Ch.92Chasing After You (2)

“There will be a career experience event in two weeks.”

Kendra said.

The career experience event is exactly what it sounds like. A time when college students show Academia students what they learn in their departments.

It’s a meaningful time for Academia students who can carefully consider which major to choose.

Of course, it was also good for college students who received 10 hours of volunteer time through this event.

It was beneficial for everyone involved, so there was no reason to refuse.

“I’ll hand out career questionnaires, so fill them out by this time next week. Understood?”

“Yes.”

And so we received A4-sized questionnaires.

Roughly asking what we want to do when we grow up. What our aspirations are. What career path we’ll take for that, and what major we’ll pursue.

As if essay-type questions weren’t enough, there weren’t even correct answers.

Even the elite Stellarium students were busy chewing on their pens and groaning.

I quickly wrote down my answers.

While finishing up, I listened to what my classmates were saying.

Kristin Heresset would become a lawyer, James Hedelton an editor. Just like in the original story.

“Hehe.”

Seti put down her pen with a grin. Business administration. That’s the major she would choose.

Rustila Kersil also finished her answers quickly.

She looked at me with eyes half-worried, half-hopeful.

“Eidel, do you think I can become a soldier?”

“Is it because of your parents’ opposition?”

“Yes, still.”

Rustila still showed signs of hesitation. It wasn’t that she wanted to give up her dream, but she was afraid of becoming estranged from her parents.

I moved close to Rustila and whispered.

“I don’t know about others, but I think you should live doing what you love.”

“……”

“Rustila, live happily.”

Rustila looked up at me with a blank expression.

I patted her shoulder and got up from my seat.

***

After school, Rustila and Seti scattered to do their own things.

From what I could see, Seti seemed to have joined an economics club to build her credentials.

My sister is a money-making genius, so there’s no need to worry about her.

“Ha, hap!”

“Your feet are sluggish. Move faster!”

When I went to find Rustila, she was training with Naiere at the small field below the hill.

I came to give her a sports drink, but they were training so intensely that I couldn’t find a chance to hand it to her.

“Oh, isn’t it Teacher Eidel!”

A voice called me from behind.

It was the external reporter I had seen in the morning.

She came trotting down the grassy hill and greeted me politely.

“It’s me. Sophia. Thank you so much for the interview early this morning.”

“Ah, yes.”

“May I sit beside you for a moment?”

“That’s fine.”

It was annoying, but I needed to manage my reputation and fame. I reluctantly nodded.

And so I ended up watching the sunset with a female reporter I’d never met before.

Crack, crack!

Above the setting sun, two real Plasma Swords, not wooden practice swords, sparked flames.

The sound was so exquisite that even watching from a distance made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

“Wow, that’s intense. Is that blonde woman also a student?”

“Yes. My classmate.”

“I see. If she’s your classmate, that means she’s your friend. Girlfriend…”

I glared at the reporter.

“Just kidding, just kidding. Ahaha.”

“Even as a joke, I’d appreciate if you didn’t make such misinterpretations.”

“Are you two not on good terms?”

I held my tongue.

I was wrong. Sophia’s interview hadn’t ended then. She was walking a fine line, asking as many questions as possible.

My throat felt parched.

I wanted to gulp down the drink I had brought.

“Wow. You’re reading a paper even at a time like this?”

“Yes, well. That’s right.”

“You’re doing new research, right? I love looking at research. Despite appearances, I studied science. I told you my name is Sophia, right? ‘Sophia’ means wisdom, and this…”

“…Excuse me.”

A shadow fell over the chattering reporter.

Drip, drip.

Droplets of water fell onto the dry soil in the autumn breeze.

Following those drops, I looked up like a salmon swimming upstream. There stood Rustila, soaked in sweat.

With a pink towel around her neck, she glared at us.

Sharp eyes, like those of a military general.

“Who are you next to Eidel?”

“Excuse me. I’m Sophia, a newspaper reporter. I was interviewing Teacher Eidel.”

“I see.”

Rustila wedged herself between Sophia and me.

“If you’re done with your interview, please leave.”

“No, I’m not finished yet…”

“Then let me ask you one thing. If it’s an interview, why were you explaining the meaning of your name?”

“Th-that’s…”

“Everyone at Stellarium is busy. Would you please stop disturbing Eidel’s studies?”

“I’m sorry! I’ll be going now!”

Reporter Sophia scurried away.

I calmed my somewhat surprised heart.

To feel such haughty charisma here, which in the original story she only showed after her parents passed away.

Had Rustila grown?

Either way, it felt chilling, like walking on thin ice.

I smiled bitterly and said.

“Thanks. I was in a difficult situation.”

“Did you just meet her today?”

“We barely met. She just followed me one-sidedly.”

I poured her an ion drink and continued.

“She’s been like this all day since we wrote that paper together.”

“…I see. That’s a relief.”

Rustila sighed deeply and relaxed her tense expression.

The gentle breeze gradually intensified. Rustila’s throat moved slowly in her light clothing. Each time, beads of sweat dripped from her chin.

“Thanks, that was refreshing.”

“You’ll catch a cold.”

I put down my paper and took off my coat to place it on her shoulders.

“Ah, ouch…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Just muscle pain. Want some?”

“Just a little then.”

My throat was parched from talking so much with the reporter. I took just a few sips and returned the drink.

“I need to go.”

“Where to?”

“I forgot something in the classroom.”

While reading the paper, I realized I had forgotten a document.

***

Naiere watched from a distance as Rustila and Eidel chatted amicably.

“Youth indeed.”

Originally, she should have gone to Eidel to apologize.

Sorry for sending you to Alcatraz.

But it was an unavoidable choice once the foreign press got involved.

Above all, she was grateful that he had returned after shaking off the possession.

She wanted to say such things, but there was no opportunity to interrupt.

“Hehe.”

Naiere recalled a memory from the past.

The time when she was approaching her current husband, whom she had taken a liking to. Whenever the timing was right, everyone tactfully gave them space.

Interrupting now would be disrespectful to Rustila.

After finishing her conversation with Eidel, Rustila excitedly ran back.

“Master, Master!”

She was as warm as sunshine and as soft as cotton.

Rustila smiled brightly and kept drinking from the beverage Eidel had given her. She seemed thirsty.

“Green light, huh.”

“Green light?”

Rustila tilted her head.

Naiere chuckled.

“You’re so innocent. It’s nothing.”

“Let’s continue training, training.”

Rustila readjusted her sword.

Now that the Aether Belt was fully repaired, the military cadets could train with peace of mind more than ever before.

To repay the peace created by a certain physicist, the two wielded their swords until nightfall.

***

“Sonia.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Why is she lying here like this?”

Right after taking care of Rustila and returning to the classroom.

I found a silver-haired girl sleeping face down in a corner.

“She’s been sleeping here the whole time.”

“I didn’t see her.”

“She’s quite small in stature.”

I grabbed the paper I had originally come for and approached the girl.

A few strands of white hair fell with the wind blowing in from outside.

Eyes closed like Sleeping Beauty.

Looking at her like this, you’d believe she was an angel rather than the universe’s greatest villainess.

I clicked my tongue and shook the girl’s shoulder.

“Zernya, wake up.”

“……”

No response.

“Ma’am, your face will get paralyzed if you sleep here.”

Even words that would make her go berserk if she heard them got no response.

Listening carefully to her breathing, I could hear a nasal sound.

“Sonia.”

“Yes, young master.”

“Can you tell what her body temperature is?”

“311.8, sir. She has a fever.”

“This isn’t the time for writing papers. Celsius, not Kelvin.”

“38.6 degrees Celsius.”

If left like this, Zernya would likely become seriously ill. No matter what, I couldn’t ignore a classmate.

I grabbed Zernya’s shoulders and slowly raised her up. She was sweating slightly.

“Sonia, close the window.”

“Understood.”

“She’s tough. Not waking up even with this much shaking? How deeply is she sleeping?”

“She seems to have taken antihistamines. She might be suffering from seasonal rhinitis since it’s the change of seasons.”

If I left her here, Zernya could really become seriously ill.

I don’t know why she was here like this, but I needed to move her to the infirmary.

With Sonia’s help, I carried her on my back.

At that moment, a piece of paper fluttered to the floor.

“This is…”

“It’s the career questionnaire.”

Apart from Zernya’s name, student number, and “doctor” written in the career aspiration field, it was a clean sheet.

The reason Zernya wants to go to medical school.

Simply put, it’s because “that’s where the top student goes.”

If the physics department was where the top student went every year, Zernya would have aimed for physics. If only this talented person would join the same department as me, she would make an excellent graduate school colleague.

In the end, she’s a friend who lives by rankings.

She’ll become a great evil in the future, so it would be better to eliminate her now while she’s defenseless—

But that’s not my way.

In this world line, Zernya hasn’t committed any crimes yet, so why kill her?

“Sonia. Follow me.”

I adjusted my posture to fully secure Zernya against my back.

Just as I was about to head to the infirmary.

Grasp.

A hot sensation on my left shoulder.