Ch.148148. Festival Date (3)

The time spent exploring the surroundings with Findenai continued. Though I hadn’t particularly intended it, we ended up having lunch together, and I thought we might just take a quick look around or rest afterward.

Findenai was summoned by Erika and the dean’s office because of the gambling she had organized.

As I sent her off while she grumbled, I once again enjoyed the peace that had returned.

The Dark Spiritmaster was nowhere to be seen, and Illuania was bustling about here and there, showing Sevia the festival.

Owen had also been dragged away with Findenai, so there was no one else around.

I thought I had seen enough of the festival and was about to return to my lab when a girl caught my eye.

Aria Rius wearing a ridiculous white hat that looked like a souvenir, green-rimmed sunglasses, holding a skewer in one hand and a giant drink in the other.

Beside her, I could see her laughing and chatting with old colleagues like Leorus, Happy, Forencia, and Jin.

“……”

It was quite a sight to see, and I felt my lips twitch slightly without realizing it.

“Ah, Professor!”

Noticing my gaze, Aria came running over with her sunglasses still on. The other students naturally followed behind her.

Even though she had joined them later, Aria seemed to be playing the role of the leader of this group.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself quite… admirably.”

Seeing her enjoying the festival about twice as enthusiastically as others, Aria awkwardly fidgeted.

“It’s just that I haven’t been able to enjoy a festival without thinking about anything for so long…”

Yes, that would be the case.

In the first cycle, she started being controlled by me from the winter break of her second year, so she probably didn’t have the luxury to properly enjoy festivals after that.

Rather than an event to enjoy as a student, she probably saw them as trials where she had to gain something.

Seeing her now enjoying the festival so enthusiastically as a reaction to those times was impressive, and I wanted to pat her head, but her large hat was in the way, so I didn’t bother reaching out.

Aria handed her drink to Happy who was standing next to her and pulled out a cat ear headband from her pocket.

“By the way, do you know where Elenoa is? I bought this specifically to make her wear it.”

I noticed that the other female students were each wearing animal ear headbands.

Elenoa had been hanging out with these kids lately, so they must be disappointed that she wasn’t here.

“She’s spending some time separately. She’ll probably be able to join you all in the evening.”

“Of course she’s never around when we need her.”

She’s spending time with the King of Orpheus after a long while, but he’ll probably let her enjoy the festival with her friends in the evening out of consideration for her.

I didn’t want to take up their time unnecessarily, so I was about to leave after telling them to enjoy the festival, but…

Suddenly, Aria took off her hat and put it on Leorus, then placed her sunglasses on Forencia.

She handed the skewer to Jin, returning to her normal appearance, and came over to me.

“I’ll spend some time with the professor! I’ll join you with Elenoa in the evening!”

“What? Wait a minute…”

Leorus, who seemed to have feelings for Aria, tried to stop her urgently, but Happy and Forencia immediately responded.

“Alright!”

“See you in the evening!”

As the group left, I could see Leorus’s shoulders drooping, which made me feel a bit uncomfortable too.

And to begin with…

“I have no intention of walking around the festival.”

Since I was planning to rest now, I had no desire to walk around the festival with Aria.

But Aria answered with a smile.

“You know what? During festival periods, you used to draw me maps and make me walk around without rest. Like telling me to talk to someone three times, go somewhere to buy something, or what to eat.”

“That wasn’t me.”

“Right. But since you look the same, can’t I take out my frustration a little?”

I finally nodded with a sigh at Aria’s mischievous question.

“Fine, if that makes you feel better.”

“Yes!”

She clenched her fist and then linked her arm with mine, starting to lead me.

A student linking arms with a professor was a scene that would inevitably cause gossip if others saw it.

But Aria didn’t care at all and continued to lead me. Even when I tried to free my hand, she was so strong that it didn’t budge at all.

“First, I want to do this!”

What Aria pointed to was a dart stall.

A simple yet somewhat challenging game where you throw darts to hit balloons.

Pushed by Aria’s enthusiasm, I tried first, but since my physical abilities were below that of an average person, I couldn’t pop many balloons.

“Hehe! Let me try!”

As if she had expected this, Aria stepped up next and threw the darts. Her superhuman dynamic vision and strength naturally shone in this situation too.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

After cleanly popping all the balloons, Aria raised her chin and shrugged her shoulders.

“Hehe! These are the abilities of someone who almost saved the world!”

“…If you’re satisfied bragging about something like this, I’ll indulge you.”

I thought she might receive a large teddy bear or something for popping all the balloons, but what she got was just a small coupon.

With that, Aria led me right next to the stall.

A waffle vendor.

When Aria handed over the ticket, the vendor exclaimed dramatically.

“One special waffle!”

And shortly after.

A rather luxurious waffle was placed in my hand. It was similar in size to regular ones, but it had many different toppings and rare fruits inside.

“Try it. This is something you can’t eat even if you pay for it!”

“……”

It was delicious.

If you asked if it was to my taste, not particularly, but it was certainly excellent for something made by students.

In terms of price, it probably wouldn’t be cost-effective at all, which is why they gave it as a special prize for the dart game.

What followed was similar.

Aria must have explored the festival thoroughly, as we were able to spend quite a fulfilling time.

If you asked if it was enjoyable, it wasn’t really to my taste, so it was rather tiring.

After walking around together for quite a while, we returned to my lab.

“We walked around quite busily, didn’t we?”

“Yes.”

We had been so busy that I really wanted to rest now. Aria nodded with a bright smile.

“Now you can boast anywhere that you’ve enjoyed this year’s festival 200%.”

I agree that we enjoyed it thoroughly. Though I’m not sure where I could boast about it.

And now I understood why she had acted this way.

Sitting in my chair, I asked her.

“So, do you think I did something similar to what the me from the first cycle did for you?”

“I think it’s pretty close, isn’t it?”

In the first cycle, I must have given Aria a rather tight schedule, sending her here and there to develop her.

Like when we train characters in a game, giving them minimal rest while playing.

Aria must have been subjected to a similar, inhuman schedule by me in the first cycle.

Despite being a student, she couldn’t enjoy being one.

“It must have been quite arduous, right?”

“Yes, you must have been very tired.”

When I answered with full understanding, Aria gave me a broad smile.

But there was no malice felt from it.

“Back then, I didn’t even think to dislike it. I thought it was natural because it was a mission given by you, Professor.”

That makes sense considering the atmosphere when Aria first met me and how she has been treating me until now.

She probably acted as if she had received a revelation from God, saying she had to follow it unconditionally, like a saintess.

“So what do you think now?”

I was curious about Aria’s thoughts after she had definitely chosen to part ways and break free from me in the first cycle.

Although not much time had passed, I was still curious about what she was thinking.

“Hmm.”

Aria made a sound with her mouth closed and placed her finger on her lower lip.

Every such gesture reminded me that she was truly the protagonist of a game.

After rolling her eyes as if in thought, Aria answered with a bright smile.

“I liked it!”

‘…I’m hearing quite a few unexpected things today.’

Starting with Elenoa, then Findenai, and now Aria.

The women spending time with me today are giving answers outside my range of thought.

To think she would say she liked the orders from my first cycle self, which essentially took away her school days. When I looked at her, asking for an explanation, Aria put her hands behind her back and leaned her body forward.

“It’s thanks to that that I am who I am now. Looking back now, those days when I was obsessed weren’t exactly happy, but in the end, I overcame it all and shook everything off.”

Rather.

The refreshed expression showing no lingering attachment.

The fact that I couldn’t feel any lingering feelings or emotions toward my first cycle self.

Realizing that it truly came from her growth.

A smile unconsciously formed on my face.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Her growth was truly admirable. So I didn’t hide the smile that formed as a congratulatory gesture.

“And there’s one more good thing!”

Aria approached me slightly.

Feeling a strange pressure from her appearance, I unconsciously leaned back, hitting the backrest of my chair.

“I can teach you many things that you don’t know!”

“……”

“I can help you a lot too, Professor. I, who have only been receiving, am your final arrangement after all.”

A smiling expression and a bright voice.

Anyone would see a bright girl smiling and approaching, but strangely, it felt like facing a predator.

Thud.

It was a truly surprising movement.

Before I knew it, she had climbed onto my lap and faced me while sitting on the chair.

She trapped my legs between her thighs, and the subtle way she rubbed her hips was inappropriately seductive for her age.

“Mind your boundaries.”

“When I said goodbye, I embraced you for the first time.”

“……”

I immediately understood she was talking about when she rejected me in the first cycle, and I momentarily froze.

“Can’t you let me feel you just once more?”

“Keep your lower body still.”

“…I see you absolutely won’t respond to a student.”

Aria pouted her lips grumpily. But since I hadn’t rejected her, she carefully leaned her small body against my chest.

“I can hear a heartbeat.”

“……”

“I’m not sure if it’s coming from my chest or yours.”

Aria’s laughter flowed from under my chin with a “hehe.” Slowly wrapping her arms around my waist, Aria’s voice, with a slight force in it, unexpectedly contained a sob.

“As you know, Professor, saving the continent means living in pain.”

“……”

“People will applaud you, cheer for you, thank you.”

Aria’s touch trembled slightly.

“Do they know? That all of those things eventually came back to me as burdens?”

Expectations, gratitude, blessings, admiration, and so on.

Many positive emotions must have reached Aria. When she first received them, she probably burned with a sense of mission and enthusiasm.

But as it continued.

As she lost more and more, and the path became arduous.

In the end, all those things became just another weight pressing down on Aria’s shoulders.

“It’s a path of hardship with swords and spears. A time when, in order not to lose anyone, I had no choice but to lose myself.”

“……”

“Professor… Professor… I don’t want you to go through the agonies I went through.”

I felt a slight wetness on my chest. Tears were already evident in Aria’s voice.

“Whenever you tell me, I’m ready to walk that path again. I, who have become numb, am ready to sacrifice myself for this continent instead of you.”

“……”

Aria probably doesn’t know the weight of what she just said.

When I first met Aria Rius, the reason I wasn’t relieved even though it was the second cycle was simple.

With Aria in that state, even in the second cycle, we couldn’t reach the true ending.

Because.

‘The true ending of the second cycle is completed by the sacrifice of the girl named Aria Rius.’

The death of the protagonist.

That’s how the game ends, and the girl closes her eyes after saving the continent.

Now Aria has matured mentally enough to bring the true ending to the continent, but.

I gently embraced the girl in my arms. Yet there was strength in my hands. It was a determination to never let go.

“There’s only one thing you need to do.”

It wasn’t about collecting items to save the continent, building relationships with companions, or growing.

“Do well on your final exams this winter.”

“……”

“And before graduating from the academy, find what you want to do.”

“Grad, uate…”

“Anything would be fine. Find your aptitude, discover your talents, hone what you want to do. There’s no need to fear the future.”

I slowly placed my hand on the child’s head. Aria didn’t reject it and closed her eyes, accepting it.

“Little girl, the continent is safe.”

Because I am here.

Because I will save it.

Tears flowing down her cheeks.

Since these were tears of relief from a girl who had gone through so much hardship and was finally able to put down her burden properly.

I didn’t bother wiping them away.

After shedding tears for a long time, Aria sniffled and gently bumped her forehead against my chest.

As if her emotions had finally settled, Aria took deep breaths and whispered.

“Still. Still, if it really gets tough, come and tell me. Lean on me. As the only one who understands, who walked the path you walked, as your senior who walked it first. I’ll be there with you.”

“You’re reliable.”

“Hehe, I’m the strongest female student on the continent.”

Hug!

Aria hugged me tightly and rested her chin on my shoulder, her voice reaching my ear along with her warm breath.

“I’ll be waiting for the day I can become your sword.”

Hoping that such a day would never come.

“I look forward to it.”

I answered.