Edward listened, trying to process the idea of a "graveyard for the living." 'A mansion in a graveyard seems a bit off,' he thought, dismissing the poetic flourish as just that.
His attention was drawn to Dew, who was still kneeling and now glaring at Serina with visible displeasure. Edward guessed it was because they were being forced to remain kneeling for so long. To ease the tension and get Serina to continue speaking more freely, Edward suggested they move.
"I'm feeling a little nauseous in this room," he admitted, "Perhaps we could talk outside?"
She readily agreed and led him out. Once outside, she elaborated on her thoughts.
"Ed, what do you believe empowers evil?" she asked softly.
"Is it the simple presence of bad things, or the absence of good?"
"I think both can equally empower it," Edward replied thoughtfully.
"No," Serina countered, shaking her head.
"Even the presence of good can power evil."
"Good can power evil?" Edward asked, confused.
"Yes, even good can empower evil," she affirmed.
"You should think of it like a painting. We can see many colors on a painted canvas, but on an absolute white canvas, even a tiny pinch of black is immediately noticeable."
"To expand on this, consider humanity's mentality on a scale of 1 to 10. A 10 is a person who is utterly sinful, filled only with evil. A 1 is a person who is divine, pure, and embodies only good."
"What do you think is more beneficial for evil to corrupt further?"
"The 1," Edward realized.
"Exactly," Serina said. "A good person. Corrupting a good person is like filling a perfectly white canvas with black."
"This is where Sin-Replicas come into play."
"Sin-Replicas is a vague term for possessions offered to these '1' people and '10' people by their Original Sins. A Sin-Replica can be anything—a pen, a sword, a gun, a piece of cloth, jewelry... anything that bears the seal of one of the Seven Deadly Sins."
"These Sin-Replicas can only be identified by a person who either possesses another Sin-Replica or a person who has that specific sin in either a very high quantity or a very low quantity. To normal people, those things appear to be just mundane, everyday items."
"This feels like something straight out of a fantasy novel," Edward said, shaking his head slightly.
"What you have seen until now hasn't been?" Serina returned with a slight smile.
"The item you possess is an offered Sin-Replica from the Sin of Greed itself. This means that either you have virtually no greed at all, or you are the most greedy person ever born into the Owls family. Both situations are equally dangerous."
Edward smirked a little at the notion. He saw himself as a moderately greedy person, but getting recognition from Mammon himself was another level. "I am not that greedy," he muttered.
As he said this, Edward's eyes instinctively flitted across the expensive furnishings of the mansion, quickly estimating the value of one valuable item after another.
"Huh, anyway," Serina continued, "because you, Edward, are the only surviving blood member of the Owls, you are destined to become the Sin-Lord of Greed."
"But, even if I am an Owl, why does it have to be just me? Why can't you become a Sin-Lord?" Edward asked.
"That is impossible because of the contracts given to the founding families 2,000 years ago," she explained.
"To become the Sin-Lord of Greed, the person must specifically contain the blood of the Owls. Since I married into the family, I cannot become a Sin-Lord. You, on the other hand, contain the 'righteous' blood of the Owls."
"A Sin-Replica can be anything, so what do these glasses actually do? Can I shoot lasers from them?" Edward asked eagerly, holding up the dark platinum frames.
"Don't be naive, Edward. We are not in some fantasy novel," Serina said with a sigh.
'But we are, aren't we? Everything I've seen so far screams fantasy,' Edward thought to himself.
"A Sin-Replica contains a blend of abilities stemming from two sources: the desires of its user and the inherent authority of that Sin itself," Serina explained.
"For the Sin of Greed, Mammon possesses authority over value."
"Value, you say?"
"Yes, value. And as for your desire, how could I know what you wish for? That is why only the original user, the person intended the Replica for, can truly utilize its abilities."
Serina's expression became serious. "But you must be extremely careful."
"A Sin-Replica is not a gift; it is more of a trap. It is designed to lure humans into losing their humanity. The more you use its abilities, the faster your sanity will slip away."
"I would strongly advise you not to depend on its powers too much."
"But how can I find out what I desire?" Edward asked, completely sidestepping Serina's grave warning about the risk of losing his sanity.
Serina looked at him with an intense gaze, choosing to press the larger point of his new destiny. "Edward, you need to understand the true work of the Seven Families," she insisted. "Our role here is not to rule this place, but to keep it confined within its own boundaries."
"We are not here to help the devils; we are serving our punishment by preventing their strength and dominance from spreading beyond the borders of Solveil."
"And if a Sin-Lord gets corrupted by the Sin's true intention, what do you think that will lead to?" she challenged.
"What?" Edward asked.
"The total destruction of this entire world," Serina stated grimly. "Or, worse... another war between Heaven and Hell."
"Another, you say?"
"Yes, another," she confirmed, her voice dark. "The first war started and ended right here in Solveil and stripped this place of everything."
"The second," Serina confirmed, her eyes narrowed with cold dread, "will probably be worse."