episode_0059

It felt like someone was calling me right in my ear. Some voice kept tickling my ears, and even when I tried to open my eyes to come to my senses, I couldn’t open them. When I managed to open my eyes, I found myself in a strange place. I tried moving my whole body, asking where this place was, but my body couldn’t move very well.

It felt uncomfortable somehow, as if I was tied up by something. I slowly got up and looked around, and saw my body standing on a large lake. I moved my feet carefully, wondering if I would fall in, but as if there was some kind of magic, my feet stepped on the water and my body did not fall into the lake. Is it magic, or is it not a dream?

In the midst of such curiosity, I carefully turned my eyes to look around, but all I could see was water. As I was thinking about where I am and why I am here, on a lake that extends endlessly like the sea, someone appeared on the lake.

Isn’t there a being like this other than God? It was natural to think that way. Maybe it was because I had already had an audience with Denatus, but the sense of discrepancy wasn’t that big. I looked at the person who appeared with curiosity, wondering which god it was this time, Morianaka, the goddess of the sea, or Ornes, the goddess of dreams. There was a man standing there, different from what I had thought.

The brown hair and green eyes were so familiar that the name flowed from my lips.

“Astan?”

There I stood, or to be more precise, my body. As I cautiously walked towards him, he was looking at me and smiling.

“How are you feeling?”

“What do you mean by feeling?”

“Living someone else’s life on their behalf. Are you satisfied with that life you live on someone else’s behalf?”

“I don’t know if I’m satisfied, I don’t know if I’m doing well, I don’t know why I have to be like this, why am I here, did you call me, and if not, is there someone out there?”

“Only the goddess of fate knows everything.”

“Humans from other worlds don’t play on Fair’s hand.”

At my answer, Astan laughed out loud and bowed his head towards me.

“Do you have a dream?”

“Nothing in particular, I just want to live quietly as the flow goes by.”

“It doesn’t look like that to me, so it seems like you want to be the main character.”

“There is no one in this world who doesn’t aim for the main character.”

“I think so too.”

And then I heard the sound of water drops slowly falling. I couldn’t tell where it was falling, but amidst the ripples slowly rippling along with the sound of water drops falling in the lake, I looked at Astan with cautious eyes, and Astan was still smiling at me.

“Then do you have a dream?”

“Protecting the family. That’s just it, I can’t protect my family, so you have to protect my family.”

“… … The conditions are not as difficult as I thought.”

“It’s going to get difficult now. More than you think. Because you cannot know this future.”

“Are you saying I need to become stronger?”

“Being strong is good, but take a good look at your surroundings. Because someone might be lying to you.”

“Who is that?”

“I don’t know that either.”

Astan said that and took out a wand from his pocket. It looked familiar, like my staff, no, it was my staff.

“Soon the first semester will end and vacation will come, and you will have a choice to make. I hope you don’t regret that choice.”

And Astan pointed his cane at me and muttered something, and at that moment, his body began to be sucked toward the ground and into the water. I slowly closed my eyes, looking at the water of the lake slowly covering my entire body and Astan slowly moving away.

“I’m finally awake.”

I was startled by the voice and looked to the side to see Ceresria sitting down drinking tea. There was no difference between the red eyes looking at me and the light smile that appeared as soon as our eyes met as if nothing had happened.

“… … Why are you here?”

“I want to ask you that, why were you lying down in front of the dormitory? It was fortunate that a knight on patrol found him. If he hadn’t found him, he might have frozen to death. They said that the knights found him lying in front of the dormitory with Sharon and moved him.”

“Have you not heard the details yet?”

“I heard that you caught a spy for the Demon King’s army who was operating in Ignolia, and you made a significant contribution to catching him. If this were Araelia, I would at least give an award, but it’s a shame that I can’t because this isn’t Araelia.”

As I carefully stood up while listening to her, she continued speaking while looking at me.

“I won’t ask for details. If you interrogate the Academy anyway, they will agree and answer among themselves. Senior Isabel said that Ignolia’s spy has been dealt with, but the Academy’s spy is still there. Well, won’t it catch on with time?”

“Where is Sharon?”

“Sharen had already recovered and returned to the dormitory, while others had recovered but were not conscious, so they were still left to sleep here.”

In response to her words, I bowed my head slightly and expressed my gratitude, and she emptied the cup filled with black tea and carefully set it down.

“The atmosphere has changed, and the appearance has also changed.”

“Is that so?”

“Hmm… … Should I at least show you a mirror?”

Ceresria carefully took out a mirror from the dresser and handed it to me, and I looked at my reflection in the mirror she gave me.

There was something strange about it. I felt like I was wondering what this was, was this me? Just like the moment I first entered Astan’s body, an awkwardness was covering my body. Her brown hair had turned silver like Erica’s. What on earth is this? As I was thinking that and feeling embarrassed, Ceresria took the mirror from my hand.

“ Senior Erica said that this is a rare case among those who use ice magic. The cold inside the body cannot control its power and freezes the body, causing the hair to turn silver and the skin to turn as white as snow.”

“I guess this is what Isabel senior meant when she said that the atmosphere has changed.”

“I’m also curious, what happened? Even when I think about it, I can only see one possibility.”

“What do you think? Ceresria is…”

“You had an audience with Denatus, right?”

I nodded slightly at her words, and she smiled at me.

“Every wizard’s dream has been reached. It’s not easy to return from an audience with the master of death.”

“That’s right, I was lucky.”

And when a small silence came, Ceresria left the room, telling me to rest, and I lay down on the bed and looked at the ceiling. But isn’t it okay for me to go back?

As I slowly moved my body and the discomfort disappeared, I was walking to the dormitory. Senior Erica was standing in front of the dormitory door, and I bowed my head in greeting.

“Erica senior.”

“Why should I call it a good night? You worked hard. I heard from Isabel that you had a fight with an executive of the Demon King’s army?”

“At the moment when I was under an overwhelming attack and couldn’t block it, senior Isabel came, so it wasn’t like I was caught.”

“I praise that heart, what kind of wizard would point a wand at an executive of the Demon King’s army? It’s not an easy task even for 5th graders like us. We had an audience with Denatus?”

“Yes, if what I saw is correct.”

“Well, I don’t have that experience. Isabelle knows this well, but… … It looks like Isabelle will be busy for a while, too. Since he’s the student council president, he’ll probably get called around. I will also visit Araelia, and since the Demon King’s army has never been this deep into the continent, I will also go to other countries to talk.”

“You must be having a hard time.”

“So, it will be hard to see Isabelle for a while. If there’s anything you want to ask, ask it later, and I’ll help you with anything I can.”

After saying that, Senior Erika smiled at me.

“Now that you have had an audience with Denatus, your skills must have grown, shall we give it a try?”

“Wouldn’t it be difficult now? And if you fight here, Senior Leonard will jump out.”

“Just kidding, I have no intention of fighting with the patient either. When your body recovers, show Master some evidence of your growth.”

“I will remember.”

And Erica waved her hand at me and disappeared somewhere, and I opened the dormitory door, went inside, and moved to my room.

After climbing the familiar stairs, I arrived in the hallway, Sharon was standing in front of the door, and I smiled and waved.

“Isn’t that the friend who abandoned me and went back to the dorm first?”

“The therapist tells me to go back, but how can I last there? What about your body?”

“Well, I feel almost better, but I’m tired.”

“Still, I’m glad, I was worried. When I came to, I was in the treatment room, you were next to me, and I lost consciousness after being hit by magic while fighting Gerard.”

“How did you meet Gerard?”

“I heard a strange voice and went to the underground waterway… … There was Gerrard. They say they’ve been waiting for me and then attack me, so what can I do? I have to fight.”

I nodded to Sharon’s words and then slowly opened my mouth to her.

“Sharen, can I ask you one question?”

“Say.”

“Do you happen to know Shani Heart?”

“Shani Heart?”

“The person who was with Gerard said you were a descendant of Shanihat. I was wondering if you knew anything.”

“… … This is my first time hearing this name. Let me find out. Because my family may not know.”

“Okay, I’ll sleep first. I’m tired.”

“Sleep well, see you tomorrow.”

Sharon waved hello to me and then moved to her room. I went into the room, collapsed on the bed, and closed my eyes.