Where Are You Going?

I knew Rea’s staff would break down.

In fact, it was surprising that the old-fashioned staff had endured all the excessive magic use until now.

But honestly, I didn’t expect Rea’s mental state to break down along with it.

In my first playthrough, she was just briefly disheartened and that was it.

Even that was resolved once I got her a new staff and she returned to normal…

“…There’s no hope now… The world and everything else is going to be ruined…”

“D-Don’t say such terrible things!”

I couldn’t believe my eyes as I watched someone who was always cheerful transform instantly into the most pessimistic person.

Seeing how she nearly fainted as soon as she realized her staff had crossed the river of no return, she must have cherished the staff more than I thought.

But anyway, nothing could be done about the already broken staff.

One way or another, I needed to get a new staff as quickly as possible for someone whose magical abilities were rapidly increasing.

Therefore…

“Give me that, please.”

“Huh…? Why?”

“Well, you’ll only feel worse if you keep holding onto it. So, just give it to me, please.”

I tried to restore Rea’s sanity by taking away the broken staff.

I needed to go find a new staff with Rea, and if she remained depressed, it was obvious that many problems would arise.

So, after finally receiving the staff that showed signs of having been cherished.

“Lulaemon? …No, Luaemon sounds better.”

“…?”

I grabbed the hand of the person who seemed to be having some strange imagination and walked toward the Academy.

More precisely, to an equipment repository within the Academy that stored and sold various types of equipment, including staffs.

Fortunately, since there were no other customers besides us, we were able to quickly receive Rea’s new staff.

There was a very minor issue that the price was quite expensive, as it was a good staff that could easily withstand any magic.

“Please bill the president for the cost. Oh, and if anyone asks who bought such an expensive thing, be sure to say it was the president’s secretary.”

“Of course, I’ll do as our Secretary Lua says.”

Since I wouldn’t be the one paying anyway.

Either way, this amount would be pocket change for the president of the continent’s top Academy.

Having established a rapport with the equipment repository owner while running around as the president’s secretary, I was able to get cooperation without much difficulty.

I could clearly imagine Rayner’s bewildered face upon receiving the unexpected bill, but when you think about it, it was all Rayner’s karma.

You know, there’s that nice saying that a subordinate’s mistake is the superior’s responsibility.

If he didn’t want to experience the “minor mistake of purchasing items without being instructed,” he shouldn’t have hired a child like me as his secretary in the first place.

Anyway, following Adrian, I finally obtained Rea’s dedicated equipment too.

And since I needed to confirm to Rea whether this newly acquired staff could replace the one she originally had.

“Try using some magic, Rea. Something as spectacular as possible.”

“But… what if the staff breaks again?”

“Don’t worry. It won’t break even if you try hard to break it.”

As soon as we arrived back in the deep forest, I suggested that she try using the most impressive magic she could as a test.

Perhaps because she hadn’t fully recovered from the impact of the broken staff, she hesitated a bit despite my continued persuasion.

But not long after that, she finally picked up the staff and began to move literally tremendous amounts of mana as she had done before.

Soon, several huge magic circles began to stack vertically in the high sky.

Only after she created a long passage that penetrated through all the magic circles using mana in just a few seconds.

“Oh, oh… It, it works!!”

She returned to the person I knew as Rea.

With a vibrant face where all traces of pessimism had vanished.

However, something huge began to form between the magic circles stacked layer upon layer just below the white clouds.

“Huh? What’s that?”

I asked out of pure curiosity, nothing more, nothing less.

The answer that came back from Rea was a bit…

“Meteor!”

“…What did you say?”

No, it was a very shocking kind, so.

I could feel my own complexion gradually turning pale white.

Right after that, I urgently pulled back the person who was still excited without knowing what she had done.

There was no time to question anything since we needed to get as far away as possible from that huge meteor right now.

And so, finally, BOOM.

Along with the sound of the atmosphere resonating, the huge stone that began to fall caught fire due to frictional heat.

It was truly the very image that the name “meteor” conveys.

…I never thought I’d see with my own eyes what a shooting star looks like.

“Oh, it shouldn’t have been a meteor this big… Oh, what should I do?!”

Fortunately or unfortunately, Rea finally realized what she had done and was at a loss.

I forcibly pulled her behind me and picked up a wide piece of wood that was lying randomly on the ground.

And, ding.

[You are about to use Shield (A) on <Wide Wooden Piece(C)>.]

[Object Name: Lua’s Health Stat and Regeneration Stat have been applied to <Wide Wooden Piece(C)>.]

[Skill: If Words Come Bad (P) has been applied to <Wide Wooden Piece(C)>.]

“Duck!”

Right after that, a tremendous amount of wind and dust caused by the huge stone that finally fell to the ground swept all around.

I never expected that I would have to block both the shockwave of a meteor spell and its aftermath at the same time, but what could I do.

For now, I had to take comfort in the fact that at least we avoided being directly hit by the meteor.

When you think about it, I was the one who told Rea to use the most spectacular magic she knew…

So, after somehow blocking the aftermath of the meteor spell that swept all around with an improvised wooden shield.

“…Are you okay?”

First, I checked to see if Rea was injured anywhere.

Fortunately, apart from being a bit surprised, there were no visible wounds or injuries.

Well, either way. This newly acquired staff not only could replace the staff she originally had, but it was also proven to be a staff that had no problems even when such a tremendous spell was used.

Although there was now a need to carefully consider the aftereffects of magic when using it, would she really make the same mistake again?

“But don’t overdo it too much. If it’s magic that’s enough to strain Rea, the power will undoubtedly be incredible. Let’s think about the forest animals at least a little bit too.”

“Y-Yes…”

After that, I lightly brushed off the dust on one of Rea’s shoulders.

Actually, according to the original plan, I should have been training her in the magic that Rea mainly used in my first playthrough from now on.

But coincidentally, she had already become able to handle even higher-level magic than those spells, so.

It seemed better to leave Rea to her own devices rather than for me, who was virtually ignorant about magic, to interfere.

Even if I knew well about the types and effects of magic in <Another World>, it would be fair to say that I knew almost nothing about the actual theoretical aspects.

If I had to worry about such things from the beginning, it would no longer be a game but something else.

Anyway, having finished Adrian’s and now Rea’s preparations.

I was about to walk towards the Academy visible in the distance to complete the preparations for Iris, the last remaining party member, when.

Ding.

[Due to the effect of Title: Guardian, the power of the goodwill performed by Object Name: Lua increases dramatically.]

[Rea’s affection has risen to the limit.]

“…Huh?”

As a monochrome system window that I hadn’t seen for quite a while blocked my path.

I paused for a moment and began to realize what was happening.

A long shadow was cast over my head not even 10 seconds after that.

As an ominous feeling instantly filled me, making me break into a cold sweat, Rea’s two hands gently descended on my waist and picked me up.

And, hug.

I was half-forcibly seated on soft thighs and back-hugged.

It’s strange to express it as “being back-hugged,” but however I thought about it, that’s exactly what happened to me.

“…Where are you going?”

My body involuntarily trembled at the unfamiliar tone of the familiar voice whispering right next to my ear.

A strange feeling that encompassed a ticklish sensation in terms of touch and something beyond.

Coincidentally, it was a feeling I had already experienced once before, so my heart began to beat a little faster.

As I carefully turned my head, I was met with eyes that were somehow slightly vacant and unfocused.

Slightly flushed cheeks and irregular breathing followed.

Nevertheless, I somehow managed to speak up and honestly said that I was planning to go see Iris.

Squeeze

“Oww?!”

At the same time as my hand was grasped so tightly that the blood couldn’t circulate.

“Can’t you stay with me a little longer? I still have many magic spells I haven’t shown you…”

One request, which seemed like it would be disastrous if rejected, was once again whispered in my ear.

…I had a bad feeling of déjà vu.