Re:START/If {Book 1.0}
Chapter 51: Quod (Part 01)

Luke Scientia, a magic library that stands in the residence of Marquess Luke. The tower-shaped library has 12 floors, classic architectural design and from the ground floor can see directly the vaulted ceiling because the middle of the tower is hollow. Each floor is connected by stairs in each corner of the floor, has dozens of bookshelves lined and neatly arranged. The lighting of the place is sourced from magic crystals installed at several angles. The floor was made of ceramics, while the walls had a structure and magic formula to maintain the existence of the Great Spirit inhabiting the place.

On the ground floor of the library, a blond woman sat on a chair near the staircase leading to the second floor. The Witch of Light, Mavis Luke. The woman placed her right elbow on the white mother's desk, supported her head and was seen reading a thick book with a dark blue cover. The expression of the woman in the green dress of the toska looked cloudy, her eyes staring at the book glare that was on her desk.

Behind Mavis stood Huli Jing, accompanying her without being able to do anything to her Master's mood. The tanned black-haired woman only wore a grim expression, lowered her head and occasionally tidied up her own kimono to divert the sense of uneasiness. The atmosphere in the place was quiet, the atmosphere felt heavy and seemed to return to the way it was when it was first built about 14 years ago.

From the second floor, Vil observed them with dark eyes. The blue-haired Great Spirit was unhappy with Mavis' decision which forced Odo to return to the Mansion without thinking about the young man's will. Sitting on the second floor barrier and twisting his legs down, the Great Spirit said, “Mavis, do you want to ignore Odo's will? Make him a house arrest like this ..”

The Light Witch's hand that was about to turn the pages of the book came to a halt, looked towards Vil on the second floor and replied, “Not usually do you interfere, Vil.” Mavis gave a piqued expression, staring flat and her forehead shriveled slightly.

Water bubbles appeared around Vil, then the Great Spirit jumped down and floated down using floating magic. Steadied with his right foot first touching the surface of the marble floor, the Great Spirit was standing in front of the Light Witch's desk was and with a pressing tone said, “Indeed unusual, that was, honestly, I am also surprised now. Why could a creature like myself want to look like this..”.

Mavis and Fiola were a little surprised to hear the words coming out of the silent Great Spirit. Short checkered skirt with blue and black accents, knee-length black socks, plain white shirt with red tie addition, red tie, such an appearance was also the thing that made the Great Spirit different from what Mavis and Fiola knew.

“Not just existence, does Odo also affect the way you think, Vil?” ask Mavis.

The blue-haired grand spirit only smiled faintly, turned away from Mavis and took a few steps away. Looking at her with a flat gaze, Vil said, “I don't think that's the right sentence for a Mom, you should learn more about how to be a good Mom.” Turning around and facing back towards Mavis, the Great Spirit walked over and pulled the chair from the table column to sit down. With a small smile, the Great Spirit again said, “True too, why not take the example of the first wife of the Rein Family Head? If it's not wrong, Calista, is it? She was such a good mother, that it made me goosebumps.”

Mavis only showed an indifferent expression, her eyes looked back at the opened book and ignored Vil's words as if she wanted to run to her own comfort zone. Vil understands very well the nature of Mavis like that, flow the conversation and act as if the conversation never happened.

“He was always like this .... When I asked what to use the Verainderung Wand for, Mavis was also indifferent and did not answer,” Vil's mind while sighing. Stare fretfully and begin to look away from the blonde woman.

Mavis closed her book hard. Stop propping up her head and sitting upright, the blonde woman stared intently at the Great Spirit before her and said, “Yang challenged Odo to a duel ..., that's the Eldest Son of the Rein Family, ‘kan? The son of the woman you mentioned earlier, Vil ..”

“Hmm ...” Vil nodded with a slightly disbelieving expression Mavis was willing to enter into the conversation, then slightly corrected, “Not challenged, but Odo challenged.”

“So, huh? Whatever it is, it's because of that woman. He ... would definitely want to do a stupid plan like the Three Directions of Protection.”

A slight sense of confusion grew in Vil's mind upon hearing that. Sitting upright on his chair, the Great Spirit in slight astonishment asked, “A strange name ..., but it is quite clear. So Odo's estimate of that is correct.”

“Approximate?”

“You have something to do with the Rein Family's First Wife, especially about the birth of her son who was pregnant with her unnaturally.”

Mavis was surprised to hear that, her eyes opened wide and was about to ask firmly. Holding her breath and swallowing a deep question, the blonde woman tried not to get carried away by emotions. “Odo ... know where?” mavis asked with a cold expression.

“That's just his estimate that sounds really right to me.” Vil briefly raised both shoulders, then shook his head and said, “Kata Odo, you used magic to make Calista contain for up to 17 months and did some agreements. It's about territory, an apology, or something. Honestly I don't really understand either, Odo doesn't tell all.”

Mavis was stunned, her face was deathly central and said nothing after hearing all that was what her son had guessed. As if she was afraid of something, the Light Witch trembled in her seat and began to lower her face. Vil was astonished to see that, as well as Fiola who saw his master lowering his face trembling.

“Mrs ..., are you okay?”

“Emm ...” Mavis raised her face, stared flatly at the Great Spirit before her and said, “I think this is the limit. As good as storing carcasses, surely one day will smell the foul aroma, huh? Though ... I don't want to discuss this anymore.”

Vil was a little surprised to see Mavis' resigned expression. Putting both hands on the table and leaning slightly forward, the Great Spirit lightly said, “Finally you want to talk too, O man who made a contract with me.”

“Ya ..” Mavis nodded lightly, then brandished from her right index finger to the front of her mouth and said, “But before that, may I know as far as Odo's eyes unravel my secret?” Mavis lowered her finger with a face that looked sad.

“Odo doesn't tell you anything about your secret ...” Vil stared at Fiola, then in a pressing tone he said, “However, he said many things to the waiter who always stood by you.”

“Fiola?” Mavis shifted her seat and looked back.

The Huli Jing instantly trembled, all of the feathers on her nine tails instantly standing upright and making her tails as if they were blooming. It was more shocking than anything he had ever faced, a situation where he had to unpack the fact that made his master depressed with his own mouth. Fiola looked at Vil as if asking for mercy, but the Great Spirit only raised his shoulders and shook his head.

“Fiola, what did Odo say to you?” ask Mavis.

“It ... Madame .... Me .... No .... Actually .... I-It ...”

Huli Jing's sentence could not be neatly arranged, her voice was chaotic and her body did not stop trembling. His face was deathly pale and cold sweat could not stop coming out. Looking at the scene, Mavis again asked, “Why are you shaking? What did Odo say?”

“Master Odo .... He .... Already know your biggest secret.”

It instantly made Mavis flinch, yet she was neither angry nor sad. The face of the blonde woman only looked very resigned, so grim and began to bow her face. “So, yes .... My son ... already knows about it, that I am not actually Ma—”

“You stay Mavis!” said Fiola loudly. “While Mr. Odo knows it, he still accepts you as his Mother and doesn't tell anyone about it!”

“Oh ...” Vil stared intently, he only found out the fact right from their mouths. In an astonished tone the Great Spirit asked, “If you are not Mavis Luke, then who? That doesn't mean you changed positions after making a contract with me, does it? Means, did you take Mavis' place before marrying Dart? Or while traveling across the country as a Devil Exterminator? Before being known as a hero? Before giving birth to Odo? Or afterwards?”

Mavis immediately turned her head sharply when she got such a row of questions, feeling that the Great Spirit had already passed her attitude and violently snapped, “This is none of your business, Astral beings!”

“You don't have to be angry like that, Mavis .... I said this for you guys.” Vil turned his gaze with a glare, then in a soft voice said, “It feels sad to leave you like this.”

“What?” ask Mavis, please,

“About what I want to ask.” Vil looked back at the angry blonde-haired woman, then with a cold smile the Great Spirit said, “Mavis, actually it has nothing to do with you .... If you want to keep the role, I will be silent as Odo did.”

“Forwards ...” Mavis was a little surprised to hear such a decision because Vil's nature basically tends to reject something wrong. Gazing with a look of disbelief, the Light Witch asked, “What do you want to know? What makes you act like this?”

“It about Odo ..”

“Yes, your son.” Vil showed a faint expression, staring so limp and in an uninspired voice he said, “You know, Mavis .... He's really amazing. Despite his many shortcomings, he is the most perfect personality I have ever met, is not naive, smart, fast to learn, and has extensive knowledge. Although he looks good and often jokes, when faced with a heavy choice he can choose appropriately and quickly. He is perfect yet imperfect, fragile yet very sharp ...”

“Are you crazy about my son?”

“Gloony-crazy?” Vil smiled thinly, slightly covered his mouth with the right palm and said, “Where possible, I think it is impossible.” Stop closing his mouth with his hands and sighing lightly, he again said, “I just appreciate it, since the Spirit has liked such a figure. You've heard it yourself, haven't you? About the fairy tales of forest fairies who invite children to play to their place at dusk. What I think is almost the same with it.”

Mavis could not grasp the intent of the Great Spirit. Staring sharply with her blue eyes, the blonde woman asked, “Then, what do you want to ask about my son? Don't tell me you want to ask if it's okay or not to take her to be yours, right?”

“Where might I do that.” Vil leaned his back against the back of the chair, then looked up at the ceiling of the library and said, “What I want to know is only one .... The soul that formed an individual named Odo, that soul actually belonged to whom?”

““—!!”” Mavis and Fiola were shocked to hear that.

Looking back at the interlocutor, the Great Spirit again asked, “Odo is actually who?”

“A-What are you asking? Odo ya Odo, who else?” mavis said with trepidation. Fiola was amazed to hear the doubtful answer, began to be confused and think about the no-no question asked by Vil.

“You don't have to lie ..” Vil put on a pouting face, then with a pressing tone said, “From the start it was indeed strange. Although Veranderung's wand can make a uterus for you and allow you to conceive, it's still unlikely that you can get pregnant, Mavis.”

“Eh?” Fiola was surprised to hear that. Although he knew about the use of the wand of the Great Spirit, but he did not know that the wand still could not make a woman without a womb could conceive a child.

Enforcing her sitting position, Vil pointed straight at Mavis and firmly back said, “From the beginning, because from the beginning your soul has been cut off from the flow of life and will never get another life from there.” Stop pointing and putting on a sad look, the Great Spirit turned his eyes and asked, “What more do I call it a curse? Something that makes your soul seem covered in that mud ..”

Mavis simply fell silent, not defending the speech or explaining anything. Fiola who heard that was silent, in his mind hoping that what the Great Spirit said was a lie. Unfortunately, this is an indisputable fact. That's why Mavis doesn't argue with him.

Opening his own palm and looking at him, Vil at a glance put on a doubtful expression and in his mind began to appear a fear to know the fact. Taking a breath and winning himself, in the end he again asked, “Then, even though there is such a thing on you, why could Odo be born?” He looked at the blonde woman sitting with that grim expression, once again asking, “Why can an irregular soul like you be born Odo?”

“It ...” Mavis briefly rolled her eyeballs to the right and reluctantly stared, then shakily replied, “Because Odo himself from the beginning was already there for me.”

“From the beginning?” Vil looked confused hearing that, narrowed his eyes slightly and began to think about that answer deeply.

Mavis lowered her face, put her right palm over the book cover and asked, “Do you know of the Devil Monster incident in Gahon City?”

“Gahon?” Vil immediately remembered it, it was a big event that made one city lose its function and can no longer be inhabited because of the light magic radiation used to defeat the Demon Monster called Mavis. Staring sharply, the Great Spirit asked, “Tragedy in that empire?”

“Hmm ...” Mavis nodded lightly, moving the book from the table to the top of the lap to calm down. With a trembling tone, the woman said, “That's when Odo came in. More precisely, we became the host for his soul.”

“With him? We?” Either Vil or Fiola, both of them looked confused and trembled at hearing that. With anxiety controlling the mind, the blue-haired Great Spirit still asked, “Jiwa ... who?”

“I also don't know that ...” Mavis shook her head, slightly showing a grim face and said, “But, you Great Spirits should have heard of it too. In your point of view, he is the King. From our point of view the occupants of the Real World, he is the Black Element, and according to the demon nation he is a—<TAG1>!

Kreekeeek~!

Suddenly the library door opened and a young man with black hair entered, behind him followed a long black-haired servant. They are both Odo and Mind. The attention of Mavis, Vil, and Fiola was immediately directed at the two people who came and their conversation stopped.

At first glance Odo looked to the right and left, making sure no one else besides them was near the stairs. Together with Minda, the young man walked quickly towards them and stood up with a slightly grim expression. Observing the faces of the three women who looked serious and the atmosphere was heavy, Odo quickly understood what they had done.

“I guessed it must be the edges like this,” Odo's mind.

Mind prepared a chair from the round table column between Mavis and Vil for Odo, then the young man immediately sat down and momentarily sighed. Staring at Vil, he asked, “Do you ask that, Vil?”

“A—! Hmm ...” Vil nodded lightly.

Odo momentarily fell silent, reluctant to look at his own mother's face. Taking a deep breath and removing such a feeling in mind, the young man put on a cold expression and immediately turned his head towards Mavis. In a serious tone the young man said, “Mother, may I not hold it anymore? Time in the barracks .. I did not have time to say it clearly because many people.”

Mavis flinched, she stared at Mind as if asking him to leave the conversation. The woman clearly grasped the intention of her master, momentarily bowed her body and immediately got out of place. But just as he took one step to leave, Odo reached out and took hold of the woman's clothes.

“Mbak Mind does not need to go, Mother. He has the right to hear this ...”

“Odo ..” Mavis stared deathly pale.

“Mother knows, when a secret leaks it will definitely continue to spread the leak.” Odo stared intently at the blonde woman, then firmly said, “Layaknya a water storage jug, it will continue to widen and eventually make the jug break. How to make a lie so as not to be considered a lie is to dismantle it yourself, making it only limited to a fact that is difficult to reveal.”

Mavis lowered her face, then quietly said, “Alright ...”

Odo let go of Mind, letting the black-haired woman stand back behind her seat. Sighing lightly and covering his face with both palms, Odo was visibly trembling and immediately opened his face. Putting both hands into the lap, in a cold tone the young man asked, “ Mother is not Mavis, ‘kan?”

“Eh?” The mind was shocked to hear such a question. Vil and Fiola only fell silent, when they got a gaze from their Mind instead turned their eyes away and refused to explain.

“Ya ..” Mavis looked straight at her son's eyes, then resignedly replied, “While this body is very identical to Mavis, I am not Mavis.”

“A— What are you talking about, Mistress?” Mind looks confused and panicked to hear that, his body trembles and he doubts, “You are Madam Mavis, right? Mistress whom I have always served .... all this time ...”

“Minda ...” Mavis looked at the black haired woman, then with a faint smile explained, “My spirit is indeed the Master you have served all this time. However, before that I was not Mavis. Before meeting you guys .., from the beginning I wasn't Mavis. The real Mavis is my brother, who in time created the body he used to make.”

“Pen ... cip .. taan?”

The mind trembled, knew absolutely nothing about it and subconsciously stepped back with a look of disbelief. It was as if Odo's words while in the kitchen were reality, about the swampman who replaced the place of others because of the authenticity of nature and appearance.