Yulia had grown up—this left Iver rather gratified.
The child now had her own thoughts and a clear path for the future. Iver no longer needed to carefully support her as she walked across that one-way bridge, and could instead let her go forward on her own.
From this perspective, the Shepherding Method was indeed necessary.
It was like a child who had always stayed at home deciding to move out and live alone. Just worrying about whether "the child could really take care of herself" was enough to make Iver anxious, so naturally he would not restrict her living expenses. At the very least, she had to be able to study properly and walk securely along the path with the most potential, rather than overdrawing her future for the sake of living expenses—in other words, her current combat power.
And the only possible obstacle was Lia, the Paradox Flame Butterfly.
She had once harbored hostility toward Yulia.
The reason was simple—she was a phantasm of the Original Species, and her memories began at the same point as Yulia's. In other words, Lia and Yulia had encountered Iver at the same time, and both loved Iver equally.
Yet Iver only cared about Yulia. He wanted to ease her "pain," cure her "illness," and change her "cursed fate"—but that "pain," "illness," and "curse" were Lia herself.
It was like the relationship between a living person and the Child of the Moon they transformed into after death.
Even so, the kindness that came from Yulia kept Lia from trying to take Yulia's body.
She only felt sad, but did not wish to harm anyone because of it.
That was why she liked the name Iver had given her so much. She was no longer Yulia's "pain," "illness," or "curse," but she still