The World After the Bad Ending - Yusti-ah - 1

“Come to think of it, I forgot to ask. Arian and Hera, did both of you confess to Franz…?”

Normally, other people’s love lives were quite an interesting topic, but to everyone present, it held a special meaning beyond that.

It was because there was a condition, albeit an unspoken one, that everyone’s confession had to precede hearing his answer.

Thanks to this, Yuna and Yusti-ah, who had confessed earlier, were still waiting for an answer, so it was only natural for them to be curious about whether the other two had confessed.

“I, well, for now, um…”

Arian hesitated, unable to give an easy answer.

Upon her reaction, Yusti-ah narrowed her eyes and glared.

“Speak clearly. Are you saying you did? Or are you saying you didn’t?”

“I-I did…!”

Was it embarrassing to reveal that she had confessed in front of everyone? Arian stammered with her face completely flushed.

“Good. Then Hera is next.”

Yusti-ah, Yuna, and Arian’s gazes naturally turned to Hera.

If she, the last one remaining, had confessed, they would now be able to demand an answer from Franz. It could be said that everything rested on her.

“I also, well, did it, but…”

“Good. Then we can now proudly demand an answer from Franz.”

“Yusti-ah, are you not afraid? Franz making a decision means that someone might be cast aside, doesn’t it?”

“It would be a lie to say I’m not afraid. Perhaps remaining as close friends like this is the right thing to do.”

After hearing his answer, they definitely wouldn’t be able to maintain their current relationship, whether in a good way or a bad way.

Conversely, if they didn’t hear his answer, they could at least maintain their current relationship. They would remain in some ambiguous relationship that was more than friends but less than lovers.

“But if I were going to stop just because I was afraid of something like that, I wouldn’t have confessed in the first place. And I’m sure it’s the same for you all. You want to take it a step further.”

No one argued against Yusti-ah’s words. They merely nodded slowly in agreement.

Even if the worst outcome of separation was a possibility, they chose to move forward without stopping.

“Then let’s drink some tea until that foolish man returns. Whatever the result, we are close friends.”

“We’re competing over one man, so is it right to call ourselves close friends?”

“Yuna, at times like this, you just agree. If you say that, it makes me look like a fool.”

They all burst into laughter and tipped their teacups.

How much time had passed since then? It was when their teacups were nearly empty.

Click-.

Suddenly, the doorknob moved, and the door opened soundlessly.

“Why do you all have those expressions?”

The one who entered the Magic Tower master’s office under everyone’s gaze was none other than Franz.

Their expressions were full of tension, which Franz noticed.

The reason they were making such expressions was none other than the answer to their confessions, but there was no way Franz could know that.

After the silence continued for a moment in that state, Arian suddenly jumped to her feet.

“M-Magic Tower master, are you finished with your work? Shall I get you a cup of tea?”

“No, it’s fine. More importantly, since everyone is gathered, I have something to say…”

At Franz’s meaningful words, everyone swallowed their saliva. Unable to overcome her tension, Yusti-ah even held her empty teacup and pretended to sip tea.

Then, Franz opened his mouth with a short sigh.

“A gate appeared right in front of the Magic Tower.”

“…Is that it?”

“Uh…? That’s it…?”

At Yuna’s question, Franz answered, rather flustered.

Following that, they even slumped their shoulders and sighed, leaving Franz feeling nothing but puzzled.

“Why…? Did something happen?”

“No, it’s nothing. Nothing happened, so don’t mind it.”

Hera’s tone was as calm as usual, but her hands were clasped together earnestly, as if she were praying to someone.

The others' reactions were not much different from hers, so Franz ultimately decided not to mind it.

Prying into something they didn’t want to talk about would only cause embarrassment. It was better not to ask.

It wasn’t long before the awkward atmosphere changed.

“Could you tell us a bit more detail about the gate?”

Was it because she couldn’t just let it slide as the guild master? Yuna asked in quite a serious tone.

Accordingly, the rest naturally looked at Franz with serious expressions.

“It’s exactly as I said. A gate appeared right in front of the Magic Tower. And it was an immeasurable one at that.”

He had been giving a lesson to the prospective monster dismantler that Yuna brought. Suddenly feeling a unusual sensation, he went outside to find a massive gate had appeared right in front of the Magic Tower.

Several Mages who had similarly discovered the gate showed considerable curiosity, but Franz sternly warned them and immediately came up to the Magic Tower master’s office.

Weren’t Mages the type of people to lose their minds when faced with the unknown? If he hadn’t been so strict, one or two of them would have definitely been wandering around inside the gate already.

“If it’s an immeasurable one, then this time too…”

Yuna’s gaze slowly turned to Hera. It was because the one they had met in the gate they previously visited was none other than another Hera.

Hera also noticed that gaze and showed a gentle smile.

Had she perhaps already overcome what she experienced that day?

If so, it was a relief. Even if he didn’t express it, he had been inwardly worried.

“Anyway, is it Yusti-ah this time…”

First it was Yuna, and next it was Hera. If so, the only one left was Yusti-ah.

Of course, he couldn’t be certain. No one could predict what would happen beyond the gate. It was just that, following the pattern so far, there was a high possibility of it being so.

Franz shifted his gaze to Yusti-ah.

“What is it…? Why are you looking at me with those eyes?”

“I’ll be honest. We might meet you in this gate. More accurately, I should say the you from that other world.”

“And so…?”

“If you think it’ll be too hard, it’s okay to back out beforehand.”

Just as it had been for Yuna earlier, and also for Hera, it was clear that it would not be an easy experience for Yusti-ah either.

Wasn’t it something she didn’t necessarily have to go through? It would be better for her to take a breather here for a while instead.

However, her thoughts seemed a bit different.

“Franz, I know what you’re thinking. You’re definitely saying this out of concern for me.”

“If so…”

“But you see. I am not as weak as you think. And I believe I need to see the outcome of what I tried to commit and the emotions I harbored, even if only for a moment,, in order to truly repent for that mistake.”

Yusti-ah’s lips drew an arc.

Franz was still worried about her, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop her choice, because in the end, everything was for her to decide.

The only thing he could do was walk that thorny path together with her.

“Then let’s go.”

Franz left the Magic Tower master’s office together with everyone. And soon, they stood in front of the massive gate.

A powerful divine power could be felt from the gate. Just like the gates that had previously exceeded the measurement limits.

“Everyone, please go about your work.”

As Franz spoke with a smile, the Mages who had flocked around exchanged glances and disappeared one by one.

He understood their curiosity, but wasn’t it time to focus on work now?

Furthermore, it wasn’t something worth watching. The gate would disappear once they went inside anyway, so what was the point of looking? It would only make them needlessly more curious.

“Let’s go.”

Franz took a step forward. Starting from his toes, then his knees, and soon his entire body disappeared beyond the gate.

“Where on earth is this…”

The place Franz soon arrived at was an utter wasteland. The land, without a single weed in sight, was dried up and cracked open.

If Yusti-ah was at the end of this, what was its purpose, and why was she in such a place?

While he was pondering that, Yusti-ah muttered in a low voice.

“So I was the one who made it like this…”

He couldn’t tell what kind of emotions she was feeling. The only thing certain was that those emotions were absolutely not positive.

Snap-.

Withdrawing his gaze from Yusti-ah, Franz snapped his fingers. Then, magic power stretched out in all directions like a wave, and soon returned carrying information back.

“A house…?”

Not too far from here, there was a single, incredibly shabby house.

However, the sensation felt from inside it was unusual, to say the least. An unholy divine power, the likes of which could only be felt from a Demon God, was emanating from it.

It was then. Something inside the house grasped Franz’s presence and pierced through him right back. Their eyes didn’t actually meet, but he felt a similar sensation.

Franz, whose entire body instantly broke out in goosebumps, immediately withdrew his presence.

“Is it Yusti-ah…”

It seemed the saintess had completely fallen into corruption.