episode_0060

A memory of an early summer day.

I was picking up a mountain of dessert ingredients from the shopping street at the request of Nina, who loves to cook. This is because it was the winning product in the ‘Dessert Eating Contest’ held in the shopping district.

Senior Nina smiled brightly, holding a plaque that said [Winner].

-Hehehe, I ate a lot of delicious snacks… Being able to get a lot of fresh ingredients is a benefit no matter how you look at it!

And Nina senior quietly revealed a secret to me. The mischievous smile seen through the ivory-colored hair grown like a sapsal dog was impressive.

-Actually, I was blacklisted after winning in first grade… In second grade, I borrowed the name Selma, and this time I borrowed the name Frida.

I laughed out loud, remembering Nina’s slightly chubby cheeks.

‘Even though he’s a little chubby, it doesn’t look like he eats that much… ‘Where on earth are all those mountains of snacks disappearing to?’

Even the world champion food fighters in my past life didn’t look fat, so does Nina-senpai also have that type of body type?

Nina-senpai’s terrifying appearance.

Just like an American animation production, the sight of the mouth opening like a vacuum cleaner and sweeping up hundreds of snacks… No matter how you look at it, it was at a level where it should be called a food spirit. This was the first time I realized that just the sight of eating could make people shiver.

‘No matter how much it’s a game world… How can you give such fierce food fighter attributes to a pretty girl who only has cute charms? ‘

I suddenly stopped walking.

“… ”

If you think about it.

This was a world in a game.

A catastrophic disaster is expected to occur someday.

And in this world, fate existed.

“… ”

It’s fate.

It was a problem I had never seriously thought about.

if…

If Clara, the character who opens the main story, does not fulfill her duties and leaves … What happens?

What would happen if extra characters achieved things beyond the [fate] given to them in the main story?

What is the penalty for defying [fate] in this world?

“… ”

To be honest, I don’t know.

In the game, it was a story that only existed as a tooltip for skill characteristics.

Even if I tell the strangers who came in to devote themselves to the [fate] of this world… This is a problem that is very difficult to understand. Just become stronger, become friends with characters you know… As we went on, summer was already approaching.

“… ”

I took the trouble to forget things about [fate].

‘Well, even if I don’t act like Clara, history will continue. Fate and all… ‘

In that moment, I let go of all the worries that arose.

I held on to the slightly dripping bag of sugar and walked away.

A hillside filled with shabby shops.

Although it is a road that I usually pass quickly by bicycle.

It felt refreshing to walk slowly for the first time in a long time.

“Tchcha―☆”

I climbed up the hill, and before I knew it, I was in front of the main gate of . And as always, my seniors were waiting for me.

“I went~☆”

“Welcome! Clara!”

“Welcome~”

Nina and Selma are approaching, led by Frida. And Senior Frida’s face hardens when she sees the huge amount of luggage on her back.

“Really! Nina, did you ask me to bring this mountain of luggage? That’s why I said we should all help together!”

“Ah, that… lol. I didn’t know there would be this many~”

“It’s okay, it’s okay―☆ This is nothing to a cute porter♪”

“Porter?! Nina, did you say that about Clara?! For some reason, they’ve been shamelessly manipulating me these days… !”

“Oh, no… !”

Frida senior gives Nina a reprimand. But Selma doesn’t care, looks at me, mutters something, and raises her glasses.

“Hmm… porter… A porter? Oooh! … ! There’s something about a reversal that makes my heart itch… ! I thought he was an insignificant porter, but he was actually the main character in an important position in the party… !”

Selma, not paying attention to the noisy surroundings, took out a small notebook and quickly wrote something down.

“Ahaha… ☆”

Three crazy girls.

When I saw that, I felt like I was home again.

‘… Now it’s no longer strange to call it home.’

An old and dusty school campus.

While the seniors picked up the luggage and took it inside.

I felt the wind blowing behind me, so I turned around.

“… ”

Shoot~

Vast expanse of blue sky and clouds.

Shops packed neatly at the bottom of the hill.

Dwarves passing by on the street and the World Tree visible in the distance.

Beyond that, the wind carrying the blue color of summer blew once again.

Shoot~

A cool breeze carrying the scent of the vast plains and world trees.

The first summer I experienced in this world was very refreshing.

The girls who were busy moving around under the sunlight stopped and felt cool.

Plants with their heads down to hide the dew sway back and forth.

“… ”

I left the wind behind me, picked up the rest of my luggage, and walked away. And I soon found myself keeping pace with my seniors who were far ahead of me.

My body is much stronger than it was at the beginning of the semester.

Under the influence of the etheric realm, it becomes stronger day by day.

However, the level of [Unique Ether] always seemed out of reach.

‘Now I’m completely used to [wave ether]… Strangely, I have no idea about [Inherent Aether]… I don’t think I know anything… ‘

A name destined for [Inherent Ether].

In the game, it is said to be the form of a soul heading toward [fate].

But I have no idea what that [fate] thing is.

‘The form of the soul… It’s not some kind of occult thing, and I have no idea what you’re talking about.’

With that in mind, I trot to my seniors’ side.

Senior Frida was embarrassed as she wiped away the sweat that had formed like dew.

“Wow… ! Clara is really good at lifting heavy things… ?”

“Ahaha―☆ It’s a cute girl’s specialty~♪ That’s why I said I’d take everything☆”

My tone of voice is pretentious.

Senior Frieda said while giggling.

“Still, there is no need for one person to carry all the heavy luggage. Just a little bit… If you feel happy just by sharing, you can stay strong for a much longer time!”

Senior Frida’s sermon full of romance. But the hand holding the bag of flour is shaking like an aspen. There were times when my emotional level got so high that I felt uneasy.

‘It was last week that a passing butterfly looked lonely and collapsed while standing with it in the hot sun… ‘

I felt sorry for Frida, who was losing her strength because of her romantic sensibilities, so I made a reasonable counterargument. No matter how worried I am, even though it’s for my own good… Still, I had to take care of myself.

“Yeah, but… After all, such difficult work is usually done by strong people alone… ☆”

“Hmm… ? Hmph, it looks like Clara doesn’t like helping us who are weaker than her!”

To take it like that…

Even Pretty Filter starts to struggle.

I broke into a cold sweat and answered while choosing my words appropriately.

“Oh, no―☆ That’s not what I said… ♪ If a good person does it alone, it will be over quickly☆”

“Ah?! Clara is now starting to confront me… Black… So sad… !”

Senior Frida pretended to cry and prevented me from arguing further.

In the end, the situation ended in emotional theory.

I couldn’t help but smile bitterly when I saw that.

‘I know he’s a kind and good person, but there’s something… There are some overly emotional parts… Is it because you’re an art student?’

A debate that goes back and forth lightly, almost at the level of a joke.

There, senior Nina came next to me and intervened. It was impressive to see him quietly holding the lightest bag of sugar.

“Huhihi… When Frida does that, just accept it quietly~ She’s very stubborn anyway, so she’ll never be persuaded~”

“Hear everything, Nina… !”

“Ahaha… ☆ Well, Frida-senpai is a lady with integrity―☆”

“Clara~! They’re making fun of me because I’m stubborn!”

“Ahaha… ☆”

“Don’t just smile!”

Senior Nina looked at us and said with a grin.

“No matter how much we can’t talk about, if we talk while eating something delicious together… ! Problems are bound to be solved!”

Senior Selma shrugged his shoulders and said.

“Nina… Isn’t it because you have no interest in anything other than eating? If you go somewhere and say something like that, you’ll get ridiculed?”

“No, no~ My thoughts don’t change~ People’s thoughts are similar… Just different tastes.”

Shoot~

The summer wind blew once again.

It carries with it the breath of the present that has become the past.

Nina’s bangs flutter as the blue breath passes by.

Senior Nina said with a mischievous smile.

“Even if a problem seems grandiose, it will eventually be solved with just one opportunity… In the end, everyone needs a similar excuse~ To me, it’s delicious food… And there’s no one who doesn’t like delicious food! So this is the truth of the world—!”

“… ”

Frieda senior heard that and said with a chuckle. His face was full of amusement that couldn’t be hidden.

“Then Nina went to the most famous dessert shop on Golden Street for me… I’ll think about it if you can recreate the taste of the limited edition cookies from !”

“Hehehe, that’s a pretty difficult order… ”

“Wow―♪ Frida-senior has suddenly become a difficult lady―☆”

“She’s a delicate lady!”

“Huhihihi—!”

Senior Nina laughed like a witch and burst into laughter.

What you need is a small trigger.

Nina’s words seem foolish at first glance.

Surprisingly, it was a great help in raising my ether level.

Not long after that day, I awakened to [Innate Ether].

＊

A shattered sign lay on the ground at the intersection.

“… ”

“Senior?”

A small voice came from next to me.

Lotta was looking at me with worried eyes.

I responded with a smile, as if telling him not to worry. When I turned my head forward again, I saw the dessert shop that my seniors had mentioned that day.

‘I didn’t know I would actually end up in front of that store.’

The miserable appearance of .

In the aftermath of the fight, the luxurious exterior was shattered… Even so, it couldn’t hide the sophisticated atmosphere it originally had.

While I was staring blankly at the store.

Freyja, who had already looked around, approached and said.

“Well, there are snake-tattooed beggars guarding me in front of me… Kang, I think a forced breakthrough is necessary… ”

“Yes―☆ Okay♪ I’ll try my best~☆”

“… ”

“… ”

Silence for a moment.

Freya nodded heavily.

“Well, I called you… I have nothing to say, but… Huh, don’t you regret it? With the main unit… Well, there was a way to go to your juniors, or to go safely with [Blue and White Thunder Spear]… ”

“Hehe, I told you—♪ Those kids are strong now, so they can get through that—☆ Now I’m going to prove to myself that I’m not a [Faded Spiral]—♪”

“… ”

“If I get hurt or disturbed in the slightest, I will never… again. I will never stand in front again―☆”

Because I said so earnestly.

Even Hilde was convinced to do her best in her position.

She set out to stop the student council president, Frau, who reappeared.

‘What you need is… An opportunity to correct all misunderstandings caused by my actions and approach everyone honestly… Actually, I’m also anxious, but if I don’t do my best at this moment, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to gain trust again.’

I looked clearly into Freya and Lothar’s eyes.

“I risked everything… I swear. I’m okay. I’m serious.”

“… ”

“… ”

“I am with Academy City, my junior, and Hilde… And I want to solve my friends’ problems as much as possible―☆”

The eyes and pupils of the prisoners are as transparent as the surface of a jewel.

Therefore, it is clearly visible when they are embarrassed or scared.

It was also visible in the eyes of the two cats in front of me.

‘Perhaps the arrogance of the noble children is also a shield to hide the characteristics of these beasts… ‘

I have no intention of seeing that, though.

While thinking like that.

I looked into the eyes of Lothar and Freya, who were still trembling, and spoke.

“Then let’s begin.”

“Yes… [Spinning Wheel of Eternity], local range activation, standby… ”

Freya summoned a large spinning wheel and was ready to attack at any time, and Lothar gently climbed onto my back and spoke.

“It’ll be okay… ?”

“Of course―☆”

“… ”

Wow――

Arms wrapped tightly.

A spell that resonates.

[What can I do with the great sword? I have a bad back, so just use it as a mirror.]

I grabbed the cat-shaped greatsword that appeared out of thin air. Then, along with the still warm and tingling feeling, I could feel Lotta’s anxiety.

“… ”

A thought that suddenly passes by.

‘… Has there ever been a character who feels other people’s etheric attributes and emotions like this?’

…

I don’t know either.

One thing is certain.

Already meeting Hilde, Urdwa, and the seniors… The only thing that can be called my [fate] is the fact that I have become different from Clara in the game.

As I let those thoughts flow from my mind.

Freya and I pounced on the female snake tattooed beastmen who were advancing from the front.

Tat tat tat tat-!!

Girls with snake tattoos look back at us.

What you see is their shocked and hostile faces.

“Who are you?!”

“Ah [purple spinning wheel]?! Why?!”

“Attack!! Attack!!”

thud!

thud!

thud!

Hundreds and thousands of red spear blades.

Countless attacks.

An offensive continues that causes even the elite units of to retreat.

The phrase ‘it’s okay’ has been overused countless times.

But for some reason… I was really confident that we would be okay.

“… ”

And surprisingly.

We were able to sneak through the back door to the library of , bypassing dozens of female prisoners.

＊

The eerie library of .

The main base of the most shabby-looking Exploration Sect.

The following words were written on the back door, along with several stringent seals.

[No visit from outsiders]

Freya knocked on the spot. It seemed like it had been completely closed using a magic skill.

dripping

“… Open the door, you crazy bitches… Your leader is here… ”

Then a timid voice came from beyond the door.

-Hey, don’t talk nonsense… I’m good at imitating vocal chords… Ugh, there’s no way our library director hangs out with people like that… If you have any business, please write it down on the note below… If you betray your ears, nobility, you’ll be gone…

Squeak

The seal is slightly loosened.

A gap opened that could only fit a piece of paper through.

“… ”

“… ”

“… ”

I didn’t expect this.