episode_0118

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“So Cheryl, don’t feel pressured—just do what’s comfortable for you. I’ll keep cheering you on!”

“Dense bastard.”

A harsh remark slipped out before I could stop myself. I muttered it quietly, so he probably didn’t hear it.

But my irritation was nothing compared to the sight of Cheryl right now.

“……”

“Uh…Cheryl?”

“Dave, how many years have we been friends?”

“Hmm? Since we were kids, so…about ten years?”

“……”

Cheryl glanced at me without a word. Her piercing gaze seemed to demand I say whatever needed to be said—so I played along.

This is how we cover for each other.

“Cheryl. Take Dave with you. The academy should be quiet after evening, so one or two classrooms might be empty by now.”

“Thanks.”

“Huh…?”

“Dave still doesn’t seem to fully understand, so I’ll need to teach him…slowly.”

“Yeah. I agree.”

I waved my hand casually, signaling that whatever she did was fine.

“Then…I assume our agreement stands?”

“Right. So no need to be so formal with Eric, either. He’s the second-closest friend after Dave.”

Knowing exactly what awaited Dave, I could only close my eyes and quietly excuse myself.

“I’m going…to find Chris. Dave, good luck.”

“Huh?”

I shut the classroom door behind me, refusing to witness the tragedy about to unfold.

Nothing too extreme would happen there, surely. Even Cheryl wouldn’t be reckless enough to make a move in a classroom.

Somewhere quieter, more secluded—a place where the two could hole up for hours without notice—would be ideal.

Maybe the print room or the newspaper club’s office. No students would be there now, and no one would barge in unexpectedly. The two had a lot to prepare: leave-of-absence permits for their provincial tour, travel supplies, settling affairs with acquaintances, updating the newspaper…

“Ugh.”

I forcibly erased thoughts of them from my mind. The image of Dave, left oblivious with Cheryl, unnervingly overlapped with what my own future could become. Even the composed Cecilia lost her sanity the moment she was confined with me.

One misstep, and I’d barrel straight into that same nightmare. Worse still, in my case, it wouldn’t just be Cheryl—there were four of them.

“Play it right. Play it right.”

To avoid that, I had to tackle things step by step. I resumed my original mission: finding Chris. At first, I assumed she’d still be in the student council room, chatting with the president—but I stopped short when I realized how late it was.

The student council didn’t meet daily, and with me absent, Chris had no reason to stay this late. She was probably drowning in paperwork at home.

Maybe I should just head straight back.

“….!”

A sharp surge of mana prickled at my back. Faint enough that no one else would notice, but I recognized it instantly—Cheryl’s. Had she resorted to force? Her victory was inevitable. Dave was talented, but in past loops, I’d never once seen him defeat her.

“So even a preset future can’t be changed… Once Elia becomes emperor, maybe I should consider locking those two together… Hm?”

Another chill ran down my spine—this time, not Cheryl’s doing.

“Who’s there?!”

I spun around, but the presence was already gone. Unlike Cheryl’s, this was deliberately concealed. Realizing that, I broke into a sprint.

“Dammit!”

Cursing, I frantically chased the traces. If someone overheard me, it’d spell trouble. Sure, they might dismiss it as nonsense—but anyone who understood the weight of my words would realize the danger. And no one at this academy was foolish enough to miss it.

Predetermined future. Elia. Emperor. Even for an academy student, those were dangerously loaded terms. The first alone could easily imply prophecy.

In this world, even idle talk could hold unsettling truth—especially when it came from me.

“Hah… Hah…”

I was already out of breath. Despite training to keep up with my party members, my stamina hit its limit too fast. At least I hadn’t lost the mana trace yet. They probably thought they’d shaken me off.

If this kept up, I’d collapse first. But if I made noise to corner them, they might just flee further.

Tap—

As if mocking my thoughts, someone rested a hand on my shoulder.

“……”

“You scared the hell out of me. Don’t pull that stunt again.”

“Hehe. Glad I startled you. Don’t make reckless moves like that again.”

“That’s… Yeah, my bad. Sorry.”

I brushed Chris’s hand off my shoulder.

“How’d you find me here?”

“Just coincidence?”

“Coincidence? What would you even be doing out this late?”

“I was about to head home, but the president ambushed me after my last lecture. Begged me to help since no one shows up to the council room lately. So I got voluntold.”

“Ah.”

Similar reasoning, but I hadn’t expected the president to grovel like that.

“Things are busy, but isn’t it manageable alone?”

“…Are you serious?”

“Sorry.”

Having abandoned half my council duties, I bowed my head. Chris’s expression made it clear she hadn’t volunteered either.

“As long as you get it. And repeat after me: don’t talk carelessly outside. Even if you think no one’s listening, eyes and ears are everywhere. What if I hadn’t left my mana trace on purpose this time?”

“Trust me, I’ve learned my lesson.”

It was a relief it was just Chris. If enemies had overheard, vanishing without a trace would’ve been child’s play for them.

“Honestly, you plan everything meticulously, yet slip up in the weirdest ways.”

Chris sighed but seemed done lecturing, shaking her head lightly.

“Who were you meeting earlier?”

“Dave and Cheryl.”

“Hmm. Figures. I guessed you’d see them. Mind sharing details—”

“Ah, hold on. Let’s save that for the walk home.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a long story, plus there’s sensitive stuff mixed in. Why discuss it here when barely anyone’s around? An open space would make suspicious presences easier to spot. And with how chaotic the mana is here, eavesdropping would be near impossible anyway.”

“We could just talk at home.”

“Not confident?”

“Tch. Obvious bait. You think I’d fall for that?”

“Not baiting. I’ve got my reasons.”

“Reasons?”

“You can’t afford to let people keep treating me like a lunatic. It might dent your refined noble lady image a bit, but we need to show everyone we’re on good terms.”

“Should’ve done that sooner. Everyone’s already gone home or to the dorms.”

“We’ll do it daily.”

“Oh.”

“I’ll debunk the whole ‘romance with the Saintess’ nonsense, but I can’t keep playing the madman forever. Before I’m mysteriously murdered, I need to show I’ve got backing. Otherwise, your fanatics might ‘prove their loyalty’ by delivering my head to you.”

“You say that like it’s happened before.”

“Because it has.”

If I hadn’t been out when assassins came calling in the first loop, I’d never have seen this second world. Back then, Chris didn’t lift a finger to protect me.

“Was that…a prophecy? Or a memory?”

“Up to you. Either way, our current dynamic’s unsustainable.”

“……”

Chris silently extended her hand. I grasped it firmly.

“Let’s go home.”

“Nothing’s wrong nothing’s wrong nothing’s wrong nothing’s wrong…”

What others called the cursed power of prophecy was, for me, a convenient excuse. No matter how carelessly I spoke, people would twist it favorably.

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This translation preserves all dialogue, cultural nuances, and stylistic elements (e.g., tone shifts, muttered remarks) while ensuring natural English flow. Symbols, paragraph breaks, and formatting are maintained as specified.