In Esdeath's system, Jeanne had introduced SP, or Self-Worth Points. Esdeath received these points whenever people recognized her existence and acknowledged how important she was. This wasn't a new idea; many Star Constellations tried this method.
When their Incarnations gained recognition or followers, it was the same as the Star Constellation gaining power, so it benefited them, too. In return, they gave rewards to their Incarnations.
As for why Ethan doesn't have anything like SP points, it's because his constellation is already dead. So, whether he gains or loses followers or recognition doesn't matter at all. The same goes for Maruti's Constellation.
But Jeanne did one thing differently from the others. Esdeath didn't get SP points if she did something that went against the main storyline. This was because the storyline wasn't just a story; it was one of the best possible routes for Jeanne's plans. If Esdeath did something unexpected or reckless, it would disrupt the future and eventually ruin Jeanne's plans. So, this was a method to keep Esdeath following the storyline.
Secondly, Jeanne showed Esdeath that if she used a large amount of SP points, she could remove the obstacle of having to follow the main storyline.
Jeanne knew Esdeath wasn't an idiot; she would always use her SP points efficiently and would only save them until she was fully confident in herself.
In a way, when Esdeath was sure enough to use one lakh SP points, she would already be strong enough to hold her own against many obstacles. And when she did it, Jeanne was also thinking of granting her the rest of the skills she had in reserve.
Even when Esdeath was fighting against Ethan and his team at the borders of the dwarf kingdom, Jeanne had granted her 40,000 or so SP points, hoping Esdeath would use them and gain a huge power boost.
Yet, Esdeath completely ignored it.
Jeanne even took control of Esdeath's body to try to save her, but she didn't realize that the ones pulling the strings were other Star Constellations. With no choice, she made Esdeath shout "RAMA" just before dying. Because of this, Esdeath's soul had one clear time to be resurrected again.
But again, the complicated relationship between Esdeath and Fable came in between.
There was no one with the duty of deciding who should go to hell or heaven; it was a natural process based on karma. But when Esdeath died, it wasn't just Esdeath, but also Fable. The situation became incredibly complex.
Fable had killed hundreds of people. He was, without a doubt, an evil person. But he was also an outlander; all the crimes he committed were in another world.
But wait a minute, wasn't he a split soul of Esdeath? That meant he belonged to this world, too. That meant his crimes should be added to her record.
But Fable was a split soul of Esdeath, which was the same as Esdeath being the real culprit who killed hundreds.
But also, in this world, Fable did nothing wrong. He was as innocent as a baby. Esdeath was the host soul, not him. But again, Esdeath died in battle as a warrior, not showing cowardice, which could also be counted as heroism.
So all in all, who was good, and who was bad?
This might have taken even the angels a few days to determine. But because it was a natural process, it created a loophole.
This loophole caused Esdeath and Fable to split. Eventually, Esdeath went to the judgment gate, while Fable actually went to heaven instead.
---
Esdeath quietly heard Jeanne's whole story with narrowed eyes. Actually, she knew it was important, but she also couldn't help but feel impatient, like she was running very late.
"Hmph! I kind of expected it," Esdeath said with a side grin. "To be honest, I even made up darker theories, like you being my real mother!"
"Well... this solves another question of mine. I always wondered why no one ever found Seraphine's time path inheritance. It's because she already took it!" Esdeath thought to herself.
"Well, in a way, our relationship is no different than that... I'm actually kinda surprised that you can still keep your composure after hearing your origin story!" Jeanne added, rubbing her chin with a dry chuckle.
"No, I actually want to punch you in the face. Can I do it?" Esdeath asked, clenching her fist.
"No!" Jeanne rejected immediately with a firm expression. "After all you've done, I'm the one who deserves to punch you!" Jeanne's lips twitched as she added.
Jeanne's frustration was definitely more practical than Esdeath's. Having her plan nearly ruined two times by her was incredibly frustrating. But Jeanne took a deep breath and said, "So, any questions?"
"Yes. First, if you could talk to me like this, why did you give me that prophecy in such puzzling, poetic lines?" Esdeath questioned firmly. To her, it felt like she had been scammed. If Jeanne could just explain it now, why waste all that time?
"It's about privacy. Who knows if someone is listening to our conversation right now? I can't be too sure, Most of my foundation was damaged after deducting so many possibilities. That's why I always worked alone. If someone overheard this conversation, what could they do? But that part is more crucial, so make sure you always remember it!" Jeanne answered honestly.
"Second question. So what do you actually want me to do?" Esdeath asked.
"To kill my father, of course. Make sure you are prepared, and stop ruining my plans any further, or else I will have to take action against you," Jeanne's voice sounded both assuring and threatening at the same time.
"Okay. So, before I go back, any advice?" Esdeath said, asking her last question.
Jeanne quietly stared at her with a blank face for a moment, then said, "Don't have kids. At least, not for now!"
Esdeath's lips twitched twice. She didn't know if Jeanne was being serious or mocking her, so she chose not to answer. She looked around as if searching for a portal in the corner that would lead her back to her world, then looked back at Jeanne. "How am I supposed to go back anyway? Did you prepare a body?"
Hearing this, Jeanne let out a quiet smirk and played her harp. "Let me make you feel a fraction of my pain!"
----
Meanwhile, at the same time in a certain house, Kailith, Brenna, and Alice were sitting in chairs, facing one another. Kailith let out a long sigh of relief, her shoulders finally relaxing. "Finally, you're back to yourself," she said, her gaze softening as she looked at Alice.
"Forget about that. We need to worry about what's happening now," Alice replied, her voice serious. She shared memories with Arlecchino, so she understood the full weight of their situation.
"We could have gotten more information if we had met Ravenna," Kailith said, a hint of frustration in her voice. "As the princess, she would surely have known more about all of this!"
"How about we just barge in and help Maruti escape?" Alice suggested, her words coming out slowly and with a slight stutter. "With you here, I don't think it would be too much of a problem!"
"But Maruti said she would be fine," Brenna countered, her voice filled with concern. "Shouldn't we trust her decision? If we do something like that, we'll ruin her reputation for sure!"
Kailith fell silent, her brow furrowed in deep thought. She looked torn, unable to decide what the right thing to do was.
"We'll wait for now," she finally said, her voice firm. "That method should be our last resort."
A heavy silence settled between the three of them. But just as it began to feel awkward, the window shattered, and someone burst into the room. Kailith shot up from her chair, ready for a fight, but then she stopped.
It was a cute girl with hair that was half white and half black. She had flown right in, with beautiful silver dragon wings flapping on her back.
"Selene? What are you doing here?" Kailith asked, stunned. She and Alice had seen the girl with Maruti before, and it suddenly clicked: Esdeath had a daughter. Brenna, however, was genuinely shocked, as this was her first time seeing the child.
"Who is she?" Brenna whispered.
"She's Esdeath's daughter," Kailith said immediately.
"Esdeath? You mean that Esdeath?" Brenna asked, her eyes wide with disbelief as she realized who Kailith meant.
Kailith nodded and turned back to Selene. "How did you come all this way? And why?"
Selene folded her silver wings against her back and held up a map.
"She can navigate using a map at such a young age? Even I can't do that," Alice thought, a flicker of annoyance on her face as she felt outsmarted by a child.
"I came to find Aunt Maruti, but I ended up finding you instead!" Selene said, her voice clear and bright.
"Find Maruti? Why?" Kailith asked gently.
Selene didn't say that her mother was actually dead and that she had failed to bring her back. Instead, she gave them a vague answer.
"Well, Mother gave me a task, but I failed," she admitted, her voice growing quieter. "So I don't really know what to do anymore, so I came to ask my aunt for advice!"
"What task?" Brenna questioned.
Selene just looked at her without saying a word.
"I can't read her thoughts. Is it because she's also a silver dragon?" Kailith wondered for a moment before asking, "What did Esdeath tell you to do if your work ever ended in failure?"
"Umm... to not do anything else and just quietly wait," Selene replied, her voice low as she stared at the floor. Even though her mother had told her to be patient, Selene was so worried that she couldn't stop herself from flying all the way here.
"Then you should wait," Kailith said, looking away for a second. "No matter how annoying she is, she is also a smart person." Kailith couldn't quite believe she had just praised Esdeath.
Selene was quiet for a few seconds, looking lost and unsure. Then, Alice spoke up hesitantly. "Or... you could come with us. The trial is going on right now. If we get a chance, we can try to talk to Maruti."
"That's a great idea!" Selene's face immediately lit up with hope.
They left the house together to head to the trial. Once they were outside, Selene looked all around her at the crowds of people protesting and arguing.
"What are they all doing?" she asked innocently. "I saw it from the sky. It's happening everywhere. Don't they have jobs?"
Kailith let out a dry chuckle. "Well, it's not that they don't have jobs. Umm... let me explain it to you as we walk there!"