episode_0097

“Joint mock combat is one of the pretty big events at the academy.”

A fairly large restaurant prepared in the shelter village. A skyscraper standing particularly tall alone among mostly low buildings. At its top, sitting at a table on the terrace, Grace spoke, slicing her steak. Asel, who had been looking down at the village quite happily, turned his head towards her.

“An event?”

“Yeah. It’s true that it’s reflected in the grades, and it’s also true that it’s an important exam held right before the midterms. But it’s closer to an event than that. The mock combat is also opened to outsiders.”

“……”

“Of course, it’s not open to just anyone. Viewing tickets are only allowed for officials holding high positions in the Empire, and the students’ families.”

“Does royalty not come?”

Asel asked, receiving the water glass a waiter brought him.

He knew that royalty visited the academy festival.

The large-scale academic festival held once every two years. This festival, which held a degree of authority even within the Empire, was a large event that high-ranking nobles, as well as royalty, would intentionally make time to visit. According to the second-year seniors who experienced the event last year, the overall top students from each grade fought in mock combat all at once back then as well.

A spectacular mock combat where four people fought at once on the arena. If Asel also took first place in the second year, he would probably fight in mock combat in front of royalty around next autumn.

‘I’m looking forward to it.’

Naturally, Asel had no intention of missing first place in not only the first year but also the second year. This year’s first year is unusual in that there is no overall top student, but that will change when the midterm results come out. Since the top position cannot be left vacant indefinitely, the overall top student is to be selected through the midterms.

As both written and practical skills are important, Asel had to put in effort.

There were no problems. For a mage, using their head was as easy as breathing while lying down. His excellent memory had already crammed all the content heard during lectures into his brain.

‘Though I don’t know how the practical exam will be conducted.’

Would it be harder than escaping from Birsia or fighting the Archmage of the Magic Tower?

If it was harder than those, it would be awkward to even call it an academy anymore. A monster training ground would suit it better.

“My family will probably come to this joint mock combat too.”

Grace said, moving a piece of steak she had cut into easy-to-eat sizes onto Asel’s plate.

“Before the regression, they had no interest. Now that I’m showing prominence, they’re desperate to be nice to me. I don’t like it.”

“Still, aren’t they family?”

“Family is only family if they act like family. What kind of family is it that throws you away if you’re useless and takes you in if you’re useful? A mercenary group would feel more like family.”

Grace’s expression was not good as she blurted that out.

She was someone who had made a name for herself as a mercenary before the regression. Having been abandoned by her family due to being untalented, and having made a living doing mercenary work, it seemed she had quite a bit of accumulated hatred for her family.

‘So it’s not like all nobles live happily ever after.’

Except for illegitimate children, most must have grown up without want. Why are their family matters similar to those of a farmer family in a corrupt kingdom’s mountain valley? Asel drank a sip of water with a wry smile.

“Still, well… choosing to be a mercenary before the regression seems like I did well. Thanks to it, I met you. Oh? Thinking about it this way, maybe it wasn’t so bad that my family abandoned me?”

“……You’re joking, right?”

“Maybe.”

Grace smiled vaguely and spun the knife in her hand.

“More than that, Asel, will anyone come for you this time? Ena? Or the archmages in Wihaim?”

“If someone comes… it’ll probably be my sister.”

“Sister?”

Grace’s eyes went wide.

“You had a sister?”

“……? You didn’t know?”

“I didn’t know! You never told me about your family matters no matter what!”

“Hmm.”

Didn’t tell her about family matters, huh?

It was his choice before the regression, but it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible either.

During the time he was still living in the slums. When Evelyn caught pneumonia, if it weren’t for Ena’s help, Asel would have been kidnapped by Zerbil, and Evelyn would have died from the illness. According to Grace, the Asel in the previous loop wasn’t a mage but a swordsman, so he probably wouldn’t have met Ena.

Even if he had somehow returned alive, what would have welcomed him wouldn’t have been Evelyn’s warm smile but worm-ridden bones.

It was a terrifying thought just imagining it. He probably didn’t talk about family matters because he didn’t want to recall the scene from back then.

But now is different. Evelyn is clearly alive and living her second life studying magic engineering in Wihaim. There was no reason to necessarily avoid mentioning her.

“Her name is Evelyn, and she’s one year older than me. She’s currently learning magic engineering in Wihaim.”

“Oh oh… Do you happen to know what your sister-in-law likes?”

“……Sister-in-law?”

“Quickly! I have to prepare in advance!”

Asel was slightly bothered by Grace’s term, but first answered due to her urgent voice.

“She doesn’t particularly prefer items. She likes meat to eat, and since she recently started magic engineering, I think she might like things related to that.”

“Got it.”

Grace took out a notebook from her pocket and recorded what Asel said. High-quality meat and magic engineering items. If she procured them in advance and went to give them to Evelyn the moment she visited the academy grounds, she could leave a good impression.

Originally, a relationship could only continue smoothly by charming not just the person involved but their family as well. In the previous loop, there was no need for that, but this time is different. Just by instilling the perception in Evelyn that she was a wonderful sister-in-law, she could gain points.

A lover who treats family well? Who would dislike that?

‘Let’s inquire as much as possible and only give good items.’

Grace giggled, imagining Evelyn saying to Asel, ‘Grace? That girl is kind and pretty!’ Asel chewed the steak with a hesitant expression.

Not long after, the meal ended. The two walked in the park, chatting, after leaving the restaurant. Afterward, they moved to the musical theater Grace had reserved.

The musical was a story about a knight who lost his lover, wandered, met a young girl, and had his heart healed. Asel watched the musical with quite a bit of interest. He also learned a lot watching the actors’ performances.

‘So that’s how they act.’

Watching, he could gain a lot. Asel roughly grasped how to act like a person completely different from himself and nodded. At that moment, Grace cautiously took Asel’s hand.

“……?”

Instead of pushing her hand away, Asel turned his head to look at her face. Grace was looking at Asel with a slightly flushed face.

Just then, the scene in the musical was a kiss scene. Looking around, the couples were already long lost in their own world. Meaning, they were passionately embracing. The only ones remaining still in this space were Asel and Grace. They were merely holding each other’s hands and feeling the warmth rising from them.

That was enough. The two didn’t go any further and just held hands quietly until the musical ended. Midway, Grace performed some eccentric actions like slightly biting, licking, or rubbing his hand, but compared to the other audience members, she was much more refined.

The musical ended just like that. Simultaneously with the curtain call lowering the curtain, the lights in the musical theater turned on, and the audience members stood up, each leaving their impressions. Asel also stretched his stiff body and looked back at Grace.

“Shall we go?”

“Yeah. Mwah. Let’s go.”

Grace, who sucked on Asel’s wrist one last time, got up. Asel looked down at the lipstick mark and bright red kiss mark left on his wrist and wore a wry smile. Grace’s perfume scent was strongly embedded on his hand.

The time they left the musical theater was around 5 PM. Due to the long performance, the sun had significantly set despite them moving right after lunch. It felt like complete night would arrive soon.

“Asel, are you perhaps hungry?”

Looking up at the orange sky, Grace asked, tightly holding his hand. Asel shook his head.

“Not particularly.”

“Then, will you go somewhere with me?”

“Where?”

“Over there.”

Grace pointed with her finger at a tall mountain outside the academy grounds and said.

“Mountain?”

“Yeah. I want to show you a sight.”

A sight she wanted to show him, huh.

Asel hesitated for a moment, then eventually chuckled wryly and nodded.

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Ah, okay! Let’s go!”

When Asel accepted, Grace, with a bright expression, led him and walked towards the mountain. They reached the base of the mountain after quite some time, and instead of the prepared hiking trail, they ascended to the peak using magic. They landed in a cave on one side of the mountain, which was cut like a cliff, that they discovered during the process.

“Huff…!”

Flight magic is a monster that consumes mana. No matter how much more mana Asel has than a typical mage, flying while carrying the weight of two people was a burdensome act. Sweat automatically formed.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. So, what’s the reason you asked me to come here?”

Asel asked, wiping away sweat. Grace handed him a handkerchief and replied.

“The academy in the previous loop collapsed.”

She took a step inside the cave.

It’s not a deep cave. A small cave whose depth can be grasped with the naked eye. A lake stretches below the entrance, and a giant monster is swimming in it. The monster, resembling a giant serpent, has poked its head above the surface, seemingly sensing the presence of the two who landed inside the cave.

“It was about half a year after I graduated, so there are about 3 and a half more years left.”

“……”

“Anyway, that’s not important.”

Grace came back to Asel’s side. A flower she had never seen before was held in her hand.

“……That is.”

“A species that can only grow in dark places, receiving only moonlight. It’s a Luna Flower. Near the academy, it only grows here.”

“……”

“It’s also my favorite flower.”

Grace held the flower like a child, found a spot at the cave entrance, and sat down. She stretched her legs out towards the cliff connected to the outside of the cave and smiled softly while watching the orange sunset slowly disappear beyond the horizon.

“Once in the past.”

Grace said in a gentle voice. Asel sat beside her.

“I visited here with you.”

“Is that so.”

“Yeah. Because we had to kill a demon that had made its lair in the academy. A corps of 300, including you and me, were dispatched, and among them, 200 died, and 70 were severely injured. The only ones who were relatively unharmed were you and me.”

“Hmm.”

“While recuperating from injuries like that, you said you found a place with a good view and dragged me all the way here, carrying me on your back. It was the first place I learned of then.”

The orange sunset reflected on the surface of the lake, brightly dyeing the world. Light, as if painted with a brush, passed over the clouds, the sky, the land, and also changed Asel and Grace’s eyes to a similar color.

The sunset light reflected in their eyes.

Their faces reflected in each other’s eyes.

“How is it?”

Grace smiled widely.

“Do you like it?”

“……Was that what I said?”

Grace didn’t answer. Instead, she leaned her head on Asel’s shoulder.

Press.

Asel hugged her shoulder and whispered in Grace’s ear.

“I like it.”

“……That’s a relief.”

“How about you.”

“Huh?”

Grace asked, slightly rolling only her eyes. Asel chuckled and tilted his head against hers.

“Do you like it?”

“……Yeah.”

Grace placed the flower she held in her arms down on the ground and gave Asel a short kiss on the cheek.

“Anything with you.”

Asel chuckled and stroked Grace’s hair. Grace giggled and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder.

The two stayed there until the sun completely set and it became night before parting ways.

***

A problem has arisen.

“……Aleph?”

[Aleph is currently away. More importantly, who are you? Aleph doesn’t know people like you.]

“You said you’re away. How are you answering?”

[Is that important now? First time meeting you. Do you not usually get told you’re tactless?]

“……”

[Anyway. The Aleph who was only ever asked things he didn’t know, used and discarded only during magic experiments, and had his human rights thrown to the dogs, disappeared long ago, so please withdraw now. He left the message that he would really get angry otherwise.]

That’s right.

“You’re sulking.”

[Yes.]

Aleph is sulking.