What Are Those Tears of Yours Worth?!

Ed came to Elfman's room. After knocking, he pushed the door open and went in, finding Elfman lying blankly on the bed while Lisanna sat quietly beside him.

When she saw Ed enter, Lisanna stood and greeted him. "Ed, you're back. Have you reported to the guild master?"

"I have. How's Elfman?" Ed asked Lisanna softly.

"Ever since Elfman woke up, he's barely said a word." Lisanna looked troubled. "Ed, is there any way to cheer him up?"

"Tch... another troubled kid..." Ed said. "Fine, leave it to me. Mira's in the living room. Go talk with your sister for a bit. I'll have a chat with Elfman."

Seeing that Elfman was awake but looked half-dead, Ed gestured for Lisanna to leave first so he could spend some time alone with Elfman.

"Huh? Oh... then I'll go find my sister." Lisanna obediently walked out, leaving Ed alone with Elfman.

Looking at Elfman's current state, Ed said with frustration, "How much longer are you going to stay depressed, Elfman?"

"..." Elfman did not answer and remained silent.

When Ed received no response, his tone grew harsher. "Well? Aren't you going to answer? What you should be doing right now isn't lying here playing dead. Lisanna and Mira have both been worried about you. Are you really going to keep acting like this?"

Hearing that his sister and younger sister were still worried about him, Elfman finally reacted. Two streams of tears rolled down his face.

"Ed... I almost killed Lisanna... It was all my fault... Maybe I shouldn't have become a wizard... I can't do anything right... I'm supposed to be the man of the family, but I always need my sister to protect me. I even hurt my younger sister..."

Ed's anger immediately flared. "What is this pathetic state of yours supposed to mean?! What are those eyes of yours supposed to mean? And what are those two tears on your face supposed to mean?! Can your tears protect Mira and Lisanna? Can crying make you stronger?"

Unable to endure Ed's questioning any longer, Elfman burst into loud sobs. "Aah... It's because I'm too weak that things turned out like this..."

"Being weak isn't a mistake. The real mistake is wallowing in your weakness and being unable to move forward. No one is born especially strong," Ed said seriously.

"Take your sister, for example. You once told me that when she awakened her magic with Zero awareness as a child, the three of you were driven out of town. But she never thought of giving up. She brought both of you all the way here!" As Ed said this, he bent down and stared intensely into Elfman's eyes.

"Elfman, do you remember what you told me before we set out?"

"I..." Elfman recalled how full of spirit he had been before their departure. "I said that, as the man of the family... I had to protect my sister and Lisanna..."

"That's right. Now look at yourself. And because of this mission, Mira can't go out and work for the time being. If you keep acting like this, who do you expect to take care of Lisanna?" Ed continued laying into Elfman.

"? What happened to my sister?" Hearing news about Mira, Elfman hurriedly scrambled up and asked Ed anxiously.

Ed sighed and spoke slowly. "Mira blamed herself entirely for being too impulsive and nearly causing you and Lisanna to kill each other. The intense guilt made her instinctively reject herself. Until she gets past it, she probably won't be able to use Take Over Magic."

Ed looked at Elfman with exasperation and continued, "And what about you? You're sitting here feeling sorry for yourself. If you keep this up, Mira will never get out from under this shadow for the rest of her life."

"Then what should I do, Ed? No, Ed! Please teach me!" Upon hearing that his sister could no longer use magic because of him, Elfman dropped to his knees on the bed and bowed his head to Ed for help.

"What you need to do is actually very simple: become stronger. Become strong enough to protect Lisanna, strong enough to control Beast King's Soul. Prove to Mira that one failure hasn't dragged you down. Defeat your past self, and let both yourself and Mira move on from that failed experience!"

Ed's words were firm and decisive. Elfman answered loudly, "Yes! I understand, Ed! I'll become stronger! Until my sister gets over this, I'll protect her and Lisanna!"

"I'll protect Mira, so quit trying to steal my job." Seeing Elfman's fighting spirit return, Ed smiled and teased him before getting up and walking straight to the door.

He pulled the door open, and Lisanna and Mira, who had been pressed against it eavesdropping, suddenly lost their support and stumbled into the room.

"Now that you've heard it all, is there anything you want to say? You three siblings should have a good talk. I'm going out to buy some ingredients. I'll cook tonight." Ed waved and walked out, leaving Mira and the other two staring at one another.

He had no idea what the three of them discussed, but by the time Ed returned, they were all waiting in the living room. Judging by their expressions, they seemed to have more or less let go of it.

Ed greeted them. "I bought some beef and vegetables. I'll try making beef stew and vegetable salad."

Ed carried the ingredients toward the kitchen. Seeing this, Mira hurried after him. "I'll help too."

After following Ed into the kitchen, Mira quietly said, "Thank you for talking Elfman through it. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have known what to do."

"What are you thanking me for? Besides, even without me, you could have talked him through it. You just might have had to bear a little more pressure. For now, wait until he's fully recovered. I'll train him and help him successfully master Beast King's Soul."

"Mm, then I'll leave it to you~ Though you're right. You're his brother-in-law, after all. If you don't help him, who will?" Mira seemed to have recovered quite a bit after the conversation between the siblings. Ed chuckled in response and continued cooking.

After they finished eating, Ed got up to return to the dormitory. Mira walked him out as usual. As they strolled down the street beneath the bright moonlight, Ed could not help saying, "The moon is beautiful tonight."

Mira looked up and smiled. "It really is."

As time passed, two months flew by. Elfman finally recovered and could begin training. Once he learned from the doctor that he was healed, Elfman hurried off to find Ed, intending to begin training to master Beast King's power as soon as possible.

Seeing Elfman, who had changed greatly since returning, Mira happily said, "Elfman~ Have your injuries completely healed?"

"Yes, Sister. Where's Ed? Isn't he at the guild?" Elfman asked directly.

"Ed? He went out for work two days ago. He should be back today. What's wrong?" Mira asked curiously.

"I plan to master Beast King's power. I need Ed's help," Elfman said seriously.

"..." Mira fell silent for a moment. Looking at Elfman, who had regained his vitality, she smiled. "Just don't be afraid of pain when the time comes~"