「 After finding a few shelves, Stelle successfully obtained the letter. It contained internal orders from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, no wonder Green Hibiscus was in such a hurry.
After making a copy, Stelle reported her findings. Green Hibiscus was overjoyed and told Stelle to return to where she had previously copied scriptures, promising to take her to meet the overall.
Arriving at the secluded courtyard, she saw a man and a woman standing beside Green Hibiscus from afar.
"Mauve Moon, this is the reliable disciple I mentioned to you — Gray Peony.. She is a very reliable Gardener," Green Hibiscus introduced the purple-clad man beside her.
The purple-clad man scrutinized Stelle up and down, nodding in satisfaction: "It seems you have some impressive skills in your arsenal."
"You, on the other hand, look kind of weak." Stelle placed one hand on her hip, a hint of disdainful smile playing on her lips.
"How dare you!" Green Hibiscus was furious and immediately reprimanded her.
Mauve Moon, however, looked unconcerned. He raised a hand to interrupt: "It's fine... I like your personality. But why would a strong person like you want to become a part of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus?"
"I want to become even stronger!" Stelle's gaze was firm.
"Good, so do I. I used to think determination and hard work were enough to achieve that... But I've come to realize it's not that simple."
"During my long career as a Cloud Knight, I realized one thing—human strength has its limits. The more one pursues power, the more likely they are to fail due to unexpected circumstances."
"So, I abandoned my mortal body and became a faithful servant of Merciful Medicus." 」
「 .....」
〜JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Part 1: Phantom Blood Worldline〜
"...He's not human anymore?!"
Jonathan Joestar gasped, a shiver running down his spine.
—What was this déjà vu?!
If this Mauve Moon suddenly pulled out a Stone Mask from his and slapped it on his face, he wouldn't be surprised at all.
"JOJO, what's wrong?"
Antonio Zeppeli asked suddenly from beside him,
"Did this Mauve Moon remind you of something?"
Joestar lowered his head with a serious expression:
"Yes, he reminds me of Dio. He said the same words as Dio... I'm afraid he'll do something to harm Stelle in the next second."
Recalling that rainy night, Dio stabbed him after pulling out the Stone Mask. If his father hadn't blocked that stab for him, he would have...
As soon as he closed his eyes, he remembered his father's dying instructions, the tragic deaths of everyone, the desperate cries, and... Dio's nightmarish whispers, clinging to him like vines. They echoed in his mind, lingering endlessly.
"JOJO~ Let me enjoy this powerful strength for a little longer, will you?"
"JOJO, I told you, the more a person plays with schemes, the more they will realize that humans have limits."
"Boxers! Boxers—!!"
"WRYYY..."
"..."
"—JOJO!!"
Zeppeli's low roar was like a clap of thunder, jolting Joestar awake from his memories. He suddenly lifted his head, his chest heaving rapidly, and it took a while for his tense muscles to gradually relax.
"JOJO, Hamon energy is very sensitive to mental fluctuations. In the ten seconds you just zoned out, if Dio had attacked you, you would have been helpless,"
Zeppeli looked at him seriously.
"Yes! I understand!"
Joestar wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and began to re-engage in Hamon training.
—
「 After speaking, Mauve Moon pulled out from his... not a Stone Mask, but a note, which he handed to Stelle: "As long as you take this medicine, you will become like me. You will be able to break the shackles that the Devilish Archer Author has used to chain your soul. You will gain unbridled power and freedom."
"Some of the ingredients can be purchased at an apothecary, Some ingredients you'll have to figure out how to get yourself... but with your ability, this should be a small matter."
Stelle took the prescription and asked curiously: "You're a Cloud Knight, Why did you join the organization?"
Speaking of the past, Mauve Moon sighed deeply: "I'm ashamed to admit it, but I once worked alongside those devils... I trained in spear techniques for almost a century — I nearly became a Cloud Knight instructor. But I was trapped in a weak, mortal shell. I was never able to surpass the final barrier that separated me from the 'martial arts geniuses'."
A trace of unwillingness flickered in Mauve Moon's eyes, replaced by a certain smugness and madness.
"Fortunately, the Draught of Draconic Surge — the prescription you hold in your hand — rescued me. Once I took that medicine, I became more powerful than any mortal could ever dream of. The pathetic 'Faithful Spear-Wielder' of the past no longer exists; All that remains is a loyal disciple of Merciful Medicus." 」
「 .....」
〜Frieren: Beyond Journey's End World〜
"Lord Serie, the martial arts genius he mentioned... could it be Yanqing?"
Zenze looked at Mauve Moon with a sudden hint of pity.
Yanqing seemed to be only in his teens, even if he had practiced swordsmanship since childhood, it would only be about ten years. But from Mauve Moon's words, he could already completely defeat a 'Faithful Spear-Wielder' with nearly a hundred years of spear technique experience.
Even the most resolute belief, when facing a monster-level genius, can inevitably collapse.
"That's how the chasm between mortals and geniuses is."
Looking at the smug Mauve Moon, Serie rolled her eyes in boredom.
...She never paid attention to the petty thoughts of the mediocre, because it was a complete waste of time.
In front of truly gifted people like Yanqing, the light of mortals is like fireflies. Occasionally, there might be occasions that attract attention—but when fireflies attempt to compete with the bright moon, the collapse of belief is inevitable.
It's not the genius who is wrong, but these fireflies. They didn't adjust their mindset, nor did they recognize their talents in time, and just broke down on their own.
Every one of her disciples was a one-in-ten-thousand genius among humans. In the thousand years that humans have mastered magic, starting from Frieren, countless beliefs of people like "Mauve Moon" have been shattered.
"...Does he think he can break the barrier between mortals and geniuses with just one medicine? It seems he doesn't understand at all where the difference between himself and a genius truly lies."
"Easily accomplishing what mortals cannot do, that's just the threshold of a genius."
"To do things that mortals wouldn't even dare to imagine... that is a true genius."
Serie's eyes drooped slightly. She recalled Frieren's disciple named Fern and smiled meaningfully.
—
「 "Faithful Spear-Wielder?" Stelle initially found the name familiar, but then immediately realized—wasn't this the missing Cloud Knight Qing Zhu had specifically told her to pay attention to?
This wasn't just missing; this was clearly treason!
"Wait... you recognize me?!" Stelle's attitude made Mauve Moons expression change.
"Why did your expression become so strange when you heard that name?"
At this moment, Green Hibiscus also caught on: "Lord Mauve Moon, there's a problem... this fellow might be an undercover agent looking for you..."
"Bastard! You tested for half a day, what did you test for? You let such an obvious undercover agent in!" Mauve Moon was furious. 」
「 .....」