Chapter 61 - A Moment of Glory (2)

Since it wasn't a mandatory event for students, I didn't think that many people would come to the award ceremony.

At most, I expected a few school officials and some members of the student council.

However, more people than I had anticipated had come to this award ceremony.

There were the student council officers, who were supposed to be there, setting up the auditorium.

In the distance, I could see the First Princess, Regina Eliade Abellon, and her escort knights.

Wave.

…Acaite and a few other professors were waving from far away.

And, people I had never seen before… crowded on the second floor.

‘Judging by the various weapons they're carrying, are they knights?’

At first, I wondered why there were so many, but considering what we had achieved and the lineup, it made sense.

With Elwin, Serene, Arien, and even Khan included, the group was composed of prospects who were already quite well-known. Perhaps they just came to see their faces.

Thinking of it that way, it wasn't so bad. It was a chance to make an impression on several knights here.

Of course, just as the academy students were mentally corrupt, most of the people who were knights were also rotten, so I couldn't expect much of an effect.

Anyway, after a little more time had passed, a student council officer called for us, who had been resting behind the auditorium.

“It’s time. You may go up now.”

With those words, he assigned us the order in which we would ascend to the stage.

‘Serene, Elwin, Arien, me, Khan, then Yuna…’

I could tell the intention at a glance.

‘They're just lining us up by rank.’

Serene and Elwin from the Three Founding Families were at the very front, followed by Arien, the daughter of the Magic Tower's Master.

Then, far behind them, a bastard son and commoners. The intention was so blatant it was transparent.

At this point, I wasn't even flabbergasted or angry. Having rolled around in this world for about three months now, I had grown used to it.

When I got on stage, I could see that a rather solemn atmosphere was being maintained.

The knights looking down on us from the second floor had started talking amongst themselves.

‘For a place with such a long history, they’re good at keeping up appearances.’

And, as we lined up in formation… footsteps could be heard from an entrance in another direction.

Clomp, clomp.

Calm footsteps echoed amidst the solemn atmosphere.

I had a vague idea of who the owner of those footsteps was.

“We will now begin the presentation of the awards.”

Following that was a voice, gentle but with an underlying authority and dignity that was clearly evident.

I lifted my head and looked in the direction the voice came from.

Where my gaze landed was 's greatest villain and hypocrite.

The First Prince of the Empire, Claudio Renart Abellon.

***

“The aforementioned student responded admirably to the recent surprise attack on the academy, preventing loss of life and damage to academy property…”

While Claudio conducted the award ceremony, my gaze was fixed solely on him.

‘He’s as difficult to deal with as the final boss… no, in fact, he’s even more troublesome than the final boss.’

In the main story of , there was no direct confrontation with the final boss, ‘The One’.

In the final chapter, his alter ego, his half—a spiritual entity—merely descended into the physical world through the previously mentioned 『Key of the Apex』.

In other words, the final chapter was about stopping the other half, the physical body, from descending.

Considering that, Claudio, who most actively and recklessly wielded the means for ‘The One’s’ ‘purpose’ in 『Ad Astra』, was more of a threat.

‘To think he commits such horrific atrocities with that kind-looking face.’

He had the same snow-white hair as Regina, and deep silver eyes that held the sacred fire passed down through the imperial family for generations.

I thought as I looked at Claudio's face.

‘Emperor Abellon is depicted as a wise ruler, but both Regina and Claudio are scoundrels…

What went wrong with raising his children?’

Though Regina seemed to be the better of the two, anyway.

“…Haa.”

I let out a small sigh. So small that those standing next to me wouldn't notice.

‘Right, what's the use of thinking about such complicated things right now?’

With that thought, I looked toward the auditorium seats.

There was a considerable number of people there. They weren't there to congratulate me sincerely, but they were there nonetheless to witness what I had achieved.

Those countless deaths and the immeasurably horrific pain had now become the result that brought them to this place.

Thinking of it that way… I felt a little bit of comfort in my heart.

Of course, it was still an unprofitable trade compared to the pain I had suffered so far.

On the other hand, another thought came to mind. Wouldn't the original Rain Enlight have dreamed of this moment, at some point?

It was a thought about him, whose wish could not be fulfilled, who passed away branded as a failure.

Thinking of it that way made my heart ache a little.

“Student Arien Ortega. The following content is the same.”

Thud.

To present the award, Claudio slowly approached me.

“Student Rain Enlight. The following content is the same.”

With Claudio's presentation, the certificate of commendation was placed in my hands.

I looked at the certificate, then slowly shifted my gaze forward again.

Yes, for now, let’s push aside other complicated thoughts… and enjoy this brief moment of glory.

Even if my blood and sweat were not fully acknowledged, even if no one could ever fathom it…

A certain duke's son, who would have faded away without leaving a proper mark on this world, couldn't have even imagined this moment in his dreams.

***

Did I say it was a moment of glory? As the words implied, the award ceremony ended in an instant.

It was only natural. You couldn't just drone on for an hour about how well someone did.

Creeak-.

Immediately after the award ceremony ended, I left the auditorium through the back door.

The reason was simple. Once again, this body was rejecting the crowded auditorium.

‘I thought I was gradually adapting… but this is a bit severe.’

If the memories left in the body were this strong, just how much had the original avoided crowds?

As I stood idly for a moment with such thoughts, I heard something.

“Ahat, you came out, as expected. My Rain.”

It was a girl's call.

A call in an endlessly affectionate and gentle voice, as if calling for something lovely.

But my body was instinctively rejecting that voice.

Cold sweat trickled down my spine.

My body began to tremble minutely like an aspen tree.

My heart pounded violently.

‘…A reaction of this magnitude?’

I had experienced something like this once before.

-I guess Felix stepping on you back then wasn't enough?

The name Felix, which Milo Gloss had mentioned during the previous sparring test.

I remembered clearly how my body had let out this kind of rejection when I heard that name.

But, this time… it was on a completely different level from before.

An overwhelming fear, engraved in my body.

“Rain-?”

The voice called me gently once more.

As soon as I heard that voice, I had no choice but to turn my head in its direction.

And, where my gaze landed, there was a girl.

Shimmering platinum blonde hair, burning crimson eyes.

I vaguely knew about the girl with that appearance.

‘Robel… lia…’

Robelia il Enlight.

The eldest daughter and second child of the Enlight family, a character who only appeared briefly at the Enlight mansion in the latter half of .

“Huhu, you finally looked this way. Very good.”

I couldn't give any response to those words. I was just frozen in place, like a small animal that had encountered a predator.

“I was worried you might have changed a lot from the old days… You’re still inadequate, but you listen well. My lovely little brother.”

“I, I’m…”

“Enough?”

I tried to say something back, but I was cut off by Robelia's firm word.

‘Damn it.’

Despite having a decent A-grade mental skill, my body wasn't following my mind's control at all.

What on earth did this girl do to the original Rain Enlight?

In the original work, she was merely introduced as a daughter who had little interest in worldly affairs and faithfully followed the family head's words.

I had never thought about this aspect at all.

‘This is definitely not a normal reaction. It's not an overreaction to a family member either.’

Let's think back to when I first encountered Kirios il Enlight in the first regression.

I felt a little intimidated and dispirited, but I didn't feel the kind of pressure that made me feel like my mind was about to collapse, like now.

That clearly suggested that something terrible had happened between the original Rain and Robelia.

“By the way, Rain?”

While I was frozen, Robelia slowly continued to speak.

“I have something I’m curious about, my Rain…”

Click.

Slowly, she approached me, step by step.

“How on earth did you get so strong?”

Robelia's every word echoed in my head.

“Your loving older sister will put it this way.”

Click.

I felt an intense pressure, as if the words were being hammered into my head.

And.

“I’m begging you, won't you answer me?”

The moment those words came out of Robelia's mouth-.

[ System : Skill, 『Iron Will[A]』 mitigates the effect of the mental attack! ]

The skill I had obtained after two hundred regressions at the Enlight mansion, 『Iron Will』, was activated.

And only then, I was able to open my mouth.

“ ……I re, fuse.”

Even that one phrase was difficult, but I somehow managed to squeeze out my voice.

I had an instinctive premonition that if I couldn't refuse here, the result would not be good.

And Robelia, who heard my answer…

“…?”

Wiping the gentle expression from her face, she tilted her head with a chillingly blank look.

“Oh?”

As she let out a voice that indicated she hadn't expected it at all and was about to take another step toward me…

Creeak-.

The back door of the auditorium opened, and someone's voice was heard.

“Is this a bad time?”

The person who appeared with that voice was the white-haired princess. It was Regina Eliade Abellon.

In that brief moment, my eyes met Regina's.

And I was forced to think.

‘What kind of expression am I making right now?’

There was no way to know for sure.

However, one thing was certain: I was probably making the most pathetic face anyone in this world had ever seen.

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