[Arc5] - 63. The Awakening Curse
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"Bartra, please give me money."
While contemplating how to properly thank the [Seven Deadly Sins] for saving the kingdom from peril, Bartra looked at Meliodas's small hand extended in front of him and fell silent... Do you all have to be this realistic?
"Special service from the [Boar Hat]! Rescuing a kingdom in crisis only costs a pile of shiny gold coins," Meliodas said earnestly, his hands on his hips, head held high. "Bartra, you didn't think we came all this way to help for free, did you?"
"...Can't we use our years of friendship to negotiate a better deal? At least drop a few zeros."
"No can do. The [Boar Hat]'s business suffered while we were busy saving the kingdom."
Bartra bent down, putting his arm around Meliodas's shoulder, and whispered to him, wearing an oddly ingratiating smile for a king. Meanwhile, Meliodas crossed his arms, looking entirely justified in his demands. After all, he was bargaining with a king!
"Vice-Captain, I bet the Captain's about to reveal his true ulterior motives," Ban said with a smirk, wrapping an arm around Cyd's shoulders. "He's planning to travel with Elizabeth. Regardless of whether we can break the curse, she'd be safer with us."
"You've already lost the bet. Meliodas won't take Elizabeth away," Cyd replied, patting Ban on the arm and sighing softly. "The curse is that 'Elizabeth will die in front of Meliodas after remembering everything.' We currently have no way to break it. If Elizabeth stays with him, she'll eventually remember, and when that happens, none of us can guarantee her safety."
"We can't gamble her safety on confidence in our own strength. Being overconfident in your power only leads to disaster... Isn't that something you should know well?"
If he hadn't been so arrogant about his power back then—if he hadn't let his guard down after taking one of the Demon's hearts—Elaine wouldn't have...
Ban clenched his fists tightly, then rolled his eyes as if deflating.
"No wonder you're the Vice-Captain. You understand the Captain's character so well."
"Not entirely. I still don't get why Meliodas casually slips his hand under Elizabeth's skirt." Cyd pointed toward Meliodas, who, with such natural ease, didn't even realize Bartra—Elizabeth's father—had noticed.
And of course, he got caught.
"Actually, Bartra, you can use something else as a substitute," Cyd said, ignoring Meliodas, who was now being shaken violently by Bartra gripping his collar. Cyd nodded toward Gowther.
"Something related to him."
"Gowther…?" Bartra set Meliodas down, his expression complicated. "Wait here."
Bartra left the room, while Meliodas straightened his hair and approached Cyd, rubbing his chin with a puzzled look.
"What's Gowther's sin? It must be something big for Bartra, who's such a doting father, to leave Elizabeth with a danger like me."
Speaking of dangers, the only one here who's dangerous in every sense is you.
The subject of their conversation, Gowther, blinked in confusion, touching his face.
"I don't know. My memories begin from when Merlin sealed me in the magic-suppressing armor."
"It's a matter closely tied to Bartra," Cyd said, hands in his pockets, his face devoid of emotion as he gazed at Gowther. "The [heart] you've always wanted is right here… though I doubt you'll want it."
"Really? I see no reason not to accept it." Gowther tilted his head, clasping his hands behind his back like an excited child awaiting a gift. Though his face remained blank, everyone could tell he was excited.
After some time, Bartra returned, holding a box.
"I've kept this for a long time, waiting for the right moment to return it to you," Bartra said, opening the box with a complicated expression. Inside lay an old, ornate, heart-shaped artifact, its appearance both delicate and antique.
"This is your—"
Before Bartra could finish, Gowther abruptly turned and leaped through the window, shattering it. His extreme reaction left everyone stunned, except for Bartra and Cyd.
"I knew it. Wait here; I'll handle this," Cyd said, following Gowther through the broken window. Clearly, he intended to pursue him.
"Vice-Captain, let us help!" Diane called out, preparing to follow, but King stopped her.
"Why are you stopping me, King? Isn't [Occasionally fighting together] one of our rules?"
"Diane, don't forget the [Seven Deadly Sins]' rule—only the Vice-Captain is allowed to know the members' sins. From his tone, it's clear Gowther's reaction is tied to his sin," King said, shaking his head. He turned to Bartra, who was closing the box and sitting in a chair.
"Gowther's heart is here, yet he fled. Is this truly his heart?"
"Yes, it is. Those were nostalgic times," Bartra murmured, running his fingers over the box's engraved patterns, a faint smile of reminiscence forming. "I discovered Gowther when I first awakened my magic… or rather, my sister found him. Back then…"
"Stop!" Meliodas interrupted, crossing his arms to form a large 'no' sign in front of Bartra. "Anything more is off-limits."
"But Lord Meliodas, we can't just ignore Gowther's distress," Elizabeth said, her voice tinged with concern. "He looked so calm when he fled, yet… I felt such pain in that silence."
"Why forget? If we forget, what about the people we've lost... Wait, what am I saying?" Elizabeth suddenly realized everyone was staring at her. She touched her face and felt something cold on her fingers.
"Huh? Why am I crying? And why won't it stop?" Elizabeth tried wiping her tears, but they kept flowing.
Meliodas stood on a chair and gently embraced her, patting her back comfortingly. "It's okay. Our Vice-Captain is very reliable, so there's no need to cry."
"Really? Am I crying because I'm worried about Gowther?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes closing in reassurance as Meliodas's warm smile and dependable presence enveloped her like it had always been there.
"Yes." But in truth... it wasn't just that.
Meliodas wasn't smiling. For someone who seemed to never know sorrow, his expression was filled with pain.
Elizabeth was slowly beginning to remember the curse.
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