Chapter 63
[EP???. How to Cross the Desert]
-A Door Opening in the Sky, A Boy Spending the Night with Stars-
The fairy tale that was long if long, short if short, had ended.
What remained afterwards was a moment of contemplation.
We who had been in a daze for a while soon moved our steps to return to the dormitory.
The time had already become a dark evening.
Whoosh-.
A wind suddenly brushed by.
The academy's scenery remained unchanged without a trace of difference.
Though we had spent ten days inside the book, it seemed not much time had passed in reality.
Perhaps only a few hours had gone by at most.
'Everything has returned to normal.'
The shoes that had been covered in sand, the outer clothes stained with scorpion blood, the loosened tie, everything had returned to its state before departure.
As if all those scenes had been just a dream.
We simply remembered clearly.
About an old, old boy who set out on a long journey to meet a girl.
'I wonder if they met well.'
I thought while looking up at the sky suddenly.
Stars twinkling on a pitch-black background.
Surely among those countless stars, the two of them must be living on one of them.
As I wandered among the starlight about to pour down, soon a faint smile dyed my lips.
'I hope they arrived safely.'
Did they succeed in reuniting?
Did the boy indeed swim and swim across the vast sky and safely reach the girl?
We had no way of knowing.
But when we think they embraced each other, the stars smile at us.
Conversely, when we think they didn't, the stars hold back tears.
The world looks completely different just by imagining.
I still believed that sky was beautiful.
"......"
As I was walking lost in contemplation for a while, suddenly a voice was heard from beside me.
It was none other than Regia.
"...It really feels like I dreamed."
"Indeed, it was an unbelievable experience."
"It seems no one would believe us."
"It will remain a memory only for the two of us."
"That's true."
A voice spreading gently.
The pink-haired girl muttered as if chewing over some moment.
"I feel like I learned a lot."
It seemed she had realized various things from this journey.
An unusually serious expression.
I smiled faintly.
'That's good.'
I was satisfied if it had helped the protagonist's growth.
It was a journey prepared for that purpose from the start after all.
I hoped she would grow well without going astray like this.
I who was chewing over my own joyful inner thoughts soon gently extended my hand before the girl.
"Miss Regia."
"Yes?"
"Can you give me your hand for a moment?"
"S-Suddenly...?"
Regia seemed to tilt her head but soon obediently extended her hand.
I gently overlapped my hand on her white skin.
"Y-Young Master...?"
"It was a date of sorts after all. Though we got caught up in strange things in the middle."
A warm temperature.
Only the golden-haired boy was reflected beyond her transparent pupils.
Watching the protagonist who was standing still even holding her breath, I showed something hidden in my hand.
It was a ring with green light lingering.
"It's a gift."
The reward from this episode.
I was handing over one of the two items that had dropped.
In fact, it was an episode we had cleared together, and she had carried the latter half alone, so it could be seen as the girl's rightful share, but.
Still, it feels good to receive it like this.
Besides, it was troublesome to explain about the reward.
It was easier to just say it was a gift I had prepared.
Incidentally gaining favor with our protagonist too.
I shamelessly recited lies while putting the ring on her slender finger.
"I chose it with some consideration, so I hope you like it."
The ring fit the girl's ring finger perfectly as if by lie.
Regia who had been standing in a daze soon flustered and stumbled over her words.
"Y-Young Master? Wh-What is this...?"
"I told you in the desert then. That I would stay by Miss Regia's side forever. Surely you haven't forgotten?"
"I-I remember! But what does that have to do with a ring......"
"Please think of it as a token of promise."
Though it looked like an ordinary ring at a glance, it was an item boasting somewhat cheating performance.
It was originally an item that dropped with the lowest probability after all.
I should say we were lucky.
Accessory, Ring of Connection.
An item that can block one attack directed at the player regardless of any attack.
Though it had the drawback of disappearing after use, it was an accessory excellent enough to withstand Yuda's [Liar] in the original work.
It could be considered an end-game item among consumables.
"Always carry it with you. If a day comes when I can't keep my promise, this little friend will protect Miss Regia instead."
"B-But it looks expensive just by looking at it! I can't accept such a......"
"It's okay."
I gently stroked the girl's head.
A voice ringing softly.
"You're more than qualified to receive it. Because Miss Regia is my most cherished friend."
"M-Most cherished...?"
"Please don't hesitate."
"Ugh, uugh..."
The girl held a groaning sound for a moment, then soon timidly nodded her head.
Her face was unfailingly flushed red.
Lowering her head as if embarrassed.
It seemed the word friend was still awkward for her.
"...Th-Thank you."
The girl answered quietly.
Though she tried hard to regain composure, her fingers were actually trembling restlessly.
I burst into quiet laughter at such a cute reaction.
"Huhu, it's gotten late. Shall we really go back now?"
"Ah... Y-Yes!"
Hands not letting go of each other.
We crossed the night sky side by side like that.
***
We returned to academy life.
In fact, though the time that had disappeared was only about 2 hours, it had been nearly ten days for us.
Of course, the academy remained unchanged without a single difference.
Daily life with peaceful air lingering.
"Young Master Yuda!"
"Miss Regia."
I lightly waved my hand towards the approaching girl.
"I'm late. The lecture ended later than expected."
"I'm fine! I didn't wait long at all."
"You're such a good child indeed."
"He-hehe..."
As I stroked her head as if she was admirable, her bright expression gradually melted.
Warm body heat dyed my palm.
'She's been looking in a good mood lately.'
If there was a change, it was only Regia.
After returning from the desert.
Should I say the psychological distance had narrowed a lot?
When calling me, if she used to call me by my surname before, now she was calling me by name.
I think it's okay to think she had opened her heart to some extent.
There was no longer any sign of fearing my touch either.
Even when I stroked her head like now, instead of running away she just stood silently.
I felt proud as if I had tamed a timid cat.
I wasn't the only one who noticed this change.
Emilia who had been watching us threw out a question as if finding it strange.
"The atmosphere seems to have changed in a few days... Did something happen between you two?"
"Huhu, I wonder."
"You're suspicious."
Blue eyes scanning.
Her gaze that had been turning here and there soon fixed on one point.
It was none other than Regia's ring finger.
"Commoner? What's that ring on your finger?"
"Ah, this is..."
More precisely, it was the accessory I had put on her.
The pilot hesitated to speak as if embarrassed, then soon revealed the truth in a trembling voice.
"It's a gift from Young Master."
"What...?"
"We had a promise a few days ago. We went around the outer district together, and he gave it to me as a gift saying it was a token of promise."
"That's right. It was an enjoyable date."
"D-D-Date?!"
Thud.
Wavering pupils.
The girl who had frozen for a moment as if shocked soon shouted towards me.
Heat had risen to her snow-white face.
"You lecher...!"
"Hmm?"
"After doing such, su-such shameless things to me! Are you going around touching other women too?!"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"When did you say you liked me?!"
"Of course I like you."
"What do you mean...!"
"I like both Lady and Miss Regia equally."
I wonder why she's so excited again.
Her contemptuous gaze was impressive.
I placed my hand on her blue hair to mean calm down.
Inadvertently, I was in a very funny posture of stroking both their heads.
Is this what they call a cat mom?
"...You're the worst."
Emilia slightly turned her head.
But she didn't avoid my touch.
Perhaps recalling the contract contents, she seemed unable to rebel.
I let out a slight laugh.
The noisy atmosphere shattered following the summer wind.
As we were spending peaceful daily life like that, suddenly a single line was heard.
"Come to think of it, the school trip is right around the corner."
School trip.
It was an academy event that had already approached a week away before we knew it.
"I should go to the library. I need to finish previewing the next exam range before the school trip."
"C-Can I come along too...?"
"Do as you like."
The children seemed to focus on studies until the event.
"Unfortunately I'll pass. I have something else to do."
"I-Is that so...?"
At the point when a week remained until the school trip.
If asked what I would do during this short period, I already had a plan.
"For now, I need to meet someone."
I muttered meaningfully.
***
A few hours later.
I was having a private meeting with someone in a professor's exclusive research room.
"This is unexpected. I didn't think Young Yuda would come looking for me."
Sitting in front of the desk was none other than Selena Drunkard.
She was the professor in charge of Class A to which I belonged.
Red pupils looked this way.
The woman who had been blinking indifferently soon fiddled with the liquor bottle in her hand.
Her long purple hair that had flowed down swayed.
"I'm curious about your business."
The smell of alcohol wafting thickly.
I answered.
"I would like you to grant me one request."
The accident that occurred during the last midterm exam.
Selena owed a personal debt to us.
Though she had been in charge of supervising the exam, she had failed to prevent us from being caught up in the accident.
Therefore, the woman had promised us.
That she would grant one request each while we were attending Galimar.
"You won't say you don't know now, will you?"
"Of course not."
"I heard you were stripped of your chief professor position because of that incident, are you alright?"
"It's nothing to worry about particularly."
The woman indifferently tilted the liquor bottle.
As if she didn't care much.
Selena who had been drinking for a while soon asked with hazily shining red eyes.
"Phew... So, what is this request?"
"It's not a difficult request."
I smiled ominously.
It was about time.
The future where numerous incidents occur.
To suppress incomplete dangers, it was necessary to gain power even within the academy.
Power that could easily crush ordinary students.
"I would like you to place me in the head teaching assistant position."
The position I boldly demanded.
It was time to dominate the academy.