episode_0023

“So, what should we do now?”

Having finally escaped from Yerena’s embrace, I absentmindedly stroked Regina, who seemed somewhat sulky, and asked.

“Well, originally… what did you plan to do…?”

“Well, maybe practice a bit of swordplay… or perhaps explore the autonomous district within the academy together.”

“The autonomous district within the academy? The city next to it?”

“Yeah.”

The Arcana Academy, the empire’s premier educational institution, was not just a place comprised solely of academic buildings.

Within an area comparable to the capital of a small kingdom, there existed a small city with various shops, entertainment facilities, restaurants, inns, banks, and more.

Both Regina and Yerena were far from ordinary girls leading mundane lives. While I did want to roam the city with them and enjoy some leisure time…

“We were thinking of going out together to have some fun, but Yerena needs to practice, and Regina hasn’t fully recovered yet.”

“I-I’m… I’m all better now! At least when it comes to my healing abilities, you know I’m exceptional…”

“I can skip training for a day; it won’t hurt.”

“Oh, really?”

Regina’s recovery speed was so fast that she agreed without much hesitation, but Yerena suggesting skipping training and going out to have fun was truly surprising.

The original Yerena Frost was a girl who only knew how to wield a sword. She believed nothing else was necessary besides becoming stronger—a truly icy girl.

“It’s surprising that Yerena wants to skip training.”

“Well, I’m not swinging my sword around all day like someone, am I?”

Hearing such words from her made me feel somewhat uneasy.

No matter how I looked at Yerena, she was the Yerena from two years later, but the seventeen-year-old Yerena in front of me seemed quite different.

Perhaps something had changed significantly over those two years. Speculating that there might be something I didn’t know, I held hands with Yerena and Regina. There was no point in just pondering quietly; things wouldn’t change.

Regardless of how Yerena would change in three years, it was beyond my control. So, wouldn’t it be right to enjoy this moment?

“Well then, shall we go out for now?”

With a lively voice, I asked the two girls while linking arms with them. Giving a slight tug, they followed me without resistance.

“Huh…?”

“U-um, Cyan?”

Seeming surprised, yet not minding the closeness, the two girls leaned against my shoulder. Holding their arms tightly, I continued speaking.

“Anyway, neither of you have any better ideas, right? Anyone want to do something specific?”

“Um… no, not really…”

“…Neither do I.”

The expected response came back.

Yerena and Regina, both girls who had never properly enjoyed themselves, had lived their lives in ruins.

And those who had never experienced fun before didn’t know how to have fun properly.

In fact, in my past life, I was a bit of a nerd too. Nevertheless, among us, I was the most outgoing. It seemed fitting for me to take the lead.

With a smirk, I looked at the two of them in turn and enthusiastically said,

“Then, today, follow my lead! Since the entrance exams are over, and there’s still time until midterms, let’s have a blast today.”

They were girls who hadn’t tasted an ordinary life—no friends, no lovers, no one to understand them. Girls who had lived lonely lives.

I wanted to gift them the concept of normalcy.

So that the laughter-deprived Yerena and Regina could smile happily like typical seventeen-year-old girls. To let go of the burdens in their hearts for just a moment and enjoy this time.

“Shall we… have some fun?”

“Yeah. It’s nice to wander around the autonomous district without any particular thoughts, or maybe sit in a cafe and pass the time. Or it’s good to sit in a city library and read a book.”

“Hmm…”

“So, do you guys have anything you want to do? If you do, we can follow that. If not, you can follow me.”

Yerena and Regina fell into deep thought after hearing my words. The girls leaned on me, closing their eyes quietly for a while.

What made Yerena and Regina move was when I shook them and called out to them.

“It’s already three o’clock, right? You both know that nine o’clock is curfew, right?”

“Oh, right… yes.”

“That’s right. I almost forgot.”

Even after giving them a little more time, the two girls still couldn’t recall something. I let out a light sigh and muttered under my breath.

“Well then, let’s just go out into the city for now. If you can’t think of anything, deciding by seeing things firsthand isn’t a bad choice.”

“Yeah. That might be better.”

“I… agree.”

Regina’s discharge procedure didn’t take long.

Initially, the academy hospital at the beginning of the semester was relatively quiet. Moreover, the school nurse was skilled not only in healing injuries but also in healing magic.

After a brief check-up, Regina swiftly changed from her patient gown into her school uniform and followed behind.

“Oh, you’re here?”

Sitting on the steps in front of the main gate, I took Yerena’s hand and stood up, changing my stride.

Yerena and Regina had almost no knowledge about the autonomous district. Yerena, who had spent her life watching over swords, probably didn’t have the luxury to care about places like the autonomous district. She would rather swing a sword even once than pay attention to places like that.

Regina had never come out to the autonomous district in the [Arcana Academy] story. Under the assumption that Regina’s “destiny” was the original work of [Arcana Academy].

She might have heard about the autonomous district in one of the 999 regressions, but she must have forgotten it in countless regressions. Human memory is finite.

So naturally, I became their guide to the autonomous district.

“But, um… Si-an, do you know a lot about the autonomous district?”

“Yeah.”

To the veteran of [Arcana Academy], the autonomous district was almost like his own backyard. He had memorized the map completely.

However, in reality, this place was part of a game, and I couldn’t claim to know it because I had played the game for a long time. What I chose to do was to wander around reasonably.

“After the entrance ceremony, I wandered around here and there bit by bit. It’s kind of an adventurer’s instinct.”

“Si-an, were you… an adventurer?”

“Oh, did I not tell you? I mentioned it last time. I had to save money to enter the academy. So, I worked as an adventurer for about five years.”

As I answered, I took out a golden-grade badge from my pocket. A badge that only the best among veteran adventurers receive, the gold badge.

“Si-an, you were quite remarkable. To be a gold-badge adventurer at your age.”

“W-well…”

“Haha…”

I chuckled awkwardly as I walked. It was quite awkward to receive compliments from others.

I hadn’t really met kids my age before. The age range of adventurers is from early twenties to mid-forties.

Hearing words that I usually heard from adults from friends felt somewhat new.

“It was originally a way to make a living, but it suited me subtly. I got scars, found talent in swordsmanship, and met many good connections.”

“Si-an, were you traveling the world?”

“Yeah. From the Erellim Mountains in the north to the Ninhrusaag Desert in the south. I’ve been everywhere.”

“Wow… I’m envious…”

[Arcana Academy] wasn’t just a game with romantic elements. If it were just an ordinary run-of-the-mill romance game, I wouldn’t have played it for so long.

What captivated me in this game was the high level of freedom. The story mainly revolves around the academy, but during vacations, you could explore various regions on the continent and delve into dungeons.

Following those memories, I picked up various hidden pieces. Thanks to that, even at a young age, I could grow like a first-rate adventurer.

After Regina’s question ended, this time Yerena’s question came.

“Have you been to the Alberich Mountain Range where dwarves live, or the Elvenheim, the world tree city of the elves?”

“I haven’t been to the Alberich Mountain Range, but I’ve been to Elvenheim once.”

“…I heard that elves are quite a closed group.”

Muttering like that, Yerena looked at me with curiosity. Recalling memories from two years ago, I replied.

“I once rescued an elven girl kidnapped by human traffickers. As a reward, I was invited and lived there for a few months.”

“Oh, elves… don’t usually allow humans to stay for so long, do they…?”

“Well, she was from a fairly noble family. Thanks to that, I became somewhat like a benefactor to the elves.”

Muttering like that, I added one more thing.

We had made a promise back then.

To visit again if time allowed. I readily accepted the offer. It’s been over two and a half years since then.

“I’m planning to visit Elvenheim this vacation. Would you like to come along?”

“Is that okay?”

“Well, we’re just outsiders, so they might not accept us…”

“It’s fine. We can bring a few friends along. Well, explaining the exact situation might take a while, so I’ll tell you about it later.”

Muttering like that, I pointed at the clock tower in front of us.

“We seem to have arrived at the autonomous zone already.”