Tiel slowly opened her eyes.
Ria was inhaling deeply in front of Tiel. Concerned, Tiel instinctively reached out to her.
"Uh, Ria...!"
"I'm okay."
Ria nodded vigorously, lifting her head confidently. Tiel first checked Ria's condition.
Fortunately, aside from looking a bit tired, Ria seemed to be without any serious problems.
Ria firmly grasped Tiel's hand and, after closing her eyes as if to check something, soon spoke with a slight tone of joy.
"Ah, it's okay now."
"Huh?"
"It's okay now, that power is no longer remaining in your body, Head of the House."
At Ria's words, Tiel looked up to see the fish swimming around her.
The black stains on the fish's fins had cleanly disappeared.
Although Tiel herself hadn't felt the negative effects of 'that power,' apart from having nightmares.
"Thank you, Ria!"
Tiel smiled broadly and held Ria's hand. Ria nodded tiredly.
Noticing how weary Ria was, Karsus, picking Tiel up again, spoke to her.
"Well done, you may rest now. You have taken proper responsibility for your actions, so Asterian will no longer hold you accountable. You will not be treated as a criminal, and once proper verification is done, this matter will not be brought up again."
At Karsus's words, Ria nodded. She then left the room after saying she would go and rest.
"Tiel, are you feeling alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I think I won't have nightmares anymore tonight."
The girl spoke with a relieved smile. Karsus stroked Tiel's fluffy hair.
"If you have a nightmare again, come to my room anytime. I'll stay by your side until you fall asleep."
Tiel felt, with every word from Karsus, that she would never have nightmares again.
Karsus was Tiel's protector, her solid fortress, her army meant to defend her, the person who would protect her no matter what—as all fathers should.
Thus, Tiel hugged Karsus's neck and shared something she had been keeping to herself all day.
"Dad, I have something to tell you. Actually… the Vicar came to see me when you were away."
"The Vicar saw you? Why?"
Tiel took a moment to gather her thoughts internally. The message the Vicar had left was shocking to her and needed some organizing.
After taking a breath and collecting her thoughts, Tiel spoke.
"The lengths of day and night have changed."
Tiel continued.
"The oracle has been severed, and the night has slightly lengthened. Right now, it's just a slight extension that isn't noticeable, but as the days become shorter and nights longer, the citizens will start doubting my capabilities…"
"The night has lengthened?"
Karsus frowned. As a citizen of the Crassion Empire himself, he understood what a lengthening night implied.
A lengthening night meant that the power of the evil deity Orpheo was strengthening…
"Yes, the night has lengthened."
"I will look into it. Tiel, even if such a thing happens, don't worry. I will protect you."
Karsus sat Tiel down on the bed, his voice soft yet firm, like a sturdy wall, like unyielding stone.
"Even if everyone doubts your abilities and questions you, I will never doubt you."
Karsus knew exactly what part Tiel was worried about.
Tiel had grown up neglected in Nestian, striving to be acknowledged by everyone when she first came to Asterian.
To Karsus himself, to Alpheus, to Ferdie and Ludian, to Ian Dross, and even to the Vicar, the Emperor, and further to the citizens of the Crassion Empire...
Tiel had worked hard to be recognized by all these people.
So the notion that 'people might doubt your abilities' would have been a tremendous shock to this child.
Although Tiel had grown up, she was still just a child, twelve years old, not an age of much independence. An age still needing protection, still needing the warmth of a family.
Karsus thought that Tiel had taken on too much at such a young age. And he felt it was all his fault.
It was a failure of protection. If she had been raised in Asterian from the beginning, Tiel wouldn't have had to work so hard to be recognized.
Therefore, Karsus precisely pinpointed what Tiel was most concerned about and comforted her.
"It's okay, Tiel, it's nothing. Nothing will happen."
While listening to Karsus, Tiel remembered the 'mysterious woman' she had seen in Ian Dross's subspace.
And the darkness that had attacked Ian Dross…
For some reason, Tiel felt as if a snake coiled in the darkness might strangle her at any moment.
But she didn't show it in front of Karsus. Tiel nodded at his words and hugged him.
"Yes, Dad. Thank you!"
Karsus hugged his daughter tightly and patted her back.
Moonlight poured in through the window, casting its pale glow on both of them. Tiel's hair shimmered in the brilliant moonlight, like silver waves.
***
After Karsus heard about the 'night lengthening' from Tiel, he checked the Vicar's claim.
And indeed, the Vicar's words turned out to be true.
Night had become slightly longer than day. This meant that the balance between Ruset and Orpheo, which had maintained the Crassion Empire, was disrupted.
Although the difference was still so minute that the citizens hadn't noticed, once they did...
"It's troublesome."
Karsus murmured, rubbing his forehead.
Currently, as there were no disturbances in the Empire, Tiel having been born with the 'Light Ability' was itself a mark of honor and power.
However, the moment turmoil arose in the Empire, the honor and power Tiel possessed would be mired, and everyone would try to pull her down.
It was bizarre that such an anomaly of the night lengthening occurred just when a child born with the Light Ability had arrived.
As the Vicar suggested, the citizens would doubt Tiel's qualifications, and might even demand that she resolve this entire situation, as if the Empire's fate rested on this little girl.
"For now, it should be alright."
Alpheus spoke up with difficulty. Karsus glanced at him.
Alpheus too had his granddaughter's concerns etched on his face but maintained his composure as he continued.
"It should be fine for now. Since the change isn't significant yet, it will go unnoticed for a while. The temple, with the severance of the oracle, signifies a weakening of their power, so they will not disclose either the severance or the lengthening of the night, and the problem is..."
Alpheus stopped.
However, Karsus knew what he was about to say next. The problem wasn't the temple or the royal family.
The problem was with Nestian and Iker. These two houses, currently at odds with Asterian, might disclose this information to the empire's citizens any day.
"The temple has assured us that Nestian and Iker have not been informed," Alpheus added.
"But even so, the temple is always where information leaks, isn't it?" Karsus agreed, nodding at Alpheus's statement.
"That's true. But you might not need to worry about that for now. While tracking down Jae, I also investigated Nestian, and it seems that Nestian and Iker have cut off almost all interaction with other houses and are not leaving their territories. So, for the time being, we should be safe."