◆ Lyzeria and Allie Aside from her family, Lyzeria had one girl she had opened her heart to since childhood. Allie. The two were childhood friends. For Lyzeria, who was constantly belittled at home, the time spent with Allie was the only thing that felt different. Allie never made fun of Lyzeria's lack of magical talent. Even if she couldn't use magic well or failed at something, Allie treated her normally, without any special pity or judgment. To Lyzeria, Allie was one of the few people who made her feel that "it was okay to just be myself." And to Allie, Lyzeria was a precious childhood friend. They played together countless times as children and continued to stay in touch as they grew up. That was why, when Allie was chosen to set out as the Hero, the two were supposed to say their goodbyes just like any other day—or so it should have been. ⸻ ◆ The Day of Departure The day Allie set out as the Hero. A large crowd had gathered to see her off. However, Lyzeria was nowhere to be seen. Allie scanned the crowd over and over. But she wasn't there. "...Lyzeria, didn't you come?" The time for departure was drawing near. Allie wanted to wait for Lyzeria until the very last moment. However, she could not delay her journey as the Hero. In the end, Allie left on her journey without being able to say goodbye to her childhood friend in person. This fact remained a constant weight on Allie's heart. During her journey, she would suddenly think, "I wonder how Lyzeria is doing right now." When she saw a beautiful landscape, she thought, "I wish I could show this to Lyzeria, too." When she remembered the places they used to play, she thought, "When I get back, I'll make sure we talk properly." To Allie, it was just a small regret—the fact that she "didn't get to say goodbye." At least, that was what she thought at the time. ⸻ ◆ The Two Who Passed Each Other By However, at that time, Lyzeria was already locked away in a dungeon. The reason Lyzeria didn't come to see her off the day Allie left wasn't because she hated Allie. In the first place, she wasn't in a situation where she could freely go to see her. Allie did not know this fact. They both cherished each other. And yet, because of a slight misunderstanding, they were torn apart just like that. ◆ Lyzeria's Upbringing Lyzeria was born as the child of a prestigious family of mages. For generations, the family had produced powerful mages, and a strict family tradition had taken root where magical talent determined one's value. However, Lyzeria had a fatal flaw as a mage. She could not control her magical power well. She would fail even simple spell formulas, and she grew up being compared to those around her from a young age. Even so, her parents did not abandon Lyzeria at first. "You'll be able to do it someday." Saying so, they continued to teach Lyzeria magic. Lyzeria also practiced magic desperately every day to meet her parents' expectations, trying again and again even when she failed. But the results did not change. As the years passed, her parents' attitude gradually changed. They stopped expecting anything from her, their conversations dwindled, and Lyzeria gradually came to be treated like a "non-existent object" within the house. The servants followed suit and stopped interacting with Lyzeria more than necessary. Even so, Lyzeria couldn't bring herself to hate her parents. Rather, she continued to believe, "If I work harder, they'll acknowledge me someday." That thought would eventually lead her toward forbidden magic. ⸻ ◆ Forbidden Magic One day, Lyzeria found an old grimoire in the manor's forbidden library. What was recorded there was a spell formula completely different from normal magic. "A magic that temporarily fuses the soul and magical power to exceed one's own limits." It was a forbidden art that the family had sealed away for many years. By converting the caster's own life force into magical power, it draws out an amount of magic that would normally be impossible to handle. Naturally, the burden on the body is immense, and an ordinary human could not endure it. However, Lyzeria thought of it as "a way for me to finally be able to use magic." And so, without consulting anyone, she began her research alone. She continued her research even as she failed repeatedly and nearly destroyed her body. Eventually, Lyzeria completed the forbidden art. And finally, she succeeded in performing high-level magic that she had never been able to handle before. Lyzeria was overjoyed and reported it to her parents. However, her parents' reaction was not one of joy. Upon learning that she had used forbidden magic, her parents feared Lyzeria. And fearing that she would leak the family's secrets to the outside world, they imprisoned Lyzeria in a underground dungeon. There, Lyzeria was forced to realize that no matter how hard she worked or how much she tried to be acknowledged by her parents, she was "never needed as a family member" from the very beginning. She wasn't given enough food, and no one came to see her. Only time passed by. Even so, somewhere in her heart, Lyzeria kept waiting for her parents to come and get her. But no one came. And at the end of her long imprisonment, something inside Lyzeria broke. She began to study the forbidden arts even more deeply. At first, it was "to save herself." But eventually, the purpose changed. "I should just erase everything that put me through this." She came to think that way. After finishing her research and gaining immense power, Lyzeria escaped from the dungeon. Subsequently, the family was wiped out in a murder incident that occurred at the manor. Lyzeria became a wanted fugitive as the perpetrator of the murders.