Ch.3332. Conferment Ceremony (5)

# 32. Investiture Ceremony (5)

When we exited the theater after the movie ended, it was already dark outside.

So we were getting ready to part ways.

“That was fun.”

She laughed incredulously at my shameless tone.

“You didn’t even watch it.”

“I didn’t say the movie was fun.”

“Then what?”

“Today was fun, senior. How about you?”

I genuinely enjoyed it.

How could a date with her not be enjoyable?

Of course, it would be better if she had fun too.

She smiled gently and said.

“It was fun. I can’t remember the last time… I lost track of time enjoying myself like this…”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Fortunately, it seems she enjoyed today as well.

It was a satisfying day in many ways.

I said goodbye to her with a sense of fulfillment.

“See you on Monday.”

I escorted her until the end.

After confirming she had entered the palace, I called out to those people who had been bothering me for a while.

“Why don’t you come out now?”

Only then did those two appear before me.

Riel spoke with a flustered voice.

“How did you know?”

“It was obvious.”

From the middle of our date, they had been constantly peeking from behind, so obvious that it would have been strange not to notice.

She probably noticed too.

Elin seemed surprised that I knew.

“It was obvious?”

“Did you think you wouldn’t be caught while constantly staring from behind?”

“Did the princess know too?”

“Of course.”

While I have keen senses, hers are even sharper.

She has the sensitivity to detect surveillance with just the slightest glance, so she would have easily noticed this.

“I’m doomed… Goodbye… I’m going first.”

Riel headed toward the palace with a dazed expression.

I asked Elin, who remained.

“First you were stalked, now you’re the stalker. Does crime beget crime?”

“I was curious… how could I resist?”

“I guess you would be curious.”

If I were in Elin’s position, I would have done the same thing.

“But didn’t you deny it last time?”

She seemed to be referring to what happened during the ranking match.

I clearly told Elin “no” at that time.

“It wouldn’t be fun if I told you in advance.”

“So you came back from the future because of Senior Diana?”

“Something like that.”

“Then what happens in that future?”

I was going to brush it off with a cliché like “it wouldn’t be fun if I told you in advance,” but her serious tone and expression stopped me.

I spoke in the same tone as hers.

“She dies there, quite far in the future though…”

Her death happens a full 25 years from now.

“How long?”

“25 years.”

“25 years?”

I said to her as she wore a puzzled expression.

“That’s how it was there, but I don’t know how it will be here. History has already been distorted because of me, so that history could change too.”

By saving the Empress, I changed history, and I don’t know what other changes that alteration will bring.

Perhaps the future where she dies could come even sooner.

“That’s why I’m working hard.”

“You’re so romantic…”

She looked touched.

I criticized her for breaking the mood.

“Way to ruin the atmosphere, seriously…”

But she took on a serious demeanor and said.

“Don’t feel too burdened though. You’re not alone. I’ll help you too.”

It was an uncharacteristic seriousness for her, but it was nice in its own way.

And her words gave me reassurance.

“It doesn’t suit you.”

“You tell me not to ruin the mood, but then you…”

“Thanks anyway, though I never really felt alone.”

For some reason, she looked moved.

As I wondered ‘why?’, Elin spoke.

“You trusted me all along? Ah… and I didn’t even know…”

“What are you talking about… I meant the princess and Chris, not you.”

It was so amusing to see her jumping to conclusions.

She lowered her head, either disappointed or embarrassed, I couldn’t tell.

Then she looked at me with puppy-dog eyes and said.

“What about me?…”

“You too… uh… yeah, you too.”

“I don’t die like a month later or something, do I?”

“You wish, but no, you live quite long. You were still very healthy when I died.”

When I said that, she looked surprised.

“You died?”

“I did, or that’s the right way to look at it.”

Mentally I might not have died, but physically I certainly did.

I’m alive now thanks to that [???] skill.

It’s probably [Regression].

The trait [Regressor] proved that fact.

She thought for a moment and then spoke.

“So it’s regression?”

“You catch on quick.”

It’s such a common trope in fantasy novels that even an ordinary person like her would be familiar with the term.

“So did you get some kind of reward? Usually in webtoons, when someone regresses, they get special privileges or something, right?”

I did receive something.

But the question ‘Should I tell her this?’ kept circling in my mind.

And as if reading my thoughts, she said.

“I’ll keep it to myself. You know I can keep secrets.”

“True.”

After taking a deep breath, I continued.

“I did get something like that, those special privileges.”

I briefly explained about the trait I had obtained.

And about the skill too.

After hearing my explanation, she couldn’t close her mouth for a while.

“You’ll catch flies.”

“That’s so broken.”

“What is?”

“Have you used it before?”

“Once.”

“On whom?”

Instead of answering her question verbally, I looked toward the palace we had just passed.

“So what did you get?”

“[Magician’s Heart].”

Elin showed an intense reaction upon hearing the name of the skill.

“You’re bullshitting.”

“It’s true.”

“Life is so unfair.”

“But it’s not that useful for me.”

Having a lot of magical power doesn’t help when I don’t have any magic to use it with.

It was like putting a pearl necklace on a pig.

If this skill had gone to Elin, it would have been the best possible outcome.

“Still, I’m annoyed. Didn’t you extract mine?”

“That would be…”

“You really have a talent for making people angry, don’t you?”

Elin was holding her staff, emanating a murderous aura as if she might cast a spell on me at any moment.

“It’s just not compatible with me.”

To be honest, it might not be bad.

Especially [A Beam of Brilliant Light] could really be a good choice, but it was too much of a gamble.

Elin had many minor skills besides her unique skill, so the probability was too low.

But rather than using [Regressor’s Privilege] on Elin, it would be better to use it on the knights or heroes.

Their minor skills would be more compatible with me, and with luck, I could hit the jackpot.

“I’ll let it slide just this once.”

“Let what slide? I’d win anyway.”

-Zzzap!-

***

“What’s that wound on your face?”

I touched the wound on my face and said.

“Some crazy woman scratched me.”

“Scratched you?”

“Yeah.”

“With what?”

“Magic.”

Elin’s behavior of immediately casting [Lightning Magic] just because I provoked her a little was too cruel.

“So did you buy the suit?”

“Of course.”

Chris asked with a playful expression.

“How was your harem?”

“We went as a pair.”

“Oh, was it a date?”

“Yes, it was a date.”

Chris asked me with a desperate expression.

“Can’t you tell me who it is now?”

“Of course not.”

“Just a hint.”

“It’s someone you know.”

Chris was irritated by that useless hint.

“How many girls do you think I know?”

“Probably a lot.”

Given Chris’s incredible popularity, he must know countless girls.

“Can’t you give me more?”

“She’s older than me.”

I thought I’d given plenty of hints.

Honestly, these two hints should be enough to figure it out, but Chris still seemed clueless.

“No more hints.”

“That’s too bad.”

Raycle, who had been secretly listening to our conversation, seemed to have figured it out, but knowing I wanted to keep it secret, he didn’t say anything.

‘He’s surprisingly loyal.’

People like Raycle tend to be tight-lipped.

Partly because he doesn’t talk much in the first place.

Raycle said to me in a voice too quiet for Chris to hear.

“You’re talking about that senior, right? The top student?”

I nodded.

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thanks.”

“What? What?”

Chris wanted to join our sudden conversation, but we didn’t let him.

Raycle ignored Chris, and I changed the subject.

“It’s almost time.”

“Tomorrow is the investiture ceremony.”

The week passed rather quickly, though not unexpectedly so.

It had that ‘Is it Friday already?’ kind of feeling.

Of course, even that Friday passed in an instant.

***

Finally, the day of the long-awaited investiture ceremony arrived.

Today, our entire family was excited.

Elin and I were excited about receiving our titles, and our parents were happy about their children’s success.

We arrived at the palace where the investiture ceremony was to be held.

Since Elin and I were the protagonists of this event, we had to wait in the waiting room until all the guests arrived.

“Why do we have to enter last?”

While Elin was pondering this question, someone opened the door to the waiting room and entered.

And the silver-haired girl who had just entered said.

“The protagonist always appears last. Today, you two are the protagonists, aren’t you?”