought of something—the Third Magic: Materialization of the Soul.
In Olga Marie world, that was the ultimate goal of the Einzbern family, who vanished after the Third Holy Grail War. They had even created the "Holy Grail War" ritual for that purpose.
As a magus whose family specialized in Astrology, Olga Marie had no intention of abandoning her heritage to research soul materialization, but for a magus, it was instinctual to study an interesting research subject when they saw one.
Lancer was unaware of Olga Marie trust. His mind was fully immersed in the Grief Seed. The "shell" that had been an impassable "Wall of Sighs" before was now easily breached by his spirit. And within, Lancer finally found what he was looking for.
A girl with pure white hair lay curled up in a ball, floating there quietly...