Chapter 77 - A Rumor That Isn’t a Rumor (2)

The first day of the final exam week, Monday, passed like that.

I never thought my head would get tired from a factor other than the final exams…

‘Still, I should be able to cool my head in the afternoon.’

I had such thoughts, but there was one thing I overlooked.

It was the fact that the things I thought would be fine never turned out right.

It happened at the training meeting, which was held as usual even though it was the week of final exams.

The meeting we formed just before the 『Prelude to Ruin』.

After the 『Prelude to Ruin』, Elwin also joined this meeting, but Yuna and Serene hadn't arrived yet, so only Khan, myself, and Elwin were training together.

The time was… around 5 in the afternoon. Just before sunset.

If there was one thing I felt while training, it was that the two of them, though they didn't say it, were very conscious of me.

‘Their faces look like their mouths are itching to talk.’

The exact emotion I just described was dripping from both of their faces.

Fortunately, both of them were the type with excellent self-control, so they didn't say it out loud during training… but during the breaks between training, it was a different story.

“Did nothing really happen…?”

Khan asked with a serious expression.

“Hmm, haha. To be honest, I'm a little curious.”

Elwin asked with his characteristic innocent smile.

What could I possibly say to that question?

“Really, nothing happened. I can't tell you due to certain circumstances… but really.”

I could only say it in the same context as I had told Yuna.

“Hmm… I see.”

At my answer, Khan nodded as if trying his best to understand.

“That's right, if it's Rain-ssi, surely a disciplined courtship…”

“I told you we're not courting.”

“Oops.”

Elwin tapped his own mouth as if he had made a slip of the tongue. This guy. He was still the same, unable to hide his true feelings, both in the game and in reality.

Just as I was giving an explanation that wasn't an explanation.

Tap.

I heard the sound of footsteps slowly approaching in our direction.

If it were just that, I wouldn't have paid much attention, but this time there was something a little strange.

“Huk…”

“Hup.”

Khan and Elwin, who were diligently trying to satisfy their curiosity, had their gazes fixed on the back of my head, and their expressions even froze.

“...?”

At Elwin and Khan's reaction, I naturally turned my head behind me.

And there.

“Rain.”

A girl with sky-blue hair and eyes of the same color.

It was Arien.

“...Arien-ssi?”

Even with Rain's body, which had a faint emotional expression, I couldn't hide my surprised look.

It had never happened before, and even in the original , Arien had never frequented the training ground.

And Arien looked into my eyes and opened her mouth.

“Rain, you didn't come to the library today.”

“Ah… it's final exam week. Since I'm not taking any magic classes, I was planning to focus on the exams…”

“For someone who says that, you came to the training ground.”

“There are practical exams, you see.”

It was her usual expressionless face, but Arien looked strangely sullen.

Hmm, well. Since my relationship with Arien had deepened, things like this were happening.

If I thought of it that way, it wasn't bad… no, it was actually a good thing.

The problem was this situation right now.

‘There are too many watching eyes.’

It was 5 in the afternoon, before the sun had even set. A considerable number of students were gathered at the training ground.

In this situation, if Arien showed a drastically closer side to me, what would happen?

The baseless rumors about our relationship were already on fire.

Whether she knew my complicated feelings or not, Arien continued to talk to me.

Probably not, though.

“When should I teach you Origin Magic?”

“We'll have to wait until the exams are over.”

“Then I have a question about that novel, do you have a moment?”

“...Didn't we agree to do it all at once after the exams are over?”

It might seem a bit harsh… but I couldn't help it. What could I do when it was the truth?

“……”

When that conversation came to an end, Arien silently looked into my eyes.

She seemed a little more sulky than before.

It must be my imagination… probably.

Grab.

And then, she grabbed my sleeve.

“Then, as you said, I will come find you after the final exams are over. It should be fine to start right away, right?”

“...It should be fine.”

When I answered, Arien finally let go of my sleeve, turned around, and walked out.

Then, who was left in the training ground?

“……”

“……”

Elwin and Khan were standing side by side, looking at me with squinted eyes.

“Nothing really happened… right?”

“...Yes.”

To Elwin's question, I could only answer that way.

Though it was an answer that came out while slightly avoiding their gaze.

“……”

Had anyone's gaze ever been this heavy?

“Haa…”

It seems I've been sighing a lot lately.

This was probably not a delusion or just a feeling.

***

There were various happenings, but in any case, the day's routine ended safely.

Well, it wasn't like my life was threatened enough to use the expression 'safely'.

After that, we returned to training, and Serene and Yuna also joined us to train together. It was something like that.

I slowly left the training ground and walked alone towards the dormitory.

“I can finally breathe.”

The time when the training ended was quite late at night, so there were no people around, and thanks to that, I could catch my breath.

There had been some tiring things here and there…

Not that today's schedule was over, or anything like that.

Rather, it would be correct to say that the most important matter among all the schedules so far remained.

I thought to myself as I continued to walk towards the dormitory.

However, the dormitory itself was not the destination.

The target destination was a small garden located behind the dormitory.

That's right. I was on my way to meet Regina. We had a lot to talk about.

Regina probably did too.

As I slowly approached the entrance of the garden, the first thing that came into view were two knights standing as if guarding the entrance.

One large male knight and one slender female knight.

‘I think… they were Kilt and Aisa.’

They didn't have a high importance in , but I remembered them clearly.

Because they appeared as mid-bosses during Regina's boss fight in Part 2.

‘Seeing as they stayed by Regina's side until she met her ruin, they seem to be loyal retainers for sure.’

“Ah, you've arrived, young master. Her Highness the Princess is waiting in the garden.”

The slender female knight, Aisa, saw me and spoke.

‘After encountering them a few times, I'm getting a rough grasp of their personalities.’

Aisa seemed to have a somewhat sociable personality. She had also spoken to me without hesitation here and there.

“Yes, thank you. I'll be going in then.”

I moved my body with such a conventional greeting of thanks.

On the other hand.

“……”

The case of the large male knight, Kilt… was somewhat taciturn.

Should I say taciturn? I even felt like he was looking at me with cold eyes, but well. I had no way of knowing the reason. In the first place, I had no way of knowing if this impression was true.

To be honest, it wasn't my business. It wasn't like there were only one or two people who looked at me with those eyes.

‘As long as they don't do anything stupid openly.’

Well, anyway, I slowly moved my steps into the garden.

The inside of the garden was the same as ever. Just like when I first met Regina, shining white flowers were in full bloom in the garden.

I wondered if they bloomed all year round, such a question crossed my mind… but it wasn't a particularly important topic.

Wasn't the first princess of this Abellon Empire having an elegant tea time in that very garden?

“Oh my, you've come, young master.”

“...Yes, Your Highness.”

Now, no. I greeted the princess with the formality that had always been ingrained in this body.

“Have a seat. We have a lot to talk about, don't we? You capable young master.”

“……”

The smile already on her lips must be my imagination.

Anyway, I slowly approached the princess's table and sat opposite her.

Pour-.

Then the princess's servant approached me and poured me tea.

The princess's servant was quite peculiar. How should I put it, her appearance was plain, but I couldn't feel any emotional expression.

The fact that I couldn't feel any impression of me from her demeanor was especially so.

In contrast to the servants I had seen at the Enlight estate.

Well. Anyway, that was the end of that impression. I shouldn't have the mental capacity to spare for any more idle thoughts.

I lifted the teacup, took a sip of tea, then put the teacup down and looked ahead.

A girl with long, flowing white hair and burning purple eyes. Regina was there.

***

Afterward, Regina dismissed everyone in the garden. She said she wanted to have a private conversation with me.

It was strange that only the maid who had poured the tea earlier was not dismissed, but that's how it was.

I had just steeled my heart to start the conversation with Regina, but…

“Pfft…”

Belying my resolve, Regina was holding back her laughter with a hand over her mouth.

Considering that blatant sound of laughter, I wasn't sure if I should call this holding back laughter.

Given Regina's twisted personality, it was more likely that she was deliberately showing her laughter.

She was the type to put intention into every single one of her actions. The person named Regina.

“...Fufu, excuse me. It seems an interesting rumor about you has been circulating lately.”

Regina quickly composed her expression and spoke again.

“I am glad you found it amusing.”

“I knew you were close from the beginning… but to think you were close enough to stay out all night together, I see you in a new light?”

As expected, she was talking about the rumor circulating about Arien and me.

“...If you are inconvenienced by being involved in this rumor, I apologize.”

“No, there's no reason for me to be inconvenienced. On the contrary, it's something to be commended, isn't it? Fufu…”

“……”

Commended. It must be about the fact that I had won over the renowned next Magic Tower Master.

Unconcerned by my silence, Regina continued to speak.

“So, is the rumor true? That you're in that kind of relationship with Arien Ortega.”

Regina rested her chin on her hand and said with an alluring smile.

‘Even though she's talking about a topic like this, I don't get the feeling that this question is for her own amusement.’

Regina in the original was the very incarnation of political strife.

She was a human who used everything that happened around her to her advantage.

Thanks to that disposition, she had actually resisted Claudio quite intelligently.

Wasn't she probably the only person in the world? The person who could resist that Claudio in political strife.

Perhaps her only, and greatest, misfortune… was that the person she had to face was Claudio.

“...There's no way it's true.”

Anyway, I answered that way. As I always had.

“Oh my, then is the rumor about staying out all night together also a baseless rumor?”

“……”

“Fufu. It's not, is it?”

However, by this point, I could sense the hidden intention in her words.

And at the same time.

“Young master, I know that everything you say is the truth. So, will you tell me?”

Regina, still with a gentle smile on her face, spoke to me softly.

At first glance, it might have seemed like the same smile as before, but the atmosphere had changed completely in an instant.

“What happened that night, that you went all the way to the distant Palkart District?”

A single sentence that implied she already knew where Arien and I had headed that night.

It was a sentence that wore the mask of a request, but was like an order that could never be refused.

‘Really, there's no room to let my guard down in front of this girl.’

However, it was not unexpected. Nor was it a crisis.

Rather, it would be more appropriate to see it as an opportunity.

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