Ch.71Chapter 71. First Day of the Festival (4)

“… it’s too clean.”

“This is actually normal.”

“Hmm.”

Our shared opinion after thoroughly inspecting the building.

There were no traces of suspicious magic, no signs of magical devices being installed, and no evidence that someone had broken in beforehand.

In short, it was spotlessly clean.

‘Could the Quest be wrong?’

It was problematic how clean everything was, to the point where such thoughts crossed my mind.

Of course, this was how things should be normally.

“I’ve set up protective barriers just in case.”

“Okay.”

“Hmm. Are we sure something’s going to happen tomorrow?”

“Probably. The commander said so, and the hostage we captured confirmed it too.”

“Then maybe it’s not here but somewhere else?”

“That’s possible, but most of the Academy people will gather here tomorrow…”

It was certainly frustrating not knowing exactly what our opponents were planning.

There was nothing suspicious about the venue where tomorrow’s party was scheduled.

If anything, security was even tighter than usual, making it difficult to sneak in.

“Well, it’s good if there’s nothing wrong here. Anyway, it’s true that almost all students will gather here tomorrow.”

“That’s… true.”

Like Yuria and Erika, I also felt uneasy, but there wasn’t much we could do now.

It’s not like the three of us could cover the entire Academy by wandering around everywhere.

“As long as there’s no bloodbath that stains everything red…”

I muttered to myself, recalling the Quest details.

The mission was to prevent the Academy festival from being stained with blood.

Now all that remained was figuring out how to respond tomorrow.

“Shall we head back?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

“…Okay.”

I reached out my hands toward Erika and Yuria.

As soon as their hands touched mine, we immediately returned to Yuria’s quarters.

I had planned to track down any suspicious traces to catch those behind this, but nothing like that happened.

Thanks to that, what I expected to be a very long night ended quickly.

“Since we finished early, Yuria.”

“Yes?”

“Can you tell me what we were talking about earlier? About why you left your family.”

Although the topic had changed earlier, I hadn’t forgotten about it.

With time to spare, it seemed like the perfect moment to ask.

When I asked, Erika also looked at Yuria curiously while removing her hood.

Yuria smiled as always and began to speak.

“It was nothing special. I was grown up, so it was time for me to leave home. Hehe.”

“…Hmm.”

Anyone could see she was giving a vague answer because she didn’t want to talk about it.

But there was also a strange hint of sincerity mixed in, so I couldn’t completely dismiss it.

“Booo.”

Erika immediately jeered without such considerations.

“…Alright. Well, tell me when you get the chance. Let’s call it a day. Erika, you’re heading back too, right?”

“Yeah. I can’t stay here with you.”

“Right.”

The space looked plenty large enough for two people, but whatever.

I took Erika’s hand, nodded to Yuria, and immediately teleported to the dormitory.

The last glimpse I caught of Yuria’s smile seemed strangely complicated.

“Seems like something’s bothering her, don’t you think?”

“Less bothering and more… just a difficult story to tell, I guess?”

Erika spoke up as soon as we arrived at the dormitory.

“Hmmmm. Something seems suspicious. I’ll have to dig into it later.”

“Yeah, later. Tomorrow is more important, so get some good rest.”

“Haaa. Being alone feels better. Is your dorm room big and nice?”

“That’s because I somehow ended up being the top student. Going to bed first?”

*Nod*

Seeing Erika nod with satisfaction, I returned directly to my room without stopping by the office.

For tomorrow, I should do one last check and then get some sleep.

‘Nothing will happen, right?’

Thinking about the “Game Over” condition makes me nervous.

**

Emily Franz.

Emily ran her finger over the nameplate engraved with her name and closed her eyes.

She should be sleeping by now to prepare for tomorrow, but sleep wouldn’t come tonight.

Despite having changed into pajamas and nestled into her cozy blanket.

Emily was just fidgeting with her innocent nameplate under the covers.

The reason she couldn’t sleep today was clear.

That person she met at the lecture hall earlier.

Since hearing that person would be coming to give a lecture at the Academy, she had expected they would cross paths at least once.

But Emily didn’t want it to end with just a brief encounter.

The mere thought of meeting and talking made her nervous, but Emily had something more important she wanted to ask.

She had wanted to meet this person all this time but couldn’t.

“It’s been a while since I heard that question. All I can say is that I had no choice at the time.”

The voice she heard earlier came vividly to mind.

She had managed to ask her question.

However, the answer that came from her lips was completely different from what Emily had expected.

Saying she had no choice in such a calm voice.

She had expected something more… plausible.

“Aaaargh.”

As her thoughts grew deeper and more serious, Emily shook her head and jumped out of bed.

If she kept lying there, she would just keep thinking about this all night.

Better to get up and do something.

Emily sat at her desk in her pajamas and opened the experiment journal she had last touched.

It was filled with neat handwriting that made her feel good just looking at it.

‘Sigh.’

Although the experiment journal had nothing to do with today’s events, her thoughts drifted back to what happened earlier.

‘Why did she have no choice?’

Emily picked up her pen to write something, then put it back down.

In this state, not only sleeping but even experimenting would be difficult.

She might ruin the experiment that was going well if she forced herself.

“When things aren’t going well, forcing it might make things worse. At times like that, you need to think calmly.”

‘Of all times.’

Was it because she met that person today?

A gentle voice flitted through Emily’s mind.

When she heard those words back then, she probably responded cheerfully with an “I got it!”

*Thud*

Emily ended up closing her experiment journal.

She really couldn’t do anything in this state.

Instead, she tried to think calmly.

What kind of situation would have left that person, Yuria Phrysis, with no choice?

Did someone threaten to kill her if she didn’t leave the family?

Or maybe she got annoyed because her young niece was too clingy?

If not that, then…

“Why on earth…”

Today was definitely a day when she couldn’t hold back memories of the past.

Emily muttered to herself, fully embracing the rising memories.

The image of someone smiling brightly while praising her.

Calmly explaining how to solve a problem.

Offering candy with a smile when she was crying after being scolded by her mother.

And finally, the image of someone packing their bags and leaving home without looking back.

Emily couldn’t hold back her rising tears.

As her eyes grew hot and she blinked, tears rolled down her cheeks.

Once the tears started, memories and emotions surged uncontrollably.

The memories that followed were ones she didn’t want to recall.

Being forced into a dungeon teeming with undead.

Her mother looking down at her fallen form with a cold expression.

Her sisters looking at her with mocking eyes.

Voices telling her to quit her useless experiments immediately.

“Phew.”

Emily took a deep breath to calm her intensifying emotions.

These were old, familiar incidents.

If she just continued as she was, she wouldn’t have to go through such situations again.

Emily tried to steel her resolve as she closed her eyes.

Since entering the Academy and making good friends, painful memories had rarely surfaced.

She thought she had been fine for so long that even if these thoughts came up, they wouldn’t affect her anymore, but she was wrong.

Though old and familiar, the situations still hurt.

‘If only that person hadn’t left.’

It was a hypothesis she had made hundreds of times, but she made it once more.

What if Yuria Phrysis, who had calmly said she “had no choice” earlier, hadn’t left the family?

She probably would have been with her in that dungeon full of undead.

She would have reached out her hand to help her up when she fell, and would have shielded her from her sisters’ mocking gazes.

Above all, she wouldn’t have dismissed her beloved experiments as useless things but would have encouraged her.

*Drip*

Tears flowed down without Emily realizing it.

She hastily wiped them away with the back of her hand, trying to stop her thoughts.

Seeing that person in person definitely had a strong impact.

Especially seeing how perfectly fine she looked.

‘While I cried like this every day.’

“Aunt…”

In her room alone, Emily spoke as if asking someone.

Her voice trembled, full of moisture.

“…were you really okay?”

It was a question she had wanted to ask that person, Yuria Phrysis, since she was young.

After abandoning her and leaving the family, was she really doing fine?

She had been devastated when her aunt left, but how had her aunt felt?

After voicing this question that would never be answered, Emily rushed to the bathroom.

As she hurried to the bathroom, the papers piled on her desk fluttered.

One sheet from the corner of the desk flew weakly and fell to the floor.

In the upper right corner of the fallen paper was a name written in Emily’s own handwriting.

Emily Phrysis.

The name “Phrysis” had been crossed out and corrected.

Emily Franz.