It had been two weeks since the wild chase across the wilderness.
Of course, a wink alone wasn't enough to earn Hilde's forgiveness, so we agreed on a “punishment” that was less severe than a naked apology.
Zap Zap
-Hiiii…☆
Hilde's ether skill, [Grimnir], involved her fingers electrifying my body. I resisted without using ether, accepting it with calm composure.
She had proposed this “punishment.”
-Ngggh…☆ Ohhh…☆ -This is just the beginning, feel it more. -Hiyaaa…☆ Unghhh…☆
Hilde's electrified massage was infused with anger. Even now, thinking back to that moment made my neck and stomach tingle. The sensation, like a tug-of-war, felt like opening a door to the unknown.
‘The strange sensations felt in Clara’s body…’
At one time, I tried to resist, At another, I thought I had adapted.
I accepted it as a consequence of worrying Hilde…
Yet, I still hadn’t fully conquered the unknown sensations of being in ‘Clara’s’ body. After the “punishment,” I stumbled out from a secluded place, shaking like a newborn deer.
Eir and the students of <Scarlet Academy>, along with Albite’s group, shook their heads as they saw me stagger out.
-Seriously… the strongest in the academy city look like this… -Senpai is rolling her eyes and making weird hand gestures…
“….”
Thinking back on it now, I sighed with shame and frustration.
‘The more embarrassing part… was feeling happy that Hilde came running out of concern, and feeling a bit disappointed when the “punishment” stopped…’
Oh my. Oh my… This is totally like a female in heat.
‘A complete pink airhead…’
I knew it. I was no longer the person from my past life, just ‘Clara.’
The faded memories of the past life had flown away like dandelion seeds, and I had blossomed anew into a pink flower… becoming a different existence.
I… am now completely ‘Clara.’
‘Though, I didn’t think I’d become such a pushover…’
When I clung to her, it was all good… but now that she was pushing me relentlessly, I couldn’t refuse and just explored new territories.
Since Hilde and I had confirmed our feelings in a clumsy way, her unstoppable push had swept me up too.
‘Especially since Hilde was my favorite character even before.’
And having ‘Clara’ constantly think of her since the first year, having her actively desire me wasn’t a bad feeling at all.
But. But…
It felt somewhat incomplete. To be precise, it wasn’t the ‘ideal romance’ I had imagined… not that I had any proper experience with romance in my past life.
“….”
I thought that if I were to fall in love with her again, it would be through overcoming many adversities and trials together, regaining our feelings in a dramatic way.
But in reality, after a few uneventful incidents, I ended up completely acknowledging Hilde as my lover.
The cause was ordinary, The process was clumsy, And the conclusion was dull.
So my conclusion—
No matter what form I took, I liked Hilde, who accepted me. No matter what form she took, Hilde never felt bad to me.
I didn’t dislike sharing affection with her. I didn’t mind her touching me. I was happy talking and being with her.
Conclusion: ‘I’ still love ‘Hilde,’ even as ‘Clara.’
Even if our time had gone back, It had been connected since our first meeting.
“….”
Just acknowledging that made all my worries seem unnecessary.
‘This feeling of being completely conquered after a few conversations and physical contacts… really.’
Maybe even the man inside me was an easy guy. Or perhaps, I was finding excuses for such an easy heart.
Anyway. I was an easy person.
Realizing that, I lowered my head even though I was sitting alone in a quiet campsite.
“Sigh, love is—☆”
I tried to suppress the memories that crept in. Sitting in a chair under the shade of a tree, I looked at the dungeon gate slightly ajar in the distance.
A stone building with a white snake and tree engraved on it. It was a surprise event dungeon that appeared in the middle of the main story. The juniors were diligently training inside.
‘I hope the kids are doing well…’
This place was a few hours away from <Central Prism Academy>. Though the shabby game UI roughly showed it on the minimap, relying on memory, I had spent days searching for it and eventually found it as a farming spot for the juniors.
“….”
Now that I think about it, The snake engraving and the increasing frequency of dungeon gates as the main story progressed had meaningful undertones. Whoever put the treasure in there… I often wondered.
“….”
In hindsight, the game memories didn’t fully explain this world. After all, the ‘prophet’ I was wary of was an outsider who came from outside the game, wasn’t he?
As if agreeing with that thought, An orange cat meowed.
-Meowww—!
The magic that had become completely familiar to me, turning ‘dreams and stories’ into reality… In the game, only Lota could use this technique with the help of the [Golden Witch].
But the [Golden Witch] had found peace and disappeared, and fairy tale magic had become a new research topic for the exploration students.
“….”
Just like how I became Clara, This world was also changing. The ‘original form’ no longer existed here.
‘Did the prophet also lose his original form and become something else in this world?’
I held the orange cat, inhaling Lota’s faint scent, and whispered in its ear.
“Do you know? I don’t know—☆” “Meowww—!” “Hmm? Oh, are you talking about that?” “Meowww…!” “I know☆ But I left it to see what it would do—♪” “Meow?” “Well… seems like it’s nothing special—☆” “Meow!!” “Alright, alright☆ Let’s kill it—☆”
As expected of Lota’s familiar. We communicate well.
“Meowww~”
Paah—!
The orange cat in my hand turned into a giant spear, and without hesitation, I spun it around and threw it far away.
“[Blue Sweet Macaron]—!!”
Now familiar with the ether operation of the weapon, An orange straight line was quickly drawn across the space.
The light of destruction.
Swoosh—!!
The cat-engraved spear created numerous ripples in the air, breaking through the wall of sound. Hundreds of rings filled with its impact headed towards a single being hiding in the forest.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless trees and plants were swept up in the storm of destruction, scattering everywhere.
Boom—!!
The sound came late. And countless birds scattered in a flurry. The sound of their wings mixed chaotically.
Flap—!
“….”
Perhaps now as powerful as [Pink Lemon Sorbet].
With a single attack, I destroyed everything within a distance of tens of meters.
Drdrdr…!
Leaving behind the sound of trees slowly falling, I approached the ‘being’ pierced by the spear.
“…Cough!”
A giant with dragon horns. The <Ratatoskr> cultist was trembling, impaled by the spear. This guy had been watching us since yesterday without showing any signs of contacting anyone or trying to escape.
“Hmm♪ When were you summoned, kid? [Priest of Corruption]? Or [Priest of Conflict]? Oh, are you perhaps sent by their ‘prophet’?” “….” “Do you remember anything from when you were a chaos bug? If so, tell me—☆ What happened 1500 years ago—☆” “….”
I threw a few confusing bait pieces, considering the possibility that the prophet might have received something from Ophnir.
But the guy only spat out a line like a captured knight by a group of orcs.
“…Kugh, kill me, inferior species!” “Okay, got it—☆”
Splat—!!
I kicked the head of the guy who had no intention of answering, crushing it. Green blood splattered backwards as he died instantly.
“Ugh, gross—☆”
I picked up the horn from the mushy remains of the cultist’s head and held it up to the sunlight. The faint ether color shimmered like a mirage.
“…Black mixed with gray. It has the property of slowly absorbing the surrounding ether—☆”
This guy wasn’t recently summoned, but a minion summoned by the [Priest of Corruption]. He seemed to have been wandering the wilderness since the beginning of the term.
I mumbled the name of the [Priest of Corruption] that suddenly came to mind.
“…Grafborud.”
The name I couldn’t recall because it was too difficult now surfaced.
“….”
The final officer who was supposed to be lurking and who succeeded in summoning a ‘dragon’ in the original story.
But that guy died to me. He died because he acted differently from the original.
“….”
And Ophnir, who acted according to the original, also died. He was a more threatening foe than in the original… but he died to me and Hilde.
“….”
Ophnir summoned the [Serpent of Wisdom and Cycle] to reach Yggdrasil. So, how will the remaining officers… [Twin Priests], Goin and Moin, respond?
‘If they plan to use the power of [The Vengeful Wolf], it wouldn’t be surprising if they appear anytime, anywhere.’
With the strongest officer and the second strongest officer dead… what choice will the prophet make?
‘If I didn’t know the situation in the academy city now…’
As I was thinking that, A soft fur brushed against my leg.
“Meowww!” “Hmm? Oh, thank you—☆ Like our synergy is like Zhuge Liang and…” “Meow?” “….”
-Kukukuku…! Khahaha!!
Was it because I had encountered a cultist after a long time? Suddenly, Ophnir’s mocking laughter, who understood my mannerisms, flashed through my mind.
…
If the prophet learned that I was as good as a ‘prophet,’ Hilde or the juniors might be put in danger.
Dreaming different dreams in the same bed. I had to make them confused as much as possible by acting as ‘Clara.’
‘I need to refrain from □□□’s mannerisms.’
I held the orange cat and walked back to the camp. The forest, which had become a mess, was returning to calm.
“It’s nothing—☆” “Meow!”
One more faded trace from the past was shed.
I have been Clara up until now, and I will continue to be.
…That’s enough.
Albite pointed to the messed-up forest with a bewildered expression and said,
“What, what is that?! What happened here?” “Well, you see—☆ A giant dragonfly appeared and went whoosh☆” “Re-Really…?” “Of course not—☆” “Oh, come on!!”
Albite pounded her chest in frustration. Lota and Kara, watching her, giggled.
“Well, wouldn’t senior handle it well? Who would dare mess with [Pink Spiral]?” “Seriously… then I feel like a fool again…” “…Hahaha☆”
Kara’s subtle joke to elevate me made Albite pout and show signs of turning into a bird.
“By the way! About the new method of operating fairy tale magic I developed this time…” “Oh, the one where cats suddenly show up riding bicycles?” “Yes, yes! It’s an applied version of that…!”
The campfire blazed, and the atmosphere became increasingly lively.
“….”
Brynhild looked at Erda, the treasurer, who had just returned from discussing with <Holy Alvenheim High School>, and nodded.
“Summon all representatives of the nine schools in the alliance by next week.” “Yes, I will relay that. Does that include <Central Prism Academy>?” “….”
Brynhild nodded quietly.