Puck, one of the four great spirits known as the "Beast of the End," was by no means as harmless as the little cat before Lillian appeared.
It could be said that he had little concept of good or evil, existing solely because of his contract with Emilia. The content of that contract was simple: if anything were to happen to Emilia, he would begin destroying the world.
Of course, due to the existence of the Sword Saint, he could not fully accomplish that goal—but causing catastrophic devastation would still be effortless. Because of this, Lillian had always harbored a certain wariness toward him.
Fortunately, since Puck could not display his full power while accompanying Emilia, Lillian had never been overly concerned. But now, it seemed something was about to change.
"Although I've remained inside the crystal, I can still hear what happens outside."
Floating in the air, Puck looked at Lillian and said,
"I know you possess the qualification to challenge the trials, and that you've already succeeded, correct? But that child, Lia, is different. So far, she has failed seven times."
"…."
Emilia's mental maturity was only that of a teenager. Asking her to pass such trials was indeed extremely demanding.
"I feel great pain for my daughter. But thanks to these trials, I also recovered part of my memories…"
"You mean?"
"I remembered that I was created by the Witch of Greed, Echidna," Puck said. "But it's already too late. The crystal can no longer withstand me as I am now. I must leave my daughter's side… and I also have things I must do."
"…So what do you want?"
"My daughter needs someone who can protect her. I hope that when she is in danger, you will help her. I know you're capable of it. During that battle at Roswaal's mansion—the day my daughter and I arrived, even hours later, the violent fluctuations of magical power still lingered. You caused that. I can recognize the scent."
"I see."
As a great spirit, Puck's sensitivity to magical power was indeed far superior. That was probably why Beatrice—also a great spirit—had recognized Lillian instantly when she saw him again.
"Actually… no, never mind."
Lillian had wanted to say that if Subaru were present, Emilia's misfortune could simply be reversed. But Puck clearly knew nothing about Subaru's ability, so mentioning it now would serve no purpose.
"What I'm curious about," Lillian said, "is why you think I'd be willing to protect her. Emilia and I have only met a few times before. What basis is there for this contract?"
A contract was fundamentally an equal exchange. Puck wanted him to protect Emilia. Although Lillian himself would not simply watch her die, from Puck's perspective, he should not assume such goodwill.
"I heard from Ram that you went to see Betty, didn't you?"
"Yes."
Lillian nodded, not understanding why Puck suddenly brought up Beatrice.
"I'm her older brother," Puck said. "That child listens to me the most. Since you sought her out, you must have wanted something from her—after all, you're not the type to act without reason. And with Betty's personality, she would certainly refuse you. So the price of my contract is this: I can make her agree to your request."
"…."
Lillian had never expected Puck to offer such a condition. He was right—aside from Echidna, if there was anyone in this world Beatrice would listen to, it was Puck. As her brother, they shared an inseparable familial bond.
After learning from Echidna that the so-called "that person" did not exist, Lillian had planned that when he met Beatrice again in the future, he would tell her the truth and let her make her own choice.
Perhaps, just as Echidna had said, Beatrice might choose to destroy herself after learning the truth. Lillian could not stop such a decision—but that did not mean he wished for her demise. If possible, he hoped she could continue living, living for her own sake.
He knew this hope alone could change nothing. But if Puck were willing to help, the outcome might be different.
"So," Puck asked, "can this contract be established?"
"…As Beatrice's brother, are you certain you want to use your sister's affairs as a bargaining chip? You don't even know what my request is."
"If possible, I wouldn't want to," Puck replied. "But I have no choice. I must ensure my daughter's safety—that is the most important thing in the world. And from the first time we met until now, I've had a good impression of you. You're someone I can trust."
"I don't know how you reached that conclusion," Lillian said, "but I can promise you this: within the limits of my ability, I will help Emilia. There's no need for any contract to bind that."
He still disliked being restrained by contracts.
"And regarding Beatrice—since you've regained your memories, you should know that Echidna's so-called 'that person' does not exist. If you are truly a responsible brother, you should tell her the truth yourself and help her recover from the blow. As for me, I have no additional demands of her."
"No problem."
Puck nodded. "Then it's settled. However, I can only maintain this form for a few more hours. After that, I must return to my true body."
Lillian thought for a moment.
"In that case, let's go to the mansion now. Emilia probably won't mind temporarily entrusting the crystal to me, right?"
"Mm… I should also say farewell to my daughter," Puck sighed. "You can wait outside."
Lillian nodded. He had no desire to witness another person's tears.
Puck returned to the room, while Lillian quietly sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, raising his hands to rub his temples.
In truth, he was somewhat exhausted as well. The affairs of the Sanctuary were chaotic and tangled, and especially his several encounters with Echidna had been filled with schemes and hidden agendas. That alone had been mentally draining.
"Let's hurry and settle everything here…"
Muttering softly, Lillian knew he still had more important matters to attend to. Whether it was the Divine Dragon or the Sin Archbishops, he was currently unable to deal with any of them because he was trapped in the Sanctuary. Things could not continue like this.
However…
It could not be said that he had gained nothing. At the very least, he had learned many truths—such as the reason Emilia joined the royal selection and the nature of the various witches.
As for those witches, he did not feel much fear toward them. They were already dead, leaving behind only souls incapable of posing any threat to him—hardly worth concern.
Moreover, these witches were quite different from what he had imagined. By comparison, Echidna was relatively normal. The others each had their own issues: some were obsessive fanatics like the Witch of Wrath, others were childish in temperament like the Witches of Lust and Pride, and the Witch of Gluttony was even more extreme.
As for the most crucial one—the Witch of Envy—Lillian had never expected her to possess a split personality. Originally, he had assumed that her rampage was simply caused by incompatibility between the Witch Factor and her body. Yet it turned out not merely to be a loss of control; she had directly developed a separate personality.
"In that case… does that mean the entire world misunderstood Satella?"
Lillian sighed, then shook his head. He could not be bothered to dwell on such matters. Those events had occurred hundreds of years ago; no amount of reflection now could change the course of history.
After sitting in the courtyard for over ten minutes, the wooden door finally creaked open.
Emilia walked out with reddened eyes—she had clearly been crying. It was only natural. Ever since Puck rescued her from the ice, he had been the person she relied on most. Now that he was leaving her, finding it difficult to accept was perfectly understandable.
"…Here."
Emilia extended her hand. Resting in her palm was the crystal where Puck resided. It was clear that Puck had already explained everything to her.
"You… must make sure nothing happens to Beatrice," Emilia said, her voice slightly hoarse. "Although I haven't spoken much with her, that child stays alone in the library every day. For so many years… it must have been very hard for her."
"I will," Lillian said as he accepted the crystal, glancing at the tear marks on Emilia's face. "Don't think too much about it. Puck is only leaving temporarily."
"Mm."
"Don't worry, Lia. I'll return soon," Puck said, though the look in his eyes made it clear that "soon" would not truly be soon.
"Then, we should be going."
"Take care on your way."
With a slight nod, Lillian turned and walked outside. Puck waved to Emilia before following him.
As the two walked away and passed through the gate, Lillian glanced at Puck.
"You cried too?"
"Of course. I love my daughter more than anyone else in this world," Puck said, sounding exactly like a devoted father, with no sense of incongruity at all. "A youngster like you wouldn't understand."
"…."
"Well then, now that I've recovered my memories, I've also recalled some things from a very long time ago. These are matters you should find interesting," Puck said, his expression tinged with nostalgia. "They all happened hundreds of years ago…"