episode_0045

A shopping street with the evening sunset.

Freya walking in front of me.

“… ”

“… ”

The school uniform she originally wore was so worn out in the dusty wind of the wilderness that she left it at Grandfather Hwata’s repair shop. So we headed back to school in silence.

Freya finished her shower and changed into clean training clothes.

‘It doesn’t seem that strange… ‘

As I looked at that training suit, I remembered the incident that had happened for a moment.

-Well, something… This old-fashioned red-colored training suit…

-Isn’t it better than the black one from ―♪

-Well, that’s… ! Jjol, not jjoljol… It’s a high-end product with magic engineering applied… Good sweat absorption… But, if you suddenly bring these fluttering pants…

Perhaps because it was a wealthy school, they seemed to have good gym uniforms. So, since I had a gym uniform from another school, I suggested it to Freya.

-Ah―☆ Then you want to wear these hot shorts that the kids gave you as a gift―☆ Yes♪ Freya has pretty legs, so they will suit her―☆

-Well, isn’t that just underwear? ? T, please give me training clothes…

In the end, Freya ended up wearing the red training uniform of . And I had a strange feeling while watching that.

‘So does Belle, and Maya… For some reason, it seems like everyone who visits our school tries on ‘s training uniform at least once. I wonder if Hilde will be able to wear it soon.’

I couldn’t imagine that elegant silver-white girl wearing red training clothes. But I thought Hilde would look good in anything she wore.

‘I don’t think Hilde would look good if she suddenly popped out on the street in pants… ‘

Of course, sincere and dignified Hilde would never do such a comical and ridiculous thing. For some reason, I think it would be a good fit because it has a fresher, more cute impact.

“… ”

I was thinking like that.

While maintaining a subtle distance.

Dragging the red toad, I chased after Freya.

Since Freya’s stride length was narrower, it seemed like the distance would soon narrow if we walked together. Because I was leading the Red Toma, my steps were a little slower, so in the end, the distance did not subtly narrow.

A subtle sense of distance.

At a subtle pace.

We walk together sharing an awkward silence.

“… ”

“… ”

Sabak Sabak

Well, well, well, well.

The sound of soft footsteps.

Freya’s shoes make a sound as they hit the rough floor full of pebbles. The sound was like dwarves buried in the ground sleeping while gritting their teeth.

As the sunset sets and it gradually becomes dark.

Although he didn’t even make any sound of his own footsteps.

The pebbles where your feet touch make a loud sound.

That appearance somehow resembled Freya’s appearance now.

“… ”

I thought as I looked at Freya’s back.

‘Even in the game, a splendid magic powerhouse centered on nobles… The student council members of mainly appear. In reality, Freyja was treated as a high-performance character quota system, one for each school.’

Eir from .

Albit from .

Brunhild from .

They leave a strong impression in the story as well as their powerful character performances. Strangely, considering her performance, Freya did not appear often in the story.

『Ah, I don’t know anything… You bastards… Well, do you think that’s meaningful… 』

Freyja just uttered sarcastic remarks and disappeared. After that, she did not play an active role in the story, but boasted an airy proportion on the same level as Clara in ‘I don’t know, I don’t know-☆’. It just becomes a laughingstock for users and is consumed.

I watched Freya’s back carefully.

‘What kind of story does it have… ‘What kind of thoughts do we live with?’

When walking, you step gently with your front heel first.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been reading a book for a long time, but my shoulders are slanted.

When I followed behind, I was able to find out such things. But I couldn’t know her inner thoughts, which I really wanted to know.

“… ”

“… ”

Still silence.

As I walk so quietly, all kinds of thoughts pass through my mind.

Out of embarrassment, I ring the bell of Red Toma’s bicycle.

Charring―☆

Charring―☆

In fact, when we came to the shopping district, we rode a red horse and could have just gone back the way we came. However, Freya said she wanted to go back slowly, so she is walking like this.

Freya doesn’t say anything.

The meeting became awkward in a different way from the first day with Eir.

I felt something was off and sighed inwardly.

‘It’s my fault… I keep going astray. Something… I’m sorry about something.’

Was it because of Freya’s first impression that she arrogantly fired dozens of spears made with magic from the first meeting? In my head, Freya had a very strong and arrogant My Way impression, apart from her timid tone of voice.

‘It was that kind of image that appeared sometimes even in games… ‘

But it seemed like she had a much softer heart than I thought.

I was watching Freya’s thoughts like that.

sense…

Freya was lost in thought with a subtle expression on her face.

A subtle face that seems to be a mix of half timidity and half arrogance.

She stopped as if she had made up her mind and slowly looked back.

“… ”

“… ?”

Freya’s face has clear contrast.

The setting sun cast a shadow on one side of her face, giving her a more determined expression.

‘Something… ‘Do you have something to say?’

I was looking at that face and waiting for her to say something.

Freya soon cautiously opened her mouth.

“Ping, a pink rascal… Since first year, he has been using [Forbidden Power]… Is it true that the rumor that I wrote it… Well, that’s why he suddenly disappeared… ”

“Ahaha… ☆ The forbidden power… ”

“That, and… Earl, the last time I exploded a while ago… Ending with [Forbidden Power]… Wan, the fact that I completely lost my strength… And that bleached hair color… I’m in such a state that an empty, empty can would be even more moist… ”

As soon as I heard those words, my bones started hurting.

‘Oh my, is it this again…? ‘

Even if it’s a lie I started.

The legend of [Faded Spiral] became the complete truth due to strangely fitting circumstances.

Before I knew it, I had come to a situation where even if I told the truth to my classmates and juniors, they chose to listen. They weren’t the only ones who heard it that way in the first place.

‘The tiger that me, Bell, and Eir created was powerful… ‘

To put it mildly, there was a rumor among other students that it was Eir who defeated the priest of .

Everyone at worked very hard to convey my performance, but the keyword [faded spiral] was the only thing that caught the ears of the students who did not witness the incident from the outside.

‘What I used to exert my last strength and what I defeated with Eir were separated and destroyed… ‘I’m just an unknown soldier who didn’t do anything and fell alone with forbidden powers, and Eir is the main character.’

Actually, what I squeezed out wasn’t my last strength, but…

Anyway, let me compare it.

In the rumors, I am Gan Son-mi, a version of Yeon, who was a novice in the early days.

Eir became Guan Yu, who monopolized the martial arts of other generals.

Even children who know the truth misunderstand that I am about to die because I have exerted all my strength…

I even thought it was my karma.

‘what… The reason there are such conflicting perceptions… It’s my fault because I didn’t know that the original work was distorted and started thinking about strange concepts. At the very least, it is my responsibility to try to inform the people around me of the truth. Even if I get criticized for it.’

From now on, what is important is not the original work, but sincerity.

Although there are suspicions that has learned the original content, at least Freya will not have anything to do with . So I smiled bitterly and decided to tell her the truth.

“No, no―☆”

“Well, then… ?”

“In the first year of Storm and Fury-☆ I just used the total amount of ether in my cute bare fist-☆ Grumble-☆ Feeling like, wow? Ahhh♪”

“… ”

“And~ um~ I took a break… I misunderstood something… ☆ I want to protect something very precious… Hmm~♪ Anyway, I took a break for girlish reasons, I didn’t really lose my strength―☆ The ether remained the same until a while ago♪”

“… ”

Purple eyes as transparent as jewels.

I was taken aback as I watched Freya listen with a frighteningly serious expression.

That face was not the face of a timid girl crying sadly… This is because he lived up to his reputation as the best explorer produced by the prestigious magic school .

‘What is it, is it something to listen to with such a straight face? ?’

Although I was embarrassed by those eyes, I continued speaking.

“And―☆ Not long ago, I acted a little unbecoming of a lady and with a harsh attitude―☆”

“Like an imbecile… Oh, don’t equivocate… Please explain properly… ”

I was stung by Freya’s harsh criticism.

“Ah… huh. that… Yes☆ Actually, it’s a lizard… A guy called ‘Priest’ took out the girls’ ether like a mosquito and used it-☆ So he disassembled it and forcibly injected it-♪ And she became the complete☆ultimate☆Clara and debuted brilliantly-☆ But in the reaction, the ether was empty-♪ My hair is crisp―☆ Is it like that―☆”

“… ”

“But… As you can see~☆”

I feebly lifted the ether into my hand.

Although the recovery power is still weak to raise the [Inherent Ether], the 2nd level [Vibration] level ether that was built up again through the realization of weapon aptitude bloomed.

[Unique Ether] Even though it looked shabby to those with the ability.

At least clear evidence that all is not completely lost.

“Look―☆ I am becoming stronger again from the beginning―☆”

“… ”

Freya watched in silence and then nodded.

“Well, I see… All over again… Well, he’s still alive… ”

“Huh? uh… I’m fine―☆”

“Ping, pink thief… Party, you… hmm… For what… Was he trying to become stronger by using that kind of power? ”

“Umm… ☆ When I was a freshman, I thought all I wanted to do was become stronger, but now I want to fight to protect the things that are truly precious―☆ That’s all I want♪”

Freya said with her eyes wide open.

“Luck, [fate]… Is it… ”

“Huh? that’s right! I truly met a fateful match~ Ahaha―☆ Freya is truly romantic~☆ This romantic stray cat―♪”

“City, it’s noisy… Peeing all the time and all… It was a long time ago… I just sound like an imbecile… I thought it was sick, sick… ”

Freya muttered something in a muttering tone, then nodded and said.

“I understand… Dang, you do that… That’s why I’m so retarded… ”

“Oh my… ☆ It’s too much―☆”

＊

Freya was quietly looking at Clara.

“… ”

The ‘soul of this universe’ and ether are completely connected through [fate].

The limit of ether that a person can use in his or her life is determined by [fate]. Unless you are a person with a great [fate], your soul will be depleted first.

‘The method of operating the ether permitted by the World Tree is to carry a weapon and live a life as determined by [fate]… ‘

Even if it is not exact knowledge, like Freya, who travels around Academy City and searches for the truth. A fact that everyone living in Academy City unconsciously knows.

No, it is a law engraved in the realm of instinct.

‘Every soul in this universe’ is bound by that law.

But Clara was directly defying that law.

‘You throw away your weapons and use the ether as you please…’ ‘

The price that ‘those in this universe’ pay for freely engaging in actions that they feel repelled from deep within their souls is… What is it?

‘Unless you come from another universe that is not affected by the World Tree, or you have two souls… It will be an action that will one day lead to the complete extinction of existence… ‘

Just thinking about it is a ridiculous imagination.

Clara’s situation, as Freya found out, was as grim as it was.

What the hell…

What [fate] does it have?

‘really… What an idiot. [Fate] that pursues you even to the point of destroying your own soul… ‘

From the moment Freya realized that fact, she no longer hated Clara. This was because she, like him, had a [fate] that was too much to bear.