"Long, long ago, when creation had only just begun, True Source had yet to be born, life had yet to emerge, and magic had yet to differentiate. Even the concept of a 'world' had not been observed, while endless chaos cradled and nurtured everything like swaddling clothes..."
Several minutes later, in the Research Institute that had resumed operations, Emerald's voice drifted leisurely from the Fairy Doll's mouth. The slightly distorted electronic voice seemed to have been processed, lending Emerald's originally languid voice a certain gravity.
Larkspur sat beside the treatment bed in silence at first, arms folded as she glanced sidelong at it. But after waiting several minutes and realizing it still had no intention of getting to the point, she drooped her eyelids and spoke:
—"Can I leave now?"
"Wait, why are you leaving again? Why do you youngsters have no patience to listen to your elders tell a proper story?"
The solemn atmosphere forcibly created in the Research Institute deflated at once. Emerald said with some dissatisfaction, "What comes next is a secret of the Kingdom that absolutely no one outside knows. Even someone of my standing must bear risks by revealing it personally. Don't you think you ought to face this gift with sufficient knowledge and preparation?"
"...All I know is that I hold the initiative."
Larkspur braced herself against the bedframe. "You lured me away from my post here with some incomprehensible excuse, and I really don't want to keep waiting."
"Mm... that is true, now that you mention it. Fine, I'll keep it short."
Rather unwillingly, Emerald cut off her original topic and began anew. "You should still remember the Great Beast Calamity nineteen years ago, right? The Beast Source in your possession was one whose numbers suddenly surged during that calamity."
"'Surged'?" Larkspur immediately