When Reinhard entered, all their gazes shifted to him simultaneously.

Marie immediately perked up, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. She waved her hand in excitement, her platinum hair bouncing with the movement. "Rein! Are you done with your checkup?"

Joseph lifted his head from his hands, his green eyes focusing with effort. "How did it go?"

Janus straightened slightly in his chair, concerned about entering his expression. "Nothing's wrong, right?"

Reinhard smiled, warmth spreading through his chest at their immediate concern for him despite their obvious exhaustion. "I'm fine." He let his gaze sweep over the three of them, taking in their slumped postures and weary expressions. "But it seems you guys are close to passing out."

The trio groaned in unison.

Klaus laughed before his hand lifted from his cane to gesture vaguely at the three exhausted students. "Well, they haven't gotten a break yet. We've been trying to get everything down to create a story with no loopholes. The timeline needs to be perfect, the details consistent, the explanations plausible to outside observers."

Reinhard nodded as he grasped they were crafting the official account of what happened in Eastern Hesod. Something that would satisfy curiosity without revealing dangerous truths, especially because of Three Of Sword involvement.

Rosaria crossed her arms as her expression became more focused. "What is the question you wanted to ask us now?"

Marie perked up at this, her tiredness temporarily forgotten in favor of curiosity. Joseph and Janus both stared with renewed interest, clearly wondering what Reinhard had been holding back. Brunhilde simply leaned back in her chair, her faint smile growing slightly as if she already suspected what was coming.

Reinhard took a breath, organizing his thoughts. "What is the purpose of the Star Jewel? And why are you guys looking for it?" He paused, then added, "I'm asking because it seems like we might encounter more in the future without trying. Given our luck."

Marie let out an understanding "ahh" before nodding enthusiastically. Then her light-gold eyes turned toward her father, Klaus, waiting for his response.

Klaus chuckled, but with an undertone that suggested the answer was more complex than a simple explanation could convey. Rosaria sighed audibly, her hand rising to rub her forehead as if warding off an incoming headache.

Klaus leaned forward slightly, his posture becoming more serious despite the smile still playing at his lips. "Well, the Star Jewels, in simple terms, can be seen as keys to a door we want to open."

Reinhard blinked, surprise flickering across his face. That was far more straightforward than he'd expected, yet simultaneously raised a dozen new questions.

Joseph furrowed his brows, leaning forward with renewed energy despite his exhaustion. "What kind of door is that?"

Klaus sighed, and for the first time, his expression showed genuine uncertainty. "We aren't sure exactly. But possibly the entrance to either an ancient civilization or forgotten realms."

Reinhard, Janus, Joseph, and Marie all blinked in synchronized surprise. Then, speaking almost in unison, they asked the same question. "What kind of forgotten realm?"

An ancient civilization was interesting, but a forgotten realm? Now that is something that made them tremble in excitement and wonder.

Rosaria continued where Klaus left off. "We aren't sure of the specifics, but many scholars and researchers believe it may lead to a realm created by a civilization that came before us, one that had fallen long ago."

Klaus picked up the explanation seamlessly. "Or it might be a pathway to the realm where the dead go after they die. A bridge between life and whatever comes after."

Reinhard's eyes widened at those words. His mind immediately connected dots, pulling from recent experience. "The Star Jewel we found in Eastern Hesod was able to bring the souls of those who died centuries ago back..." He spoke slowly, working through the logic aloud. "So that would add evidence to it being connected to death and the afterlife."

Rosaria nodded, approval flickering in her crimson eyes. "That's one piece of evidence, yes. The other reason we're interested is the Star Jewel's odd ability to grant wishes, albeit in their own specific way."

Janus shifted in his chair, his posture straightening as curiosity overcame exhaustion. "I've been curious about that... Why does the Star Jewel grant our wishes? I know it's limited, but it was able to push away the roots covering our way to the center of the forest. It summoned the dead Forerunners and even a First Class Beast Master. The Jewel itself could hide from the Saint's visions..." He shook his head in wonder. "It's honestly amazing."

Klaus hummed thoughtfully, his fingers tapping against his cane's crow-head handle. "We aren't certain about that information, but we believe inside each Star Jewel is creation energy, wishes, beliefs, and magic of people who lived in either the forgotten realm or that ancient civilization. Their essence, compressed and preserved."

Reinhard raised an eyebrow, skepticism entering his voice. "Those things can grant wishes?"

Rosaria explained with the precision of someone who'd studied this extensively. "The magic inside can supply the power needed for the wish. And the creation element inside can twist reality to bring forth the wish's manifestation. Of course, it's limited. The type of wish you can make is dependent on how the Star Jewel was originally created or summoned, and what domain it encompasses."

Marie suddenly perked up, her exhaustion vanishing entirely as understanding flooded through her. Her eyes lit up with that characteristic brilliance she got when puzzle pieces clicked together. "The Forerunners' Star Jewel wishes were centered around United Belief!"

Her words came faster, excitement building. "Like them, creating a barrier to hide the jewel was a united belief of the original wielders. And us using the Star Jewel to push away the roots was also a united belief, all of us wanting the same thing at once."

She gestured around with her eyes shining. "Actually, we can take it further! Reinhard summoning Dune was United Belief based on us wishing for help, which also includes summoning the other Golden Melo Warriors. We all desperately wanted aid, and the Star Jewel responded to that collective desire."

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