Eren's conversation with Sara was effortless.
Eren first answered various questions Sara had which mostly revolved around how Eren and Alephee knew about her beforehand. Eren didn't have to struggle to come up with a reason. He just used Katalina as a reason they knew Sara.
Eren told Sara that Katalina always talked about her, making Sara happy and eager for her meeting Kat. The butcher then mixed facts with fiction to create an intriguing blend of conversation. This entertained Sara, made her content by getting all the answers she needed, and kept her intrigued at the same time. Eren also assured her of a safe passage to the White Raven city. She would come with him when they left the capital.
At first, Sara was skeptical about Eren's intentions. She just didn't understand why an Expert ranker like Eren would be interested in a mortal like her. No matter how close he was to Katalina. But slowly and surely, her skepticism was washed away by Eren's words. She could feel that no matter how bizarre her encounter with Eren was, the Expert ranker himself was not there to harm her in any way.
Alephee talked with Sara periodically as she immersed herself in Eren's web of words. At this point, she stopped controlling Eren's actions. She believed Eren knew what he was doing. Or rather, he knew Sara well enough to handle anything related to her and her well-being.
An hour or two into the conversation, Eren looked at Alephee seriously before asking her.
"That being said, let's address the root cause behind Sara's blindness. Alephee, how can we fix Sara? We want her to gain her eyesight and walk on the rankers' path."
Sara should have been surprised by Eren's words. But for some reason, she felt comfortable letting Eren find a solution to her problems. She wanted to walk on the rankers' path as well. This was the reason why she bought that cursed Rank-0 Ranking technique.
Sara had given up hope of finding a solution to her problems. And she asked Katalina and her parents to do the same too. But that was because she knew they couldn't do anything about her problems with the resources and pull they had.
Eren, however, was different.
Sara believed that Eren could find some solution to her problem. Forget about walking on the rankers' path. She would be satisfied if she could get her eyesight back. She didn't want to spend the remainder of her life looking at the world around her in shadowy detail.
Alephee nodded at Eren before asking Sara to hold hands. The butcher watched with envy as the homunculus locked hands with Sara to feel the condition of her damaged mana circuits more closely.
Alephee closed her eyes and checked Sara's condition thoroughly. Sara also studied the demonic technique and runes that were still active on her body and soul as a result of it. As a result, Alephee took a while to open her eyes and speak grimly.
"I'm sorry, Sara. The faulty technique you were tricked into practicing to break into the Novice rank has altered your existence.
Your lack of eyesight is no longer related to your organs. In fact, your eyes are fine. That's the reason you don't come across as a blind person to the rest of the people."
Sara was disheartened by Alephee's words whereas Eren maintained a straight face. He wanted Alephee to finish what she was saying before he came up with other solutions.
Alephee took a deep breath before continuing.
"Your soul itself cannot see with your mortal eyes due to the faulty technique. Meaning you would not be able to see no matter what we do with the vessel."
Alphee looked at Eren and pursed her lips. She reclined in her chair before speaking to the couple.
"Soul-related injuries and defects are not easy to heal, even among those of our caliber. We might make matters worse than they already are. So it's wise not to interfere with them unless we are absolutely sure of the means.
In short, there's no easy way to fix Sara's eyesight. At least not in a traditional sense. And not anytime soon."
Sara's face didn't show it. But both Eren and Alephee could feel she was disheartened. Eren took Sara's other hand in his and caressed it. He pondered a bit before addressing the blind girl.
"Don't worry, Sara. I know Miss Timeless well. I'm sure we can work something out."
Alephee looked at Eren's hand-holding Sara and chuckled. 'He never misses a chance,' she thought and sighed. The homunculus shrugged off her shoulders before responding.
"We can indeed do something about Sara's condition. We can't fix her eyesight but maybe we don't have to. How about giving her a sense of mana instead?"
Sara's face perked up and her eyes sparkled as she asked Alephee to confirm whether what she had heard was true or not.
"You mean… is there a way for me to break into the Novice rank?"
For mortals, breaking into the Novice rank was a big accomplishment. One could say that Eren had it relatively easy because Aunt Nina backed him on his ranking journey at the beginning. But mortals like Sara were simply not privileged to have something like that.
So it was understandable why Sara became so excited at the thought of breaking into the mere F-rank– the lowest strata of rankers. Eren and Alephee couldn't really put themselves in her shoes to understand her excitement. But they did everything to accommodate Sara's feelings.
"Yes. You can break into the Novice rank immediately if we implement a few changes to the ranking technique. We would also need to alter the demonic runes placed on your body so that they become your aid rather than a hindrance.
These runes have prepared your body for mana conductivity. They just didn't let you activate your mana circuits, preventing you from forming a mana core of your own.
A few tweaks here and there and et voila. You will start your ranking journey from today itself."
