Chapter 747 Spectacular Welcome
"Haaa…"
As the cool wind flapped against his face, and the surrounding scent entered his nostrils and filled his lungs, Rey found himself smiling as he looked down on the City that was underneath him.
"... It's good to be back!"
Here he was—back in the Capital—completely enamored by the City he had lived in for most of the time he lived in H'Trae. The modern landscape was far different from that of the Elves, and the mere ambiance reminded him the most of home.
Yes, even though the Capital of the United Human Alliance was medieval in more ways than one, it still had hints of advanced civilization that made Rey leak out a smile once again. He missed this place.
"Everything seems to be the same…" Rey mumbled, even looking at the area where Ater had supposedly had a bit of a skirmish.
'Looks like he fixed it before I came. I told him I'd do it, and yet… haa…' Ater was too much of a perfectionist when it came to serving Rey, which made it difficult for the latter not to rely on him, or even doubt his true intentions. Still, Rey had already decided on what to do with him—at least for the time being.
'I just have to be more measured in my instructions, making sure he doesn't do anything behind my back this time. I should also put him under constant surveillance…' Rey stopped his dreary thoughts, since it was ruining the refreshed mood he was in.
'Right now, I shouldn't be thinking about Ater, or anything of the sort.' There was only one thing that was supposed to occupy his mind, and as he stared at the Royal Estate, the name of that person kept flashing in his head.
'I've been putting it away for days, but it's time. It's time I saw Alicia.' He took a deep breath, preparing his heart. He made sure to regulate his heartbeat and also his expression to the point where nothing he felt would be removed by the System.
Sure, his emotions would be dulled in his current state, but at least they wouldn't vanish.
'I can't afford for them to…'
Once Rey was sure that he was ready, he instantly cast Spatial Magic that caused him to instantly vanish from his position—
~VWUSH!~
—And appear within her resting quarters, all within the blink of an eye.
'A-ahh…'
The moment he entered the room, he laid his crimson eye on the wide awake Alicia.
She was currently seated upright on her bed, her eyes staring longingly at the world beyond the window beside her. The winds caused her long brown hair to dance in the air, and the sparks that flew thanks to his teleportation added a glowing ambiance to the room.
Even as she sat, just staring out into the world, Alicia looked magnificent.
Rey felt an instant lump in his throat as he kept his gaze on her, unable to look away. Even though his feelings were dulled, he could still feel the loud thumping of his heart. He could still feel his body growing hot.
Everything was in small measures, but Rey could feel his emotions intensify and swell even beyond his expectations.
"Ali—"
Before he could complete his gentle whisper, she slowly turned her head in his direction.
At that moment, time stopped.
Everything seemed to fade into obscurity, and the details that Rey constantly perceived turned blurry. The only object of focus was Alicia—Alicia White, and that wonderful, wonderful smile that only she could give.
Her amber eyes seemed to sparkle, and her face brightened the moment she laid eyes on Rey, causing him to feel an even bigger spike in his heart—almost close to the danger level that he was so wary about.
He would have tightly clutched his chest if he wasn't so paralyzed by her gaze.
'S-she looks… she is…' Throughout the course of his adventure in the Land of The Elves, Rey had seen so many pretty women. In fact, pretty much all of the Elves were more beautiful than Alicia. Then, there were cases like Feralia, Ciela, and The Oracle, who were too beautiful to properly put into words.
Even then… none of them compared to the kind of 'beauty' that Alicia had.
It could have been due to bias, but there was something about her as a person—the gentle way she looked at Rey, and the warmth of her presence—that made her beauty extraordinary and unfathomable.
That was what he thought as he smiled back at her.
'... Absolutely stunning!'
"Rey… you're back!" Her voice was just as he remembered it to be.
It was sweet and melodious—the epitome of peak femininity. Since she usually spent time in the library, Alicia adopted a quieter voice than most people he knew, and that made her unique in that regard.
"Yeah. I'm back." Those were the only words he could muster as he looked at her.
"Come closer, Rey. You're not just going to stand there, are you?" As she said this, Rey's thoughts began to get clouded by the negative emotions he had suppressed.
Fear, sorrow, pain, and guilt especially ran amok in his heart.
Still, he moved forward.
"I'm sorry… I can't—"
"I know you can't properly express your emotions, Rey. I completely understand, so just keep coming."
There was something about the way Alicia said his name that made him soft like jelly. The kind way she looked at him was almost divine.
'I don't deserve this!' He thought to himself.
Before he knew it, he stood right in front of her, mere inches from the place where she sat on the bed.
"Why don't you sit?"
"...." Rey could not respond to the question, but he didn't sit either. He just kept staring at Alicia.
"Ater was the one who informed me of your condition, and I've already spoken to our classmates too. They've brought me up to speed on the current issues. I… could also hear everything that happened around me while I was unconscious, Rey."
His eyes twitched as soon as she said all of these things.
'That means—!'
"I understand, Rey. Everything that happened… everything you did… I understand everything."