Ch.116Reunion (2)

After we calmed down somewhat, we moved to the room.

After returning to the lodging, Seria was still staring at me with a blank expression, as if she couldn’t believe the current situation.

“So, um…”

“Yeah…”

“Why were you even there in the first place…? I’m not trying to blame you, just curious.”

Honestly, that’s fair.

If she said she saw me sneaking out at night and followed me, that wouldn’t be so strange, but I don’t understand why she specifically followed me.

Come to think of it, I think she was holding something earlier.

“I was just out enjoying the view of the ocean and was going to bring some food.”

So Seria just followed us without much thought.

I guess the timing was just bad.

‘Talk about terrible luck…’

I let out a deep sigh.

Well, what can I do about it now?

Even though I was in the wrong, I wanted to confront her about it.

After all, she had been secretly listening to our conversation from behind.

But since she claimed she had no ill intentions, I couldn’t exactly call her a liar.

She’s not the type to lie about something like this, and confronting Seria now would only make the situation spiral further out of control…

“Sigh…”

I stopped bringing up the topic.

“I have so many questions, Vladi.”

“I figured you would.”

“Yeah. I’m angry… honestly disappointed too… I have so many mixed emotions that it’s really complicated inside. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way before…”

Seria said with a distant expression.

From what she was saying, it seemed like she had a lot of negative feelings toward me, but for some reason, her expression didn’t look that bad.

Is it because we’ve finally reunited despite everything?

“Still… I’m glad you’re alive, Vladi.”

“Yeah… sorry for hiding it all this time, squirt.”

“I told you not to call me that…”

Seria puffed her cheeks as she spoke, then smiled slightly.

“You really are the Vladi I knew.”

“Haha…”

“It’s fine. I like seeing Vladi, but isn’t it uncomfortable for you like that? You can go back to normal. Or is Midir’s appearance the transformed one?”

“Hmm.”

At Seria’s words, I returned to my original appearance.

Seria quietly observed me after I changed back to Midir’s form, then carefully asked.

“Were you a woman from the beginning…?”

“It’s the opposite…”

“Oh… then…”

That I was originally a man who became a girl.

Seria’s expression, which had been blank for a while, contorted at my words.

“That’s ridiculous… How is that even possible…?”

I could only give an awkward smile in response to Seria’s question.

“I think it’s absurd too, but what can I do?”

What could I do when I woke up and found myself in this body?

“Ugh…! It’s a relief that you were originally a man, but why like this…”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Ah, it’s nothing!”

When I expressed confusion about what Seria had muttered to herself, she shook her head as if it was nothing.

Judging by her relief that I was originally a man, I guess she’s that way.

‘Well… she did say she liked me…’

She doesn’t seem to realize that I’ve noticed, but I’m well aware that Seria likes me.

If you found out that someone you liked was actually the same gender, I’d probably react the same way.

‘At this point, does it even matter anymore…?’

Now that I’ve become like this, gender doesn’t really matter anymore.

“So Midir is actually Count Vladimir?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess…”

Since everything’s been exposed, there’s no point in hiding it anymore.

I had no choice but to confirm Irina’s question as her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

In response to my answer, Irina circled around me, examining my body from various angles and even poking me here and there.

“What are you doing…?”

“It’s just amazing that you were Count Vladimir until just now, and now you’re back to being Midir.”

“…”

It is pretty amazing…

“Can you transform one more time?”

“…This is a very complicated spell, so it’s a hassle.”

From the outside, it might look like an instantaneous change that’s no big deal, but from my perspective, it involves changing my body in intricate ways, which makes my head quite complicated.

Despite my polite refusal, Seria didn’t seem willing to back down.

“Is that what someone who abandoned their friend and disappeared for a thousand years should say?”

“Ugh…”

When you put it that way, I can’t argue…

I sighed deeply and transformed my body again.

If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have changed back to my original form… I complained internally as I transformed my body into Count Vladimir’s form.

“There, is this enough?”

“Oh…”

When I returned to that form, Seria blushed and stepped back.

If you’re going to react like that, why did you ask me to transform in the first place…

“I-I might be a little embarrassed! And, well… it’s been a long time since I’ve seen my companion…”

Seria flapped her arms and made excuses in response to my exasperated expression, but unfortunately, since I knew her true feelings well, I just found it cute.

“Yeah, whatever…”

“Can I ask for one thing…?”

“You were just complaining that I couldn’t grant a favor after disappearing for so long.”

“T-that’s… argh… I don’t even know anymore!”

Seria shouted and rushed toward me.

Startled for a moment, I raised both arms, and she fell right into my embrace.

“…Seria?”

“I thought I’d never see you again… I was so sad…”

“Haha… you already cried earlier, and you’re crying again?”

“Why… can’t I cry?”

Seria looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.

Until now, I had always seen her as an annoying little kid.

Even after a thousand years, she was still small, but she definitely seemed taller than before.

Before, she only came up to my solar plexus, but now she reached my chest.

“You’ve grown taller.”

“Ugh…”

Thump! Thump!

“Ow…”

Seria punched my chest, telling me not to say weird things.

It didn’t really hurt, but I pretended it did.

“Don’t leave without saying anything next time.”

“Okay, I got it.”

“I don’t believe you. You disappeared once for a thousand years, so next time what, will you disappear for ten thousand years?”

“No… I really didn’t expect to be gone for a thousand years…”

It wasn’t my fault.

But since Seria had been suffering because of me all this time, and I had hidden my return from her, I couldn’t bring myself to say I felt wronged.

After all, she had been worried sick because of me.

I was sincere about not leaving without saying anything.

I never intended to do that in the first place, and when I got into that coffin, I only planned to stay there for a few days because I was exhausted.

If I had known I would sleep for a thousand years, I would have at least told Seria I’d be gone for a while.

Does becoming a Transcendent happen suddenly…?

Since there are only Eterna and me who have become Transcendents in this world, there’s no way to know such things.

“Hmm…”

Irina, who had been quietly watching us embrace and exchange pleasantries, frowned with displeasure.

Her puffed cheeks showed she was genuinely upset.

“Are you two dating?”

When she casually dropped this bombshell question, Seria turned blankly toward Irina.

After a moment,

“Oh…!!”

Seria suddenly blushed deeply and moved away from me.

“A-absolutely not! I would never~ever date this trash who betrayed his friend and disappeared!”

“Really? That’s a relief!”

“U-um?”

Irina smiled with relief at Seria’s words.

“I’m going to marry Count Vladimir!”

“What…?”

Seria froze at Irina’s declaration.

Then, like a doll, she turned her neck toward me.

“Hey, you didn’t…”

“N-no, it’s not like that! Besides, I met Irina as Midir first…!”

At that time, I was hiding my identity from Irina too, so of course I never showed her this form.

“U-um, Irina? I’m actually Midir, you know?”

“I don’t mind!”

I also froze at Irina’s confident answer.

“Y-you… Vladi, you…!”

“No, wait, this is a real misunderstanding!”

“Die, you pedo!”

“Kyaaaah?!”

As she pulled out a magic bow and tried to aim at me, my concentration broke and I returned to Midir’s form.

“…Oh.”

“Oh, it’s Midir.”

Seria put away her bow as if losing interest.

“Come to think of it, Vladi is a girl now too… Is this some kind of ‘the ultimate pedophilia is becoming a child yourself’ thing?”

“…”

It’s not like I wanted to become like this.

This is seriously unfair, damn it.

That day, for the first time as Midir, I regretted becoming this form.

Sincerely.