Ch.178177. Time Without Her (4)

# 177. The Time Without Her (4)

As if proving that humans are indeed social animals who need to live with others, spending my daily life with them certainly made that loneliness fade a bit.

Of course, even while doing so, I didn’t forget to keep in touch with her.

When she heard that I was once again fulfilling my role as a party leader, she showed an ambiguous reaction—seeming both pleased and not pleased at the same time.

What exactly does she want me to do…

“What are you thinking about so intensely?”

“It’s nothing. Could you mind your own business?”

“Seriously… I can’t believe you…”

Elin seemed desperate to bite my head off today as well.

I asked that consistently antagonistic guy:

“But… why did you suddenly call me?”

“I have something to discuss.”

“Yeah, and what is that something?”

“Hey.”

“Huh?”

As Elin called out to me like that, for some reason he wore an expression that looked wronged.

I asked Elin about his sudden change in expression.

“What’s… wrong?”

“She definitely likes me too, you know?”

“Oh… and?”

It seemed the reason he called me was for relationship advice.

Come to think of it, quite ironically, these two had been just flirting for almost a year.

Elin, who now seemed to have finally decided to properly date, asked me:

“But why won’t she confess?”

“She probably doesn’t have the courage. Maybe she’s waiting for you to do it. Or maybe she just doesn’t like y—”

“No! I’m telling you she definitely likes me!?”

“Ah… yes… so what do you want me to do about it?”

When I answered half-heartedly, a frustrated Elin stared at me intently.

With an expression that belonged in a horror movie, Elin asked me:

“What should I do?”

“Just confess.”

“Huh…?”

For some reason, Elin seemed startled after hearing those words.

I continued the conversation, deliberately ignoring his reaction.

“Just punish her with a confession, you know? Like ‘How dare you not confess?’ That kind of mindset.”

“You call that advice?”

“Well, I think it’s the best advice I can give you.”

Elin seemed to have a cheap mindset that didn’t suit him—like “a woman shouldn’t give her heart first.”

Or maybe not.

“So I should just do it…?”

“Yeah, lots of girls confess these days too.”

“What about you and your girlfriend?”

“I was the one who confessed in that case. Originally, the person who likes the other more should be the one to confess.”

Of course, that was just my opinion, so it might not apply to them.

Still, it seemed like decent advice, as Elin repeated those words.

“The person who likes the other more should confess…”

“Yeah… just do it yourself if you’re that frustrated.”

“But…”

Elin was hesitating before saying something.

Since I already knew what he was going to say, I blurted out the words that were circling in my head.

“You’re wondering how to do it?”

“Oh… how did you know?”

“Never mind that… Well? You just ask them to go out with you, what else?”

“How… did you do it?”

“I just asked her to go out with me?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but how about doing it right now? I’ll call her for you.”

Honestly, it was too frustrating.

If I just left them alone to figure it out themselves, they’d probably waste another month or two meaninglessly.

“How about it? Not a bad idea, right?”

“No!? NO!!? It’s a terrible idea!? Extremely terrible!”

“But there’s one important thing.”

“What…?”

“You don’t have a choice in the matter.”

After those words, he arrived at the library with perfect timing.

I spoke to him as he looked at me with an expression full of discontent.

“Hey, she has something to tell you. Listen to her.”

After delivering that message, I walked toward the exit, leaving behind the two of them with their completely opposite reactions.

And then…

“And training tomorrow at 9:30. We’re clearing a dungeon tomorrow.”

With just those words, I left the library.

***

After Albert left, only the two of them remained in the late-night library.

Elin was looking with resentful eyes at the one who had abandoned her in that atmosphere.

“Ah…”

“Something to tell me? What is it?”

“Um… well… it’s nothing much…”

“From the way you’re talking, it seems like a big deal.”

Extremely nervous, Elin took a deep breath to calm herself down and escape this state.

Then, looking at him as he tilted his head, she opened her mouth.

“Hey.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you like me?”

“Huh…? What do you mean…”

“Just answer quickly. Don’t you like me?”

“Well… I don’t… dislike you…”

Leo, showing obvious signs of embarrassment, didn’t deny it.

Of course, since not disliking someone doesn’t necessarily mean liking them, Elin asked again.

“Then do you like me?”

“Huh…? S-suddenly?”

“Shut up and tell me quickly.”

“I… do… like you… yeah.”

Finally hearing that answer, Elin continued the conversation while showing signs of disappointment.

“If that’s the case, why haven’t you confessed? I’ve been waiting all this time…”

“W-well…”

Unlike when he entered the library, Leo was now flustered before Elin.

Ignoring Leo’s reaction, Elin said what she needed to say.

“Anyway… will you go out with me?”

***

At that moment.

Reina and I were watching this interesting scene in real-time, each hiding in our own way.

We were talking in voices as tiny as a drop in the ocean.

“Wow, she’s actually pretty good at this.”

“I know… did you teach her?”

“Not really?”

“Really…? But she’s doing so well…”

I couldn’t see Reina’s appearance, but from her tone, she somehow seemed to envy Elin.

I asked Reina, who seemed to be looking at Elin with such eyes as she chatted about various things with Leo who had accepted her confession.

“What’s wrong? You seem really upset.”

“Just… envious…”

“Why…?”

“Because I can’t do something like that…”

“I can’t do something like that.”

That sounded like she had someone she liked.

“…”

I wanted to say something, but from her tone and voice, it seemed better to just stay quiet.

As I remained silent, Reina spoke first.

“Sorry… for saying something unnecessary…”

“It’s okay…”

“You don’t need to worry about it. I’m going to give up anyway.”

I didn’t know who Reina liked, but it seemed like a truly hopeless situation.

For her to say something like that.

“Cheer up… should I introduce you to someone?”

“No… it’s fine… really fine…”

Her voice grew even darker.

Hearing that voice, no more words came out about that topic.

“Shall we leave now? I think they’re… done?”

“Let’s do that…”

We carefully left the library.

Then I took off my cloak, and Reina deactivated [Stealth].

And there was Reina’s face.

A face filled with gloom, and her eyes were even bloodshot.

When I looked at that face, Reina immediately turned her head to hide it.

Then she said in a voice no different from before.

“I just… rubbed my eyes, that’s why they’re like this. Don’t worry about it.”

“…”

“Really…”

I hadn’t even said it wasn’t true, but Reina said that.

It seemed like she thought it was a lie even to herself.

Seeing her like this made me want to worry about her and comfort her.

But I didn’t.

“Okay, I won’t worry.”

“Thanks… but I… I have something to do tomorrow, so I don’t think I can come to training… I’ll join from the day after.”

“Oh…”

With those final words, Reina slowly walked toward the dormitory.

Seeing her like that made me want to at least keep her company.

But I didn’t do that either.

“Or was I unable to?”

***

After that.

Time passed like a fleeting moment, and when I opened my eyes, I had already become a third-year student.

The second year that had gone by in an instant.

I recalled the events of that time.

“Really… nothing special.”

It wasn’t just nothing special—literally nothing happened.

Compared to my first year, that is.

Perhaps that’s why time seemed to pass incredibly quickly, and it felt like I hadn’t accomplished anything.

Of course, in reality, training was the only thing I had done.

There weren’t any special events, and fortunately or unfortunately, battles only occurred in the Orion Kingdom.

So she, who was active in that area, was having a hard time.

“I need to be able to go there soon…”

Still, the situation was quite good because she was handling it well.

She had won almost all of the dozens of small battles and several large ones.

I was watching videos of those battles with Chris, Raycle, and Leo.

“This is insane…”

“What is?”

“My girlfriend… not only has she gotten stronger, but she’s also become much prettier than before?”

“You’re making such a fuss over nothing… But don’t you think they’re picking fights too half-heartedly these days?”

The “they” Chris was referring to seemed to be the Babylon Kingdom.

And I agreed with that opinion.

“I agree with that. They’re probably preparing something big? Like last time?”

“You think so? I was just saying…”

“Definitely.”

This was almost 100% certain.

Because I heard it from Lilith.

-They’re going to invade the Orion Kingdom again, but it’s about a year away, so there’s plenty of time.-

One year later.

It was quite an ambiguous time.

It was when I would graduate from the academy and be able to fully participate in the war, but it was also after the passing of the veterans, including Merlin.

Bael seemed to know about that timing.

Even though there was no way he could know.

“So train hard. If we mess up, we could all die.”