episode_0166

Now that I have returned to my dorm room, Iris is smiling brightly with a satisfied smile on her face.

I was holding my head and sighing loudly.

‘Ah…I forgot to ask..’

During the time I spent with the Goddess, I was able to find out a lot of information.

I was able to figure out what kind of world this is, why it diverged from the original novel, and what I should do going forward.

Information I needed so much.

But I never got to ask the most important question.

The reason Lily became a warrior. Actually, that’s probably what I should have been most concerned about.

I was so caught up in the unbelievable stories about how this world wasn’t a world from a novel, and how I had to seduce the Demon King, that I ended up forgetting about it.

For a moment, I thought about going back again, but for some reason, I thought it would be rude, so I decided not to.

The goddess told me to come to her whenever I had questions, but I don’t think she meant for me to come back an hour after we parted ways.

‘But I need to know…’

A warrior is, after all, a representative of the gods chosen by the goddess.

The reason why Lily was chosen instead of Robin, who was chosen in the previous episode, is something only the goddess herself would know.

After struggling alone for a while like that, I decided to give up on finding out right away.

‘I guess I can ask you later.’

If only the shrine and Iris were nearby, I could go see them anytime… Maybe I could go sometime this weekend.

I took a short breath and lay down on my bed in my room, staring at the ceiling.

“Master, are you there?”

I opened my mouth to call out to the teacher, but unfortunately, I received no answer, so it became just my own monologue.

‘…You were usually well, but you’re not here this time.’

Well, I guess the teacher is busy too. He can’t always be by my side.

As I rolled over in bed with a heavy heart, something suddenly came to mind.

‘What did you decide to do…?’

A hazy mind, vaguely trying to come to mind.

I clearly remember promising to do something.

“Ah.”

As I continued to struggle with the uneasy feeling, I was able to figure out what it was.

But unfortunately, it wasn’t good news for me.

“I forgot.”

I remembered. I promised to go see Ariel right after it was over.

I looked up at the clock and saw that it was late at night and the sun had set far in the distance.

….I felt like I had to go out right now.

*

“Hmm..is this the right place?”

A dormitory in a different building from my room.

I was hesitating in front of the door of the room in front of me, unable to take a step.

After hesitating for a while in front of the door, I glanced around and looked at the list next to the door.

– Ariel Diannria

– Sia (vacant)

Ariel’s name is firmly engraved on the rice cake.

After making sure she was definitely here, I took a deep breath to calm my body and knocked on the door.

But as time passed, the door remained silent without any response.

I knocked on the door once more just in case, but there was still no answer.

“…..Isn’t there one?”

As I decided that Ariel was not in the room, and turned around to check again tomorrow, I felt an eerie atmosphere behind me.

Squeak-

A creepy sound, like something out of a horror movie, came from the dormitory door.

The person who appeared before my eyes through that open door.

Purple hair that resembled tulips. And for some reason, she seemed more empty than before. The great magician of the previous warrior party and now my friend. It was Ariel.

“…Hello Sarah.”

“Ugh..hello Ariel.”

I suppressed the inexplicable anxiety flowing through my body and greeted her brightly while maintaining a smile on my face as much as possible.

“Come in.”

Ariel looked at me with a calm face for a moment, then smiled faintly and guided me into the room.

When I went into her room, it wasn’t as fancy as my room or Lily’s, but the interior was luxurious enough.

“Who’s your roommate?”

Ariel’s smile faltered for a moment at my words, but then she quickly put a smile back on her face and answered.

“I moved to another room. For personal reasons.”

“Personal circumstances?”

“Yeah. I’m not sure about the exact details.”

“Oh..I see..”

After hearing Ariel’s answer, no other questions came to mind.

Since it was personal circumstances, he couldn’t help it. Maybe he was sick.

As I sat down on the chair in front of the table, Ariel brought me a cup of tea and placed it in front of me.

“I’ve waited a long time, Sera.”

“….Sorry. I was doing other things.”

“So can you explain everything now?”

“Yeah.”

I took a deep breath with a brief affirmation.

As the Sephir power flowing through my body was removed, I felt a strange sensation in my body and my brown hair slowly turned black. My body also returned to its original state.

My original self has returned.

Ariel stared blankly at me for a long time.

“….Is that really you?”

“….Yeah.”

For some reason, I felt like Ariel’s eyes looking at me had become more intense.

But I didn’t show it and looked into Ariel’s eyes with as clear a gaze as possible.

“I’ll explain everything.”

*

How much time has passed since then?

I told Ariel my story.

Of course, that wasn’t all.

I told him about things that people might not easily believe, such as being possessed, meeting a goddess, and receiving protection.

That I came to the Academy to find out who I was, to find out who Lily had become and how she had become a hero. And that I was making plans to stop the Demon King.

This was also hard to believe, but Ariel listened to everything I said slowly and calmly.

“So in fact-”

“You already knew Lily.”

“Huh..?”

As we were talking, I heard Ariel’s voice and looked at her. For some reason, her purple eyes, which had become much more gentle than before, caught my gaze.

“So you’re saying you were already very close with Lily?”

“Yeah.. He’s my younger sibling who I’ve been living with like family.”

Of course, our relationship is a little different now…

I don’t think it’s necessary to tell you that.

At my words, Ariel stared blankly at the ground and muttered to herself.

“…I didn’t change it.”

Ariel’s words that have no meaning.

Ariel, who had been muttering to herself, soon raised her head and looked at me.

“What did you do with Iris yesterday?”

“Uh..huh?”

“Where did you and Iris go in such a hurry?”

“Ah…that’s…”

“You can’t tell me this time either?”

For some reason, I felt pressured by Ariel’s words.

A drop of cold sweat ran down the back of my neck as the sticky, stuffy air gradually began to suffocate me.

‘….How do I say this?’

I don’t know why this kind of energy came from Ariel, who was always cheerful and energetic, but I didn’t think anyone would believe me if I told them the truth.

Not only did I meet the goddess and learn that this world was my second time, but I also became the goddess’ daughter. I came out and touched Iris’s chest to cheer her up?

I was glad that they didn’t think I was a crazy bitch.

“Well..we just talked for a bit.”

“…..”

In the end, I couldn’t tell the truth, so I decided to beat around the bush. But Ariel’s eyes, hearing what I said, turned cold again.

“Ah..Ariel?”

“…This won’t work.”

Ariel approaches me little by little and speaks in a dull voice.

I couldn’t help but back away from her, feeling an inexplicable sense of rejection.

“Are you avoiding me now, Sera..?”

“Ah..no, that’s not it..”

Just when I felt like the heavy atmosphere for no reason was reaching its peak, I heard a voice in my head.

[This won’t work, disciple.]

The owner of this familiar voice is the Master.

‘S..Master, are you here?”

[If we leave it like this, it seems like the aftereffects will only increase. Hand over your body to me.]

‘Yes..? Suddenly?’

A teacher who appears out of nowhere and speaks incomprehensibly.

As I was confused by the incomprehensible words, the teacher continued speaking.

[Just trust the Master once and hand it over. Can’t you see the condition of that child?]

As the Master had said, Ariel’s condition did not look good, even in words.

The number of words has decreased significantly, but what concerns me the most is Ariel’s eyes.

Her eyes, which were always bright and positive, were now blank and sunken for some reason.

‘..It doesn’t look good. Does the teacher have a solution?’

[Okay. So hand it over quickly.]

‘….all right.’

I don’t know what exactly he’s trying to do, but for now, I’ve decided to follow his words.

The teacher isn’t the one talking nonsense. He must be thinking about something.

As I held the hand of the woman who appeared in my mind again, my consciousness sank heavily and I soon entered my imaginary world.

[..It’s my second time, but I’m still not used to it.]

It wasn’t my voice coming out of my mouth. It was the shape of the sound that spread around me.

It feels like I’m floating in a dream.

As I looked around, a large screen showing the outside situation appeared before my eyes again, just like before.

My body currently occupied by the Master. And Ariel, who is stuck right in front of him.

And the two of them lovingly kissing each other.

[…..uh?]

I rubbed my eyes several times at the unimaginable sight, then looked straight at the screen again.

Still the same scene though.

Churp- chuup-

My body skillfully leading the kiss, and Ariel with a blushing face and an ecstatic expression.

I could only stare blankly at them.

S…Master?

[What the heck are you doing with my body?!!?!!]