episode_0079

It was still cool in mid-May. The wind was fresh and sweet, carrying a delightful fragrance, and the night sky was especially clear and clean that day. It was a night so perfect, as if the whole world was blessing the two of them.

However, there were others who had spent a night quite different from the perfect one Ras and Rosalie shared.

*

Leone Academy.

Sephiroth’s foremost institution of higher education, established to honor the greatest conquering monarch in West Continent history, Lionheart Richard Leone da Sephiroth.

Leone Academy is an educational institution created to honor the Emperor, and it is sometimes referred to as the ‘Cradle of the Imperial Family’ or ‘Cradle of Imperial Descendants’. In addition to nurturing talent through the academy, raising imperial children into powerful warriors and emperors is also one of its major goals.

Thus, within the academy, imperial family members are, in principle, treated equally to other students. For instance, obeying a professor’s words without complaint, as a professor is effectively a superior to a student, can be seen as part of this ‘equality’.

However, as implied by ‘in principle’, imperial family members attending Leone Academy enjoy quite a few special privileges compared to ordinary students. This is a policy intended to demonstrate the distinction between the imperial family, other nobles, and commoners. Therefore, imperial family members use dormitories as private rooms, and are even provided with private training rooms.

Naturally, the imperial family’s private training rooms boast facilities as excellent as those used by professors.

And… now.

“…Damn it…”

Imperial Second Princess Skada flopped onto the training room floor with a coarse curse, unbefitting of an imperial princess. She was drenched in sweat, but she still held tightly to the sword in her hand, not letting go. She gripped the sword so fiercely that her already fair hands turned even whiter.

In other words… she had been feeling incredibly embarrassed for several days.

‘An unrivaled genius, the greatest genius of all time, a genius among geniuses, a solitary genius… what else was there…? I really was something.’

For reference, what Skada was recalling now were the embarrassing nicknames she used to ‘self-proclaim’ herself. She was feeling immense shame about her past, where she used to call herself an unrivaled genius…

‘Just because my talent was a bit better than someone like Leon… because I could beat the academy professors… I was too complacent and pathetic. Was I really just a puppy who didn’t know how scary the world was?’

Skada was indeed a genius, but she wasn’t a genius deserving of epithets like ‘unrivaled’ or ‘greatest of all time’. Her face flushed as she thought of how pathetic she had been, unable to properly use her strength against the tiny, high-ranking demon who introduced herself as Antikrea.

‘I must have looked like a sack of potatoes or a bag of flour… haa… and that man even looked at me with disdain.’

The Emperor, who clicked his tongue faintly upon seeing her miserably defeated. Her biological father, one of the men she disliked the most, for some unknown reason, instructed her not to tell Leon that he had been present at the scene. And… with a much warmer and more cautious voice than usual, he even made plans to meet her separately.

Skada disliked the Emperor, but regardless of her personal feelings, she couldn’t refuse an imperial summons, so she agreed. In any case, it wasn’t a particularly pleasant outcome for her…

What’s more, the embarrassing incidents didn’t end there. No, in fact, this next one caused even greater shame. The fact that it was none other than Ras, whom she had considerably looked down upon, who had resolved the situation…

‘Why are you all laid out? Is this a joke? It’s only been twenty minutes since the fight started…?’

She felt so sorry to Ras, who had been genuinely flustered by those words, that she couldn’t even lift her head. She was utterly ashamed of herself for being utterly defeated while a first-year, the son of some merchant family, was the only one pulling his weight.

Looking back, on that day, only Ras and Rosalie out of the ten attackers truly performed their roles. Rosalie’s swift situational awareness, leadership, and unparalleled divine magic clearly demonstrated the caliber of a veteran. And the combat power Ras displayed… which vastly exceeded her imagination, was beyond astonishing, making her feel as if she had hit a wall.

The meager pride Skada had harbored for her own talent melted into nothingness before the Nine Heavens Destruction Art and the hellish scene Ras had created.

Unlike Leon, who had completely missed the situation due to being unconscious, Skada, who had somehow maintained consciousness, watched Ras’s battle even while half-dead. It was an extremely unpleasant and terrifying experience that shattered her ego, but Ras’s battle was so desperate yet beautiful, and its level so immeasurably high, that she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

Thus, two paths lay before Skada now. Would she become a weak self-proclaimed genius, despairing, frustrated, and crumbling before an incomprehensible talent? Or would she find a clue within that experience to move forward, diligently honing herself anew, and prove herself a true genius?

Fortunately, Skada was indeed the type of person who belonged to the latter. Thus, she was cooped up in her private training room late into the night, swinging her sword, trying somehow to make Ras’s incomprehensible and unreplicable combat her own. Along with a newfound mindset of ‘humility’.

However… this ‘humility’ has a relatively high chance of being a double-edged sword in growth, so she needed to be careful. Humility that manifests incorrectly can lead to despair or self-blame, and Skada, having tasted bitter defeat, was in a slightly precarious situation.

Feeling a little sad, then ashamed, then sighing… that was the extent of the ordeal Skada experienced that night. But fortunately, unlike in Ras’s pre-regression timeline, she was not alone now. She had a presence that, though just beginning, powerfully captivated her and exerted a positive influence, bringing joy to her gloomy night.

“My goodness… I never thought I’d be scaling walls in my life.”

“Garett…?”

It was a little embarrassing for her to be seen by her (prospective) lover, not only without makeup but also drenched in sweat and with a sulky expression. However, Garett approached Skada as swiftly and gracefully as he wielded his spear, and with his usual gentle smile, he took out a towel and carefully wiped away Skada’s sweat.

“To secretly sneak into the Imperial Princess’s residence in the middle of the night… You must have lost your mind after being beaten by a demon!”

“Maybe. Is it because I got roared at by a werewolf? Haha…”

Though she spoke carelessly, Skada’s mood had improved so much that all her gloomy feelings vanished, and her tone was quite excited. Garett diligently attended to Skada, who was complaining playfully due to her good mood.

Since the demon invasion, Skada had been so busy for days that she hadn’t been able to rest properly or have a private conversation with Garett. She had even subtly avoided Garett because she kept recalling how she had arrogantly boasted to him about being a genius ever since her first year.

It was a situation where a narrow-minded man would have felt disappointed, and an insensitive man would have asked why she was acting that way, but Garett was neither. He quietly allowed her to have her alone time, but he had also planned to stay by her side during her loneliest and most difficult period.

Indeed… Garett’s sharp insight, true to his ability to read women’s hearts… this time, elegant comfort began.

“Princess. If I may be so bold… you are indeed a genius. You are quite different from an ordinary person like me.”

“You don’t need to comfort me. I felt a little ashamed seeing Ras… to have boasted with only my meager skill, it’s embarrassing.”

Garett continued to soothe Skada, who was uncharacteristically cowering, with a gentle smile.

“Above geniuses… there are sometimes incomprehensible, monstrous individuals. Unexplainable things often happen in the world. But what’s important is to keep moving forward. You are bravely moving forward even in unfavorable competition; I don’t believe one defeat will break you, Princess.”

“You are truly kind… Perhaps I was longing for comfort. I thought comfort was a luxury for a princess without a power base, making me weak, but that’s not it. Hearing your comfort, I can regain my strength again.”

Thus, despair, excessive self-blame, and inferiority complex… Garett pierced them thoroughly with his spear and sent them far, far away.

“Actually, I also wanted to splendidly defeat the werewolf, but I lost, which was embarrassing. A man always wants to appear strong in front of a woman he likes. But anyway, we survived, and there’s a next time. Shouldn’t we just get stronger and win in the end?”

Skada, who had been quietly watching Garett speak so refreshingly, showed a calm smile completely unlike her usual boisterous demeanor, then lightly kissed his forehead. Garett was slightly flustered by the princess’s kiss, stiffening awkwardly.

“Since you’ve shown your loyalty, I should bestow a reward. Hmm hmm hmm…! Anyway, scaling walls is dangerous, so be extremely careful when doing it. Since you’re here, would you like to spar?”

“Haha. Please go easy on me. My bones still ache from being beaten.”

“Hmph… anyway, those demons caught quite a few people. Hmm… now that I think about it, isn’t Ras still laid out and unable to get up? It’s our victory, since we’re up and perfectly fine.”

“You’re right. But perhaps we can visit him tomorrow? Ras should get well soon.”

Watching Skada joke around, looking much brighter, Garett felt relief and joy. It was a feeling he had never once experienced during all the long time he had spent with Emma.

*

Leon’s night was unfolding quite differently from Skada’s.

Even after such a crushing defeat, Leon was not, unlike Skada, dedicating himself to personal training. That’s just how Leon’s power was. A man who had grown rapidly through innate talent and overwhelming support. Effort was alien to him; he had always been at the top even without trying, so he never felt the need for effort.

What’s more… information about how the fight progressed and ended that day was completely cut off for him. Leon had been knocked unconscious, and Ras had even subtly manipulated things to keep him quietly unconscious, so he truly saw nothing until everything was resolved. Thus, he still had no idea that the Emperor had risen from his sickbed and intervened in the events at Delphi. Nor did he know that Ras had killed Antikrea with overwhelming power and skill. Therefore, unlike Skada, who had somehow witnessed Ras’s Nine Heavens Destruction Art and Inner World, making them a foundation for her growth, Leon had seen not a single hair of them.

If Marisa, who had maintained consciousness, had been on Leon’s side, she would have told him that the Emperor came to Delphi… but Marisa never does anything that would benefit Leon in the first place. Because Marisa detested the very act of speaking with Leon unless something exceptional happened.

So instead of reviewing his defeat and training himself, Leon was merely inspecting the forces he had newly acquired and could use independently. After all, to him, Monday’s defeat was merely a trivial loss in a small battle. Furthermore, demons were beings he would never directly encounter, so Leon merely brushed off the defeat even more casually.

“The alcohol tastes good…”

Thus, Leon’s night, spent sipping alcohol in his private room, was particularly pathetic today.

*

Marisa sprawled in bed, slightly sulking. Her face was usually expressionless and pretty, but today she made no attempt to hide her “I’m sulking” mood. Marisa, who had been grumbling like a disgruntled cat, abruptly sat up.

“I’m… angry..! The festival has been postponed…!!!”

That’s right. Our elegant Literary Club Princess was upset because the festival had been postponed. Of course, being elegant, she knew that a festival was unrealistic in the current situation. However, what one understands intellectually and what one feels emotionally are two separate things. Her expectations and fantasies about the school festival had also grown through indirect experiences via various ‘works’, so she couldn’t help but feel more annoyed.

The main building was heavily damaged due to the clash between Tiria and Haimon. Marisa had been busy helping to manage and inspect the various magic tools in the damaged main building, and this made her feel even more grieved. It was tough because she had to help with magic tool inspection instead of, as usual, freely petting Irha’s cute round head.

Furthermore, Ras, her soulmate (from Marisa’s perspective, of course), was said to be in such poor condition that she couldn’t even visit him, which made her worry.

“Ras-kun… Are you laid up again? You are such a troublesome man. You keep collapsing so easily, and you unhealthily have beauties hanging around you… Yet… your appearance fighting the demon was splendid. Like the protagonist of a novel about Eastern martial arts… enough to make me want to write a novel called ‘Ras, the Man of Flames’.”

Marisa recalled the ominous and horrifying red sky she had witnessed while fallen. An ominousness that seemed to embody the song ‘I Wish the World Would End’ that she sometimes hummed when forced to meet Leon, only to become infuriated.

“How did you know and grant my wish, even for a moment? Who and what exactly are you, to have shown such power? Are you really just the son of a merchant family…? Slowly, my curiosity is growing, and this is a big problem. I, Marisa, cannot stand to be curious…”

Anyway, it was boring without Ras. Whether he turned that battlefield into a horrifying hell or not, to Marisa, Ras was an amusing classmate. Someone she somehow just wanted to poke, whether with a joke or a prank. A kind friend who always chose his words carefully to tell stories that Marisa herself would find interesting. A precious Literary Club member who neither made her uncomfortable, nor held her in awe, nor avoided her…

And somehow, a villain who ‘flirted’ with this woman and that woman, so to speak..! An enemy of women! A friendship destroyer!

“I don’t know why… when I’m alone, I keep thinking about you. Friendship truly is a scary thing. Ha… I suppose I’ll have to visit him again tomorrow. My friendship within me is grieving…”

Marisa inwardly knew that she didn’t think about Irha as often, but she pretended not to. Because she thought too quick an admission was somehow inelegant…

Marisa’s night of May 16th thus passed by, a little restless.

*

“Caw… Pisces is so lonely… Hmph…”

A cozy house in the middle of Delphi. The pitiful crow woman was whimpering. Pisces, who could very well be called the cutest in the world, was somehow feeling sorrowful. Her master, Ras, had sent her home, saying he’d be fine after some rest. However, Ras’s condition rapidly worsened after that, and Pisces hadn’t even caught a glimpse of her master for nearly three days. The daily contact through magic tools, the sight of him making time to visit even for a short while… Pisces was whimpering, missing it all.

What made her even more sorrowful was this:

“Rosalie Unnie must be with Master all day… No, wait. But it must be hard to see him suffering and in pain…”

Pisces liked Rosalie, was jealous of her, and was also a little scared of her… it was complicated, in short. While she liked the kind, beautiful, and good-hearted woman, it was unavoidable that she felt impatient and jealous as Rosalie firmly occupied the spot next to the man she liked.

“It’s like… a Rosalie occupation period. It must violate some unfair law… Give this poor crow a chance to live..! *whimpers*”

A particularly sorrowful night on May 16th. And somehow, it was a night with a really bad feeling.

“Somehow… Master will wake up and do this and that with Rosalie Unnie… It’s that kind of weather. The weather is too good, but my feeling is too bad..! Hmph… Just you wait. Pisces will show you how charming she issss….”

Her intuition was good, as if sensing demons, and in the midst of it, she’d steel herself only to pathetically cower… Pisces’s night, in other words… was as cute and trivial as always.

[I miss you, Master. Please play with Pisces soon. I don’t even want to work. I’m totally on strike~]

She had sent at least twenty such silly messages today, but she sent one more. She knew there wouldn’t be a reply… but she sent it anyway, just in case. With the hope that her beloved master would recover quickly.

The sulky, pitiful Pisces pointlessly sent a message to her rival in misfortune.

[Crow >>> Seagull. Did you know this is even recorded in the ancient Goguryeo melon paintings of the East? Hehe!]

[Don’t talk nonsense! The crow will get scolded. You’re just annoyed because you messaged Ras and didn’t get a reply, so you’re bothering me, aren’t you? Stupid crow. I’m going to visit him tomorrow, you can’t, can you?]

“Hmph…! This idiot!… *whines*…. I want to go to the academy too…”

Pisces, who had jokingly provoked and gained nothing in return, just cowered. Sighing deeply, she laid down in bed to sleep. But as if the wish she had sent hadn’t completely betrayed her, she received a small reward before the day ended. A reward like the colorful, pretty marbles neighborhood children play with.

[Pisces. My mind is back. My body is fine too… I’m sorry for making you worry. I’ll definitely come see you after school tomorrow. Don’t skip meals, and sleep well… okay?]

[><]

Anyway, having received the long-awaited message, Pisces's dreams tonight were set to be good.

However… sadly, Ras, who had fallen asleep holding Rosalie's hand tightly, did not dream of Pisces that night…

*

Quite far from Delphi, this place was Nyxtania, a small city in Kashmir.

This prosperous city, meaning 'Alluring Night', lived up to its name, with nightlife thriving there. Gambling houses, bars, brothels, and theaters.

'Currently', I am a skillful actress at Nyxtania's famous theater, 'Zephyra', setting the city's nights ablaze. Noble, alluring, haughty, cold… a beautiful woman from any angle, I am a woman of mystery, with everything about my identity shrouded in a veil.

On May 16th, tonight, too, I sing, act, and dance on stage, using only the short alias 'Rete'.

On a May night, a sweet west wind blew through the rose garden.
I wish to send my news to you, wherever you may be across the sea.
Using a white rose as stationery, and my blood drawn by a rose thorn as ink.
I entrusted the letter written on the petals to the west wind, sending it to you.

I feel my song, my expressions, and my dance wrapping around the entire stage and audience. Everyone, as if addicted to a drug, couldn't even blink, gazing at me with enchanted expressions.

Ah, to show myself to such paltry people is displeasing… but it must be a humiliation I must endure a little to see you again.

Thus, one performance ended, as if time had flown by. People rose with dazed expressions, without even anyone calling for an encore, and collectively exited the theater in unison.

Thus, quiet and stillness descended upon the theater.

"This much preparation should be enough. It's time to become independent."

*footsteps*

From backstage, a few people, men and women mixed, approached me. The woman at the very front spoke to me.

Ah, what was that woman's name? I keep forgetting it because she's not worth remembering.

"You were quite excellent today too. Well, a half-baked spirit medium who's useless for anything other than singing and dancing had better be good at that, right?"

A vicious-looking woman, spewing vulgar words with a vulgar face. How could someone like that, a rag from the gutter, know that a woman should naturally possess elegance and grace?

Women who carry unyielding elegance, grace, and self-esteem as the foundation of their very being, no matter the situation, we call them queens. Knowing that, I overcame my time being exploited as a slave in the black magician's troupe and was able to become the queen of this nation. Although I underwent an arduous journey and immense twists and turns in that process, looking back, it was all bearable.

Especially… the days I spent with my loyal subordinate, Ras Etgard, every moment was precious and lovely.

"Bibeka."

Ah, I finally remembered that vicious woman's name. The black magician Bibeka, a poisonous spider-like woman who held sway over Nyxtania's back alleys. Today, I will escape from the spiderweb. From Zephyra, Nyxtania's theater, Bibeka's nest and spiderweb… this place that is both a theater and a massive magic circle.

In fact, compared to before the regression, there's only a difference in timing, but the outcome will be the same, so it's nothing particularly new. Even then, I eventually burned down this dreadful spider's nest with my own power and escaped.

Vulgar Bibeka berates me with a ruffian-like tone. As always, it's a moment I feel no fear at all.

"You, a slave, calling me by my name? Have you lost your mind, Rete?"

A slave…

Come to think of it, slaves usually wouldn't dare to call their master's name. Ras, in that sense, you're truly remarkable. You always called me by my name with confidence, didn't you? Of course… I've never truly thought of you as my slave.

Today, I miss your soft voice, calling me Semere.

So, just wait a little. Now that I've gained the strength to find you, I will go to meet you before anything else. Because you are the most precious person in this world to me.

I cut off the foolish Bibeka's words and corrected her.

"That's not my name, Bibeka."

"What? Has this one really eaten something wrong… You are my slave, Rete. A worthless spirit medium tied to Zephyra, with no name. Can't you objectively see your own situation?"

I elegantly cut off Bibeka's vulgar squawking.

"Semere Laufeyga Kashmir. It won't be too difficult for your dull mind to remember that for a short while."

To kindly tell my name to someone who will soon die by my hand.

My heart is truly this kind.

Isn't that right, Ras?