Chapter 68: A New Wave (4)
Looking back, it was truly a day like a wave.
A wave.
Yes, a wave crashed, and countless things rushed toward me.
Even if I just picked up whatever came to mind, the things that had come at me were overflowing, just as the word suggested.
So many things had surged in at once that I had to remind myself over and over again not to forget them.
…Yes, it really had been a day like a wave.
A wave struck in an instant and withdrew just as quickly.
If a wave was something that crashed upon you in a fleeting moment and receded just as fast, then what I had gone through surely deserved to be called a wave as well.
‘What was there, again?’
First of all, becoming Professor Windy May’s disciple.
Entering the Room of Memories.
Meeting Talia Poas, the Archmage who had once been a member of the Wolpen Knights.
Hearing from her about the Brand and the mental prohibition that had been placed upon me.
And above all else, what had happened to me….
Getting my very first lead regarding what could be called regression.
And that wasn’t the end of it.
Furthermore, discovering that at the heart of the Forest of Secrets lay the mausoleum of the Knights.
That in truth, the academy itself had been founded to guard that mausoleum.
That I had met the dragon who played the role of its gravekeeper.
And even received advice from that dragon….
All of that had taken place in just a single day.
Those things surged over me like a wave, swept me away, and then disappeared in an instant.
When the tide receded, what remained around me was nothing but exhaustion and weariness.
‘…Right, that wasn’t all, either.’
Going a little further back, there was the demon wearing a fox mask and the book I had received from her.
And along with that, the matter with Yuran.
The countess, who had suddenly sent me an urgent letter out of concern for my well-being.
Amaruah Atillipel, the librarian connected to that countess.
And finally, for reasons I couldn’t begin to guess, the elf who kept circling around me.
At this rate, wouldn’t my head just go pop one day?
It wasn’t even a joke—so many things had piled up all at once that I sometimes forgot not just trivial matters, but even important ones.
[Will we be able to train together today?]
Yes, just like this.
A slip of paper brought by the spirit, as always, during class.
Without much thought, I unfolded it, and the moment I read what was inside, I reflexively shut my eyes tight.
I had forgotten entirely about my promise to train in swordsmanship together, only remembering when I saw the note.
“…Haa.”
As I put down the note, I let out a small sigh.
Someone else might have thought I was overreacting, all for forgetting a simple promise.
But at least for me, this was something I had to be cautious about, something I needed to take seriously.
Because for Cecilia, what mattered most right now was her mental stability.
Even a small incident like this could shake her current state.
‘Compared to before, though, she does seem to have improved somewhat….’
Though there were a few times when she became overly wary of her surroundings while with me, it still looked like she had managed to shake off some of the trauma from that day.
For Cecilia—who more than anyone I knew needed to maintain her mental stability—this was nothing short of a relief.
The problem lay elsewhere, and that problem was none other than Allen.
“…….”
The truth was, Allen had shown me a side completely different from what I had first expected.
The Allen I had originally known.
That is to say, Allen from my previous life—he was, in short, someone of whom no good could come from getting involved.
Because the things he had done were….
Things an ordinary person wouldn’t even imagine.
Even during his short time at the academy, the number of problems he caused wasn’t small.
Back then, even I—who had never met him face to face—would often hear about his antics and frown in displeasure.
So when I first met Allen, it had been only natural that I was on edge.
‘But….’
The Allen I had met directly and come to know in this life was a completely different person.
Different enough that I even fleetingly wondered if he might just be someone else with the same name.
From what I had seen, he was highly dedicated to his studies and earnest in all matters, the very model of diligence.
Regardless of who he interacted with, he maintained a polite and respectful demeanor, and because of that, his relationships with those around him weren’t bad at all.
No—if anything, many looked upon Allen favorably.
‘In other words, he’s the very definition of an exemplary student.’
At this point, maybe I had been mistaken.
Perhaps some of the things that had happened in my previous life were exaggerated, or nothing more than malicious rumors.
‘But….’
Why was it that, by this time in my past life—when there should already have been two or three victims—there wasn’t the slightest sign of such things now?
And why had Kyren Amiel come to me with a warning, and why had I glimpsed genuine fear of Allen Amiel deep within his eyes?
I couldn’t make sense of any of it.
‘…Was there some incident, some turning point I don’t know about, which has been delayed or prevented entirely because of me?’
Nothing else explained it.
If that were the case, then I would need to rework my plans from the ground up.
‘They say misfortunes never come singly—looks like that’s exactly my situation right now.’
As if I didn’t already have enough to worry about.
And now, even the plans I had thought safe were starting to fall apart….
Would I really collapse one day from sheer stress?
‘Honestly, maybe just throwing everything away and heading back to my hometown would be the smarter way to live longer.’
I let out a dry laugh, recalling what I had heard before.
― Creak. Creak!
The spider that had delivered the note tapped my hand impatiently, urging me to write a reply, pulling me from my thoughts.
At first, I had found it disgusting, but the more I saw it, the more endearing it became. I tapped it lightly with my finger, as if stroking it, and wrote my response.
[Truly, I’m sorry, Cecilia.]
[It may sound like an excuse, but I was so exhausted yesterday that I completely forgot.]
[Would today still be alright?]
“Here, go deliver this.”
―……Keeing.
The spider dawdled before finally taking the note in its mouth.
And then, as if reluctant to leave, it glanced at my finger a few more times before scurrying off with a rustling sound.
A moment later, it came back carrying another note in its mouth and held it out to me.
[It’s fine, you don’t need to apologize.]
[It’s not like you did it on purpose, Lian.]
[Actually, while I was waiting for you yesterday, I ended up meeting a few professors and had to leave in the middle. So even if you had remembered, we probably wouldn’t have been able to train properly.]
[To answer your question, I’d actually like to ask you instead.]
[I’ll be looking forward to today.]
― Kiing, iing.
As I read the note, the spider nudged my palm and pushed its body toward me.
Reflexively, I patted it again as before, and it made a strange noise while bouncing its body up and down.
The way it swayed happily from side to side, almost like dancing, looked rather cute.
[Understood.]
[Then I’ll be waiting at the time and place we agreed on yesterday.]
This time, instead of handing the note over immediately, I petted the spider a bit longer.
Perhaps because of that, it darted off with a much lighter air than before.
Soon after, it returned once more, carrying another note and placing it on my hand.
[Note.]
“…?”
The note, just like before, simply said “Note.”
I wrote down the exact same reply as last time.
[Reply.]
After that, no more notes came.
Straightening my stiff body, I turned my attention to the words of Yul Runberg, who was standing at the podium.
“…Thus, the current state of affairs between nations can be seen as one of relative lull, achieved by each country checking one another while at the same time forming temporary alliances and cooperative unions.”
As always, he was explaining a topic that could easily become tedious with his uniquely lively tone and manner, drawing people in.
“In fact, if you look at how there have been no full-scale wars since the Plains War between the Empire and Garusol, and the Ivory War between the northern Kingdom of Ishean and the Corhelia Union, you can see what I mean.”
“But as I said before, this is by no means peace, but merely a precarious lull. In reality, countless nations, including the Empire, are engaging in an arms race, expanding their military power competitively in order to gain the upper hand. If I were to dare predict the path the Empire should take in such circumstances….”
“What do you think, Lian?”
At that sudden voice beside me, I couldn’t help but flinch.
It was a voice impossible to mistake.
“…Your Highness?”
“It’s been a while.”
The Second Princess, Velita, was suddenly seated right next to me.
With a slight smile in her eyes, she waved her hand lightly at me.
‘When did she…?’
I was certain I had checked where she was sitting.
Suppressing my startled heart, I asked her.
“…Weren’t you sitting somewhere else?”
She answered with a surprised expression.
“Oh my, did you see where I was sitting?”
“You’re too noticeable a person. Even when I try not to pay attention, you’re always within sight.”
At my excuse-like words, she only smiled wordlessly.
“I had something to take care of, so I stepped outside for a bit, and when I returned, my seat had been taken. While looking for a vacant one, I ended up here.”
“I see.”
She spoke such a blatant lie that even a child wouldn’t believe it, but I nodded as if convinced.
Well, even if I didn’t believe it, what could I do?
What mattered was why she had come to sit next to me.
‘Just what is this crazy woman after….’
While I was thinking that, she asked me again.
“So, what do you think, Lian?”
“…About what?”
“What the professor is talking about.”
Velita tilted her head languidly as she said that.
Whether she meant to or not, her movement was so captivating that even the surrounding students sneaked glances at her.
“Do you think a war will really happen?”
“Well….”
No matter how I answered, she would just cling to it anyway.
Suppressing a sigh that was about to escape, I replied.
“I think that since they’re all so caught up in this arms race, they’ll want to compare their strength eventually. It probably won’t end until they do.”
The problem was, that comparison wouldn’t stop at merely being between nations.
In the not-so-distant future.
I knew full well that beyond wars between countries, the entire continent would be engulfed in flames.
“…Hmm.”
Hearing my answer, Velita only nodded quietly.
I couldn’t tell what meaning was behind her reaction.