"The evil power of the nobility was overthrown, but the people at the time did not discard the Aquarius key."
"They stubbornly maintained that it was a treasure bestowed by the Water Dragon God, believing it had simply been exploited by wicked people."
"Thus, after a thorough reorganization of the Water Dragon God Cult, this key remained as the 'Saintess's Token' and was passed down through the generations."
The tale of the Water Dragon God Cult and the Aquarius key concluded there. Hearing the story, Darwin's group couldn't help but sigh.
"That's quite a tragic past..."
"Honestly, doesn't knowing all this affect your mindset as the Saintess?"
Mikala shook her head with a smile. "Not at all!"
"After all, those events happened hundreds of years ago. To me, it's just an old story that has nothing to do with me personally. I wouldn't even know about it if the previous generations of Saintesses hadn't recorded these events in a manual to warn their successors against straying from the right path."
Your mental state is certainly resilient, Darwin thought.
"There's something I've wanted to ask clearly since we started. Has the rumored Water Dragon God ever actually appeared since the Cult was founded?"
The group had come here for two reasons. Now that the Aquarius key was found, all that remained was seeking information on the Water Dragon God.
"If you mean appearing before believers to give a speech or something like that, then no!"
"However, in the past, people have spotted what looked like the Water Dragon God at sea. It has happened more than once. This statue of the Water Dragon God was carved based on those descriptions. Of course, because similar sightings happen every so often, the statue has been modified many times. The most recent modification, let me think... seems to have been about three years ago."
I see! It seemed Elefseria's intuition was correct. The Water Dragon God did indeed have a deep connection to the city of Ermina; perhaps its lair was located in the nearby ocean!
"Well then, there is only one last thing!"
Darwin looked at Mikala and spoke solemnly: "This may sound presumptuous, Miss Mikala, but we truly need the Aquarius key in your possession. I wonder if you could part with it? If you agree, we are willing to fulfill almost any request you might have!"
Mikala laughed brightly. "Sure!"
As expected, it won't work... wait, what?!
"Su... Sure? Did I hear that right??"
Not just Darwin, but even Erza and Chris behind him froze in place, hardly able to believe their ears.
Mikala nodded earnestly and repeated, "You didn't hear wrong. I can give you the Aquarius key. Isn't that why you came here in the first place?"
"You... you knew all along?"
"Yes!"
Mikala was quite satisfied with their expressions, her eyes gleaming with the mischief of a successful prank. "Although I was chosen as the successor by the previous Saintess because I could use the Celestial Spirit key, the magic I'm actually skilled in is Mind Reading Magic."
"In other words, from the moment you entered this place, I knew your purpose for coming! If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have told you so much about the Cult and the key."
Ah...
Even though she was being so generous, Darwin and the others found it impossible to feel happy at this moment.
"You want to ask why I agreed so quickly, don't you?"
The three nodded simultaneously like pecking chickens. "Mm-hmm-hmm..."
"Because I can read minds! I knew you came for the Aquarius key, I knew you were determined to get it, and I knew you have the strength to defeat a dragon. In this situation, if I resisted to the death, wouldn't I just be putting myself in danger? Instead of that, I might as well just hand the item over!"
Mikala truly pulled the Aquarius key out again and held it out to them. The three looked at each other, stunned and bewildered; no one dared to take the key. After a long silence, Darwin blushed and blurted out, "Um... actually, even if you weren't willing to hand it over, we wouldn't have hurt you..."
Mikala's smile didn't fade. "But you would have found another way to get it, right? That would just make things awkward for everyone, so it's better to be straightforward."
This girl... Darwin thought. Her mindset isn't just 'good,' it's unnervingly strong!!
Chris was moved to tears, which began to flow copiously. "B-but... if you give the key to us, how will you explain it to the townspeople? How will the future Saintesses be tested?"
"There's no need for a special explanation!" Mikala said. "Since the concept of 'Celestial Spirit Magic' reached Ermina decades ago, the townspeople have gradually come to realize that there is no connection between the Aquarius key and the Water Dragon God. You went to the magic shop earlier; you should have sensed the locals' attitude toward the key from the owner, right? Nowadays, the people here no longer view it as some 'Treasure of the Water Dragon God.'"
Hearing this, the three finally understood. No wonder the shop owner had so readily revealed the key's location after a bit of pressure from Erza—that was why! Once the mystical "Water Dragon God" aura was stripped away, the key was just a magical tool. If the Aquarius key still held the lofty status it did centuries ago, the shopkeeper certainly wouldn't have done that.
"There is actually one more reason I'm willing to hand over the key," Mikala continued. "Since the founding of the Cult, over twenty Saintesses have handled this key, but in these hundreds of years, the number of times it has been used can be counted on one hand. Ermina is a small place, after all. Keeping it here is just letting a treasure gather dust, unable to fulfill its true purpose. Besides, I think Aquarius has been bored staying here for a long time."
Chris tilted her head. "Aquarius...??"
"That's the name of the Aquarius spirit. We have a pretty good relationship."
Mikala stopped smiling, her expression suddenly becoming incredibly serious. "I know you aren't bad people, so I can entrust the key to you with peace of mind. But in exchange, I want you to promise me one condition: Please give Aquarius to a Celestial Wizard who will cherish her and can draw out her true potential!"
Waaaaah—!!
What a dazzling friendship!!
Forcing a pair of tragic lovers apart... we really are a group of sinful villains!!
In an instant, feelings of unease and guilt flooded the hearts of Darwin's trio.
"We... we promise you!!!"