Ch.98. The Person from the Future (1)

# 8. The Person from the Future (1)

I won the rest of the matches just as easily as the first one.

It might have been because of my skills, but I also had good luck with the matchups this time.

Except for the first match, I faced relatively easy opponents like archers and mages.

Thanks to this ideal draw, I achieved my goal of winning five consecutive matches while conserving my skills.

Now I just need to prepare for the A-Class ranking matches that will start soon after the exam results come out.

Since A-Class consists of only 50 students out of the 1,500 freshmen, there won’t be many matches, but I’d like to win as many as possible.

I have about two weeks to prepare, so I should be able to get ready without rushing.

Just as I was getting comfortable in bed and preparing to sleep, someone knocked on my door.

“It’s me.”

Aelin’s voice came from beyond the door.

“Come in.”

She carefully entered, opening the door, dressed in pajamas like me.

“What brings you here? Coming to visit so late at night.”

“I have something to say.”

“What is it?”

She opened her mouth somewhat cautiously.

“Thank you…”

“Is that what you wanted to say earlier?”

“Yeah… but how did you know?”

She’s probably referring to the aspect of her personality I mentioned.

I recalled telling her not to keep things bottled up inside.

“You know I’ve changed a bit recently, right?”

“A bit is an understatement.”

She must have already questioned my sudden change.

That question just erupted after what happened earlier.

“Like you’re a completely different person.”

“But…”

“Still, you’re definitely that damn brother of mine.”

I let out a hollow laugh at her words.

“What if I am someone else?”

“No way? You’re definitely my damn brother. You’ve changed, but still you.”

“Why do you think so?”

“I don’t know why, but that’s how it feels. You’re the same person I’ve always known.”

She continued while looking at me.

“Then what exactly are you?”

I looked into her clear eyes.

And I realized.

Looking into those eyes, I couldn’t lie to her.

“I’m just someone who came from a bit of the future.”

“The future?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

Aelin stared at me without saying anything.

“I thought you’d tell me to stop talking nonsense, but you’re not.”

“It didn’t seem like you were lying.”

“Thanks for believing me.”

“So why did you come from that future?”

“Because I didn’t like that world.”

I really hated that world.

I resented that world where she was gone.

That’s why I desperately wished for it.

“Do you like it here then?”

“Yeah, for now.”

“For now? Does that mean you won’t later?”

“I don’t know yet. But I won’t just sit by and let that happen.”

She’s still alive in this world.

But there’s no guarantee she’ll be alive in the future.

There’s also no guarantee that the future I knew won’t come to this world in exactly the same way.

In fact, the probability of that happening is higher.

The only difference between this world and that one is my existence.

But with that difference, I will change this world.

From a world where she dies to one where she doesn’t.

My role in both worlds will remain the same, but somewhere there will be a difference.

“Really? You sound very confident.”

“I’m confident because it’s me.”

After all, I’m the only one who knows what will happen in the future.

“By the way, keep this a secret from our parents.”

“Seems similar to earlier?”

“Yeah, let’s both keep our secrets.”

She suddenly seemed to realize something.

“Hey, so what am I like in the future? What do I do?”

“Ah…”

I was a bit disappointed by the mundane question.

Still, it’s natural to be curious about one’s future, so I understand.

I probably would have asked the same thing.

“It wouldn’t be fun if I told you.”

“Come on, tell me a little…”

Her cutesy tone annoyed me slightly.

“Don’t act cute.”

“When was I acting cute?!”

“Fine, I’ll tell you a little.”

“Really?!”

She was all ears.

I found her reaction so amusing that I wanted to tease her, but I decided to let it slide this time.

“You do something much more amazing than you think.”

“Something amazing?”

“Yeah, and you’re incredibly strong? Probably among the top three women.”

Her eyes sparkled when she heard that.

Her gaze seemed to be asking me to say more.

“But don’t slack off, your future self is extremely diligent.”

“Diligent?”

“Yeah, you go around solving all sorts of problems by yourself. You’re also very popular.”

“Popular?”

I hate to admit it, but her future self was quite popular due to her pretty appearance.

Right now, her face might not be pretty enough to say so, but by the time she enters the academy’s high school division, she’ll be quite beautiful.

“What about you? How did you live?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, how did you live in that world?”

“Well… that’s a long story…”

“It’s okay, we can stay up all night. We don’t have school tomorrow anyway.”

“Alright, I’ll tell you from the beginning.”

I recalled my memories to explain to her.

I remembered both the good memories and the bad ones.

***

In a dark room, a boy was focused on playing a game.

As if possessed by something, he played without noticing the passage of time, sitting in his chair and tapping on the keyboard.

From the moment he woke up until he went to bed again.

He poured all his waking hours into gaming.

No one could stop him, not even himself.

The boy was spending his days in such a meaningless way.

But among those meaningless days, there were some unusual ones.

He hated his pathetic life and wanted to improve himself and change.

So he always tried different methods of change.

He went to the gym to exercise, to the library to read books.

And he even went to dungeons to hunt monsters.

One of his unusual days was when he was attempting such a change.

He had definitely entered the dungeon alone.

But there was someone else in that dungeon besides him.

It was Elizabeth Michael, the Imperial Princess of the Kainis Empire.

She had entered this dungeon by mistake.

However, she couldn’t get back out of the dungeon.

She became interested in him as she watched him continue to challenge himself despite getting hit by monsters due to his poor skills.

He tackled the dungeon in his own way, and she watched him from hiding.

She was relieved to see him clearing the dungeon smoothly, but that feeling was shattered during the battle with the dungeon boss.

The boss was too strong for him to handle, and he was pushed into a life-threatening situation.

Just as she was about to help him by raising her staff.

His first awakening began.

His awakening shocked her as well.

He activated his unique skill that he had just awakened.

With his reddened hair flying, he defeated the boss.

She was so focused on watching him that she didn’t realize her stealth had been broken.

He asked her.

“Huh? Who are you?”

At that moment, she realized.

That this person had potential.

She foresaw that this person would become an incredible figure later on.

That’s why she made him an offer.

“Would you like to work under me?”

That was their first conversation.

***

“Not exactly a romantic first meeting, is it?”

“Far from romantic.”

“But why did you end up liking her?”

“Well, you see.”

I told Aelin about the days I spent with her after that first meeting.

She listened to my story with a pleased expression.

“She definitely seems worth liking, but you couldn’t date her? It seems like she was interested too.”

“Of course not, she had an arranged marriage three years later.”

She said with a serious expression.

“Then this time, you should pursue her.”

“Huh?”

“Are you planning to let her go to another man this time too?”

“No, definitely not.”

I really hated that idea.

“Then you should pursue her. You said she attended the academy as a commoner and changed her appearance.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you know who she is?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Then that’s settled.”

Aelin and I stayed up all night talking about her.

We talked until dawn was just breaking, and only then did we go to bed.

***

She was reading a book in the library again today.

“What book are you reading today?”

Hearing Riel’s question, she held up the book she was reading to show its cover.

Riel read the title written on the cover.

“‘The Royal What’? Is it a romance novel?”

“It’s quite interesting.”

“You’re really interested in romance, which is good. By the way, how was it today?”

“The exam?”

“Yes.”

She always kept track of the entrance exams.

“I saw an interesting kid today. There was a child who got almost perfect scores in both practical exams without using a skill even once.”

“Maybe they just haven’t awakened yet?”

“It didn’t feel that way. Somehow it felt like they were deliberately saving their skills.”

“Setting that aside, was he handsome?”

She sighed at Riel’s question.

“Yes, he was quite handsome.”

“Really?!”

“Why are you overreacting?”

Riel reacted intensely to her comment about him being handsome.

“If the Imperial Princess acknowledges someone as handsome, just how handsome must he be? I’ve never heard you call anyone handsome before, Your Highness. He’s in A-Class, right?”

“Yes, what about it?”

“Then let’s go watch the ranking matches. I’ll come along this time.”