episode_0055

The Academy was still bustling.

Although it hadn’t been even half a month since the mid-term exams, the atmosphere at the academy showed no signs of loosening. On the contrary, it was an atmosphere ablaze with competition.

Galimmar, the continent’s top educational institution. As a facility where only elites gathered, it was a place where a moment’s carelessness could lead to being significantly overtaken. Therefore, students did not dare to let their guard down. At least until the field trip day arrived, the harsh atmosphere seemed poised to continue.

Another intense day passed.

“……” It was evening, after all classes had ended. Regia was walking down the path towards the dormitory. Perhaps due to an unfortunately tangled schedule, the girl was returning to her room rather late. There was no one beside her.

*Thud thud.* She took calm steps. Her pink hair fluttered with the passing breeze. Her bangs kept obstructing her view, but the girl simply moved her feet without any reaction. She seemed to be lost in deep thought.

“……” Regia had been like this all along. A state of blank, absent-mindedness. Since the incident during the last mid-term exam, she had been standing powerlessly, particularly often. It was because of a memory that had lingered like a trauma.

“Hey, commoner! Are you still unable to summon that great summon beast of yours this time?” “You’re nothing but dead weight!!” “That’s enough! Stop getting in the way and move aside!”

The voices of that time remained in her ears. Unconsciously, her breath hitched.

“Run out the door right now.” “I’ll try to buy some time here… at least you survive and get out.”

A desperate situation, a matter of life and death. She could do nothing. Even in moments when other children fought to survive, Regia was of no help to them. Because of her terribly weak nature.

‘I almost ruined it again…’ The girl bit her lip tightly. She was afraid of death. However, it wasn’t a weight heavy enough to crush her. What despairing Regia more was the frustration that she had almost lost her precious people due to her own incompetence. A terrible sense of powerlessness enveloped her entire body.

‘Everyone might have died.’ It could have been a massacre. It was difficult to alleviate her own responsibility. If only she had been able to properly control her abilities, she wouldn’t have been pushed back so helplessly. Escape would surely have been possible.

‘Because I was foolishly weak… I put everyone in danger.’ Self-loathing crept up. At times like this, her mother’s words often felt like the perfect answer. Those whispers filled with hatred.

“A useless girl like you… shouldn’t have been born in the first place.”

Sharp shards pierced her lungs. Regia, who had been groaning silently, soon stumbled on her steady legs. She felt dizzy. It was as if she was seasick. Memories of powerless moments, and childhood memories left like scars, intertwined. Carving long, deep wounds into her heart.

Regia merely steadied herself to avoid falling. “Haa, haa…” Her breathing became ragged. It was then, as she was sinking into depression.

“Regia-yang.” A voice came from somewhere. Though no presence had been felt, a shadow was already standing behind the girl. Turning around, she saw a familiar face.

“I was waiting.” “…Young Master-nim?” Neatly styled golden hair. A calm aura lingered, and his eyes were narrowed to slits.

“Shall we walk together for a moment?” This time too, what pulled the girl from the depths of her despair was none other than the snake.

***

“Shall we walk together for a moment?” The protagonist was walking, lost in thought. I had waited until class ended, then appeared smoothly behind the girl and said so.

Regia seemed flustered for a moment, then nodded. And so, we walked the path back to the dormitory together.

“……” Even as we walked, the girl didn’t open her mouth at all. Only a heavy silence lingered in the air. Regia merely moved her feet step by step, following my pace. It felt like looking at a doll from which the soul had departed.

“You seem to lack energy.” “…Yes?” “Your complexion hasn’t been good lately. Are you perhaps feeling unwell somewhere?” “Oh, no… I, I just think I haven’t been sleeping well.” “You must have been up all night for a week, then.” “……”

In the end, I was the one who spoke first. Regia rolled her eyes as if searching for an excuse, then mumbled in a voice that seemed to crawl. “I-I’m really fine… It’s just that studies have been tough lately, so I, I guess fatigue just built up without me realizing it.” “Hmm~ Is that so?” “Yes, yes…”

The protagonist nodded timidly. The girl kept saying she was fine, but I knew it was a flimsy lie. Just by looking, it was clear she was under a lot of pressure.

‘It’s probably because of what happened in the abandoned laboratory.’ She must be feeling disillusioned with her powerless self. This was a common occurrence in the original story. The weakness of not being able to properly handle her abilities. Despite possessing the power to protect others, her weak nature prevented her from achieving results. It was truly like giving a famous sword to a scarecrow.

[I couldn’t do anything.] The coward blamed herself every time. Because she was a child who found it more comfortable to hate herself than to shift responsibility onto others. It was her nature to live a life riddled with scars. It seemed the same this time. The girl was blaming herself. That due to her own incompetence, the people around her had almost suffered a terrible fate. Bad thoughts gnawed at her heart.

‘She must be afraid.’ Regia had hardly grown. This was also true. Because she had avoided most of the tragedies that occurred in the original story. The villainess’s bullying was now practically gone, and she hadn’t lived as a loner unable to adapt to the academy. She hadn’t been dragged away by the monster during the mid-term exam. And since she hadn’t gone to Belzen, she hadn’t formed a tragic connection with Anne. It was a truly smooth flow.

‘Perhaps it was because of me.’ Pain accelerates growth. In other words, growth always requires a certain amount of pain or more. The protagonist needed an opportunity. An opportunity to overcome pain on her own and rise.

‘If such an event is needed… then I just need to find it directly myself.’ This world ultimately flows according to the choices of the protagonist’s party. While I can control many parts now, it was their role to conclude the story in the end. This couldn’t be encroached upon even with the liar’s abilities. Therefore, my role was that of a guide. A guide to help those who wander walk on the right path.

“Regia-yang.” I smiled faintly. If she wished to change, I was willing to find an opportunity for her.

“Do you have any separate plans for the weekend?” “Yes? Pl-plans?” “I was wondering if you had anything busy planned.” “Nothing special. B-but why suddenly ask about plans…?” “You said you were stressed from studies. How about we go out for some fresh air together? Just to change your mood.” “Yes…?”

There was a place we could go together. An event where Regia’s growth could be expected. I gave a mischievous wink.

“It’s a date proposal.” ‘Shall I try to raise the protagonist a bit?’

***

A few days later. We met each other on the Academy Street. Even though I had arrived earlier than the agreed time, Regia was already loitering around. When our eyes met, we exchanged light greetings.

“You’re already here?” “Young Master-nim came out early too.” “I was looking forward to today so much. Spending time alone with Regia-yang is always nice.” “Ugh… Sh-shall we go, then?”

Regia bowed her head as if embarrassed. It seemed she was nervous. I unconsciously smiled at her fresh reaction. Taking the fidgeting girl’s hand, I led the way as if telling her to follow.

“I’ll guide you. I know this area well.” “Oh… Yes, yes!”

We crossed the plaza like that. As we walked along the long, winding path, we soon left the familiar scenery of the Academy. The atmosphere transformed into something new. Galimmar was not just made up of academy buildings. With a scale comparable to a regular city, there were also numerous commercial districts and convenience facilities centered around the main building. Shops, restaurants, theaters, blacksmiths… a variety of attractions existed. To be precise, it was a part of the Academy called the ‘Outer District’.

“Wow…!” Regia marveled at the splendid scenery. It seemed this was her first time venturing into the Outer District.

“Shall we fill our stomachs first?” “Yes!” “Let’s have a simple lunch. There’s a street vendor I know well, and I hope Regia-yang will like it.” “If it’s where Young Master-nim is going…” “It’s right there.”

In the direction I pointed, an old shop stood. It was a street stall run by a white-haired elder. Regia tilted her head as if surprised.

“Is that… a Plania skewer?” “Do you happen to know what kind of food it is?” “I know. It’s a dish that was sold in a village I stumbled upon when I was traveling the continent alone.” “Hoo.”

We each took a skewer in hand. Outwardly, it resembled a chicken skewer. It was a dish made by grilling a bird called Plania until crispy, then finishing it with a sweet sauce. It was a food rarely found in the Empire.

“……” The golden-brown cooked flesh of the Plania. Regia, who had been standing still, soon brought the warm skewer to her mouth. *Crunch.*

“……!” The girl’s eyes widened as if surprised by the taste. Did she like it? Watching her reaction, I also took a bite. *Crunch.*

The well-cooked skin broke with a loud sound. Immediately after, rich juices burst forth. The strong aroma of meat lingered at the tip of my nose, and the unique, stimulating sauce enveloped my tongue. It was a peculiar texture. The skin was definitely like chicken, but the meat was closer to pork. Especially its oily richness was exquisite.

‘This is my first time trying it, but it’s delicious.’ It was a street stall that the original Regia frequently visited like a regular. I brought her here thinking she might like it in reality too, and it seemed to be a huge success. It even suited my taste.

“How is it, Regia-yang?” “It’s, it’s delicious…! Much better than the Plania skewers I had before!” “That’s good to hear.”

The girl mumbled with a relaxed expression. A satisfied smile naturally appeared on my face. I unconsciously stroked her pink hair and ordered a few more Plania skewers. Seeing her like it so much, I wanted to feed her plenty.

“Shall we go somewhere else after we eat?” “Yes…!”

We walked around the wide street. Although this outing was for the purpose of a growth event, I also wanted to spend some time together. It was our first time coming out to the Outer District just the two of us.

“There’s, there’s so much here.” “Hehe… Shall we experience them one by one?” It seemed quite enjoyable. We watched a play at the theater, looked around at items in shops, and even bought weapons hanging in a blacksmith’s. Time flew by quickly.

“I, I knew about the Outer District, but I didn’t realize there were so many things here…” “It’s always enjoyable to discover something new.” By now, the sky was draped in evening hues. The scenery was slowly turning red. I realized it was almost time.

I led the girl towards our final destination for the day. It was a path somewhat off the beaten track in the Outer District, a path rarely trodden by people. “Shall we take a look at just this last place?”

An old shop located in an isolated spot. The building, bearing the clear marks of time, stood solitary amidst the empty surroundings. It also felt somewhat eerie.

“There’s a shop even in such a remote place…?” “It looks like there might be many good items here.” Inside, various odds and ends were piled up. The items were displayed more neatly than expected. It looked as if someone had managed them one by one. I looked around for the shop owner, but there was no sign of anyone.

“It seems like no one’s here…” “It looks like they’ve stepped away for a moment. Since that’s the case, shall we look around at the items?” There were many miscellaneous items. It seemed more like a shop primarily selling antiques than a general store. Old magic tools, emblems with faded patterns, old crystal balls that crackled. There didn’t seem to be any particularly valuable items. Until Regia picked something up.

“This is…?” The girl fiddled with a book as if enchanted. It was a tome covered in old leather. On its cover, the title [How to Cross the Desert] was etched in golden letters.

“Regia-yang?” Of course. She chose that.

“This book… it feels strange somehow.” “What’s strange about it?” “I, I don’t know either. It feels like the mana is faintly trembling…”

Summoners are inherently sensitive to mana. Because the concept of summoning itself required subtle manipulation. It seemed the book caught her eye because of this characteristic. Regia, who was running her hand over the cover as if scanning the mana, soon turned a page without thinking. At that very moment.

*Eeeeeeeeng!* “……?!” Along with an intense ringing, light began to pour out from the book. The scenery was instantly dyed in a brilliant radiance. The flashing light not only engulfed the shop but also completely blinded the children’s vision in a blinding white. There was no time to react.

“Young, Young Master-nim…!” A panicked voice echoed in my ears. I realized my consciousness was fading in real-time and muttered. ‘Is it starting?’ The growth event. My lips curved slightly. The open page pulled us into the story. I willingly surrendered myself to that flow.

‘Only one chance.’ Subsequently. My vision went dark.

***

When I regained consciousness. What greeted us was the scorching sun.

“Wh-where in the world is this…?” Regia frantically looked around. Her sleeves were still covered in sand that hadn’t been brushed off. I muttered softly.

“…It seems we’ve arrived properly.” Intense heat. The texture of sand felt beneath our feet. A landscape entirely covered in gold. We had landed in the middle of a desert.

[EP???: How to Cross the Desert] -The Gate Opening in the Sky, The Boy Who Stays Up with the Stars- It was the beginning of a hidden episode.