episode_0014

The sky was gradually dyed with the color of dusk.

Surrounded by a massive magic barrier that had shrunk into a circle about 100 meters in diameter around the northern forest of the Academy, Yerena Frost furrowed her brow and glanced around.

“…Is Cyan not here?”

As the exam neared its end, no matter how much she looked around, Cyan was nowhere to be seen. She wanted to face him with her sword once more.

Something was amiss. Even though this year boasted exceptionally high levels among the freshmen, if it was the Cyan she had seen, an ordinary first-year student wouldn’t have been able to outsmart him.

Cyan’s ability to sense presence was far superior to hers. He could easily see through the freshmen’s hiding techniques, so it wasn’t likely that he was eliminated by surprise.

With a sense of unease, Yerena swung her sword, infused with magic, towards her back.

“Eek?!”

“Adel? Darn it, run… Aaah!?”

In an instant, the twilight-colored sword pierced through the two figures. They turned into silver particles and were pushed out of the forest.

Yerena, habitually drawing her longsword, slowly surveyed her surroundings.

Whether it was intentionally designed like this or just bad luck, the lush forest had become the final battlefield. As soon as Yerena hurried inside the magical boundary, a magical clock appeared in the sky.

[1:00]

[0:59]

[0:58]

“…Only one minute left?”

Yerena, who had quickly spread her magic to locate the remaining survivors, sighed and sheathed her sword again.

Initially, this exam wasn’t about selecting the last person standing. It was about the survivor in the forest being the victor.

Cyan’s ability to conceal his presence seemed to surpass her expectations. While trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling.

“Ah.”

And then, a sense of regret finally hit her.

Her past self would have immediately gone to find the children without hesitation.

Distracted by thoughts of Cyan, she couldn’t focus properly on the exam. Not seeing Cyan made her feel uneasy.

“Why am I acting like this…?”

Clang-

As she realized this fact, a heat rose up her cheeks. Yerena covered her reddened face and tightly closed her eyes.

She simply couldn’t erase the existence of Cyan from her mind. She wanted to concentrate on the exam without thinking about him. The more she tried to forget, the more he kept popping up in her head.

In the past 8 years, this had never happened before. Trivial thoughts like these could usually be buried in a corner of her mind and forgotten.

Yerena muttered softly with her eyes closed.

“A friend who wields the sword together…”

Indeed, it was because of those words.

During her childhood, there was no one who approached her while swinging a sword all day.

People offering cheap sympathy, reveling in moral superiority. Trash trying to manipulate her. People offering formal consolation.

By cutting off such people ruthlessly, the only one left around Yerena since her childhood was her blunt maid who raised her.

Perhaps, perhaps she wasn’t hoping for someone to approach her after all-

“Sigh…”

Yerena let out a deep breath, cutting off her contemplation. Lost in her thoughts, a minute had passed in the blink of an eye.

Once again, without Cyan by her side, she couldn’t focus as he kept coming to mind. In that case, she should swing the sword with Cyan.

“When I go back, I’ll swing the sword with Cyan.”

Muttering softly, Yerena slowly sheathed her sword. She believed without a doubt that she would be able to meet Cyan in the auditorium.

[0:00]

[Exam End]

[All remaining students will move to the auditorium]

When all the remaining students were suddenly transferred to the auditorium, Yerena could feel that something was amiss upon not seeing the familiar face of the girl.

A sense of unease crept into her heart. Was there a mistake in the test scenario, she worried.

Sian is a strong girl, one who wouldn’t easily falter. She must be someone who can stand up to anyone in the Northern Knights, so how could she have failed the test?

“There’s no way that could happen…”

As Yerena glanced around with a suspicious expression, she caught sight of the teacher with fiery hair, Ellen Agnes, the instructor for the 1st-year Swordsmanship Department.

“…What do you mean? Two students are missing?”

“Yes, Temporary Class A, Student 13, Sian, and Temporary Class C, Student 17, Regina Strellachia, are not visible.”

“Any traces of breaching the barrier or signs of spatial magic usage? Or is there a possibility the barrier momentarily malfunctioned?”

“W-well… According to the mages in charge of the barrier, there was nothing that crossed over during the test…”

“So, as you say, Sian and Regina vanished within the barrier suddenly. That doesn’t seem plausible.”

“But…”

“…I see. If it were something within reason, you wouldn’t have bothered me. Go back and quickly check if any departments have encountered issues.”

“Yes, understood!”

Listening to the conversation between Ellen and the exam proctor, Yerena Frost’s body trembled slightly. Upon hearing that Sian was missing, she couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling for some reason.

A girl who never cared about others suddenly found herself unable to hide this unfamiliar emotion called ‘worry.’

Her heart raced faster than usual.

Could they be seriously injured? Could they be in a dire situation? Negative thoughts kept flooding her mind.

Unaware of her own unusual behavior, Yerena approached Ellen, hoping that what she heard was untrue.

“Just a moment, Teacher Ellen.”

“Hmm? You are…”

“Temporary Class A, Student 2, Yerena Frost. Sian is missing? Did I hear correctly?”

“…Well, since you’ve probably heard everything by now, there’s no point in hiding it. You heard correctly. Two students disappeared suddenly during the test. One of them is Sian, whom you know well.”

“…What?”

However, what returned was a reaffirmation of Sian’s disappearance.

Yerena’s cold, emotionless facade cracked. Worry, anxiety, fear… a complex mix of emotions.

But she didn’t even realize her own change in expression.

Upon hearing that Sian was missing, her heart felt as heavy as a stone, sinking in her chest.

“We’ve hastily assembled a search party. Ellen, please.”

“Send the search party first. I will join later. It’ll be harder to find them once night falls, so don’t wait for me unnecessarily.”

“Just a moment, Teacher.”

Yerena grabbed Ellen as she was leaving the auditorium, speaking with the examiner.

“I want to join the search party too.”

Regina groggily felt around her surroundings.

Wanting to feel Sian’s warmth once more before falling asleep, she reached out with her delicate arm.

“Hmm…?”

But there was nothing to grasp. Just a while ago, she had her head resting on Sian’s lap. Now, all she felt was the cold sensation of the dungeon floor.

“…Huh?”

In an instant, my heart trembled. I was definitely leaning against Sian and closed my eyes. Why am I alone? Where is Sian? Where on earth did Sian go…

“Phew, Sian, Sian…?”

In a flash, a cold unease enveloped my entire body. Could it be, could this all have been a hallucination? Me, driven mad by endless regression, creating…

“Sian…! Please answer, answer me! Where are you, I’m so cold, hah, hah…”

My mind was forcibly dragged back to the surface. The cool air in the dungeon was too cold. It didn’t feel like it was like this when I was nestled in Sian’s embrace earlier.

The only one who affirmed me amidst 999 regressions. The only one who empathized with me. The only one who succeeded in defying ‘fate,’ Sian, was he really just a fantasy?

“Please, please…answer me…”

Hope faded gradually at the end of Regina’s words. Ah, yes. I was just a marionette bound by ‘fate.’ Just being led as fate dictated. Beings like ego were unnecessary dolls.

Why did I hope for salvation in the realm of dolls? If you’re a doll, you just need to do as you’re told. Emotions are unnecessary.

“Ahaha…”

A feeble laughter echoed within the dungeon. Regina slowly closed her eyes.

The hope she had encountered after thousands of years was so sweet. Therefore, unable to bear the sight of hope fading before her eyes, the already broken Regina couldn’t endure it.

“Ugh…so cold…”

Regina muttered weakly, curling up her body. Her vision blurred gradually due to tears. Thinking it doesn’t matter anymore, Regina’s vision slowly faded.

“Regina? Sorry, I was busy dealing with the Death Knights while you were asleep.”

“Oh…?”

“Sorry. Come here, lean on me.”

And so, when Sian appeared at the edge of her vision, Regina wordlessly nestled into his arms. Like a young child seeking affection.