Chapter : 122

A golden field unfolded before my eyes.

In the scene that tugged at a corner of my heart just by looking, a scene I had never been to but felt a strange sense of longing for, a being stood.

It was unclear whether they were male or female, perhaps even if they were human at all.

That being calmly muttered.

“It’s all my fault.”

What I felt in that voice was a heart-wrenching guilt.

What was it that tormented the being before me?

I felt such a tender affection that, if possible, I wanted to share their burden.

“…Don’t cry.”

“I’ve never cried.”

“No, you are crying.”

The being before me was clearly shedding tears.

The emotion hidden within their drier-than-anything eyes was unmistakably weeping.

“I don’t know what it is, but I’ll help you.”

“Without even knowing what it is?”

“I know I’m being nosy!”

It was a tag-along phrase that always followed me.

Only once had I ever heard a good word for helping others.

But once is enough to change a person.

“But so what!”

In any case, that’s the kind of human I am.

“I’ll do my best to help you!”

I stretched out my hand with all my might.

‘You’ are clearly not far, but I can’t reach.

Why?

“Sorry.”

A whisper reached my ear, but the words that followed did not.

Wait, I can’t hear you!

Please tell me! Before long, the darkness had completely swallowed me.

“Wait!”

Please, wait!

* * *

The sweetness of the dream was short, and the pain lingering in my body was long.

When I opened my eyes, I felt my whole body throbbing.

“Kkeueuk….”

Barely swallowing a curse, I writhed on the bed.

It hurts, it hurts so much.

It hurt so much that I wanted to cry out loud.

“Theo! Are you okay?”

Hearing the sound, Professor Artemia rushed over, and I could feel her using healing magic.

As the rampaging pain slowly subsided, I was finally able to breathe properly.

“Where is this….”

“The Academy’s infirmary.

You’ve been unconscious for a week now.”

For that long? Along with the question, a word flashed through my mind.

Then what about the final exams?!

I felt all the blood drain from my body in an instant.

“Your final exams… in any case, since you were caught up in an unfortunate accident, Beatrice solved it by submitting an explanatory report.”

“How?”

“You can take each final exam whenever you want.”

“Really?!”

“It’s not like they’re making new questions, but you’ll be confined, no, trapped in the infirmary for that long.”

Uh, Professor. I think you just said ‘confined’.

“If there’s anything to study—”

“Tada!”

With the sound of curtains being drawn, a desk on the other side was piled high with familiar books.

It was the same cheat sheet I had been studying until a few days ago.

“Took some effort to move it all.”

“Professor Artemia, you?”

“Lucian did.”

Lucian! Does that mean I used the protagonist as a shuttle again?!

As the strength drained from my body in dismay, the familiar pain returned.

“Aww….”

The only fortunate thing was that Professor Artemia’s healing magic was definitely effective.

Ordinary healing magic would have had trouble subduing the pain, but the pain subsided quickly.

“Are you going to prepare for the exam right away?”

“Yes, let’s get it over with quickly.”

One goal! How nice and simple!

With a quill pen now in hand, I sat on the bed and began to study.

* * *

In any case, since it was material I had already finished studying once, a quick review was enough to prepare for the exams.

After about five hours of exams, I was finally released from confinement and able to meet my friends.

“You really get caught up in all sorts of things now.”

“I know, right.”

I subtly avoided Zephyros and Lucian’s scolding gazes.

Hey, did I want to get caught up in it?

It just so happened that the direction I looked away was to the left, so the golden ring neatly placed on my left hand came into view.

Should this be called a self-caused disaster, in a way?

Who would have known that the holy relic sleeping soundly in the Church and the dungeon ‘Tomb of Dawn’,

which had been used for exams since the Academy’s existence, would have some sort of relationship?

“The vacation is the day after tomorrow.

Do you think you can be discharged?

What are you going to do about the ‘Understanding of Fief Management’ practicum?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

If I had my way, I’d want to work in the Lisitoel County, but that’s impossible.

‘Understanding of Fief Management’ is taken by the heirs of lords rather than students hoping to become administrators.

The class itself is conducted with that in mind, and the practicum is the same.

What if I, the heir to Count Lisitoel, were to do my practicum in my father’s fief?

Would the administrators of that fief be able to give me a harsh score?

There would be few brave enough to give a straightforward score to their future lord.

Therefore, a rule was established that one could only go to a fief other than their own.

“Still, I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Hey, Lucian. Is that all you have to say?”

“Huh? What is there to say?”

Lucian smiled with a face that knew nothing.

It seems Lucian has changed quite a bit.

According to the game, he wouldn’t have been able to gloss things over with a ‘I don’t know about that’ face.

Yes, the current Lucian is a hundred, a thousand times better than the one who made people choke on sweet potatoes.

“You came to the dungeon without permission too.”

“…When did I?”

For Lucian, it was a pretty plausible lie.

But unfortunately for him, there were two people in this place who could see through others’ lies like a ghost.

“You went too?”

“Are you crazy?”

Heh heh, I can’t be the only one treated like a troublemaker.

In an instant, the aggro shifted from me to Lucian.

“Are you crazy?

Are you dying to die or something?”

Zephyros didn’t hold back, grabbing Lucian by the collar and shaking him.

“Kke-ek. I’m really fine.”

“Want me to shut that mouth for you?”

At the senior’s murderous question, Lucian finally closed his mouth.

Yeah, in times like these, it’s better for your well-being to quietly shut up.

Trying to argue back will only get you more flak.

“This idiot got caught up in it, but you didn’t have to go and help him!”

“No, it was because it seemed dangerous.”

“Exactly, to that dangerous place…!”

Zephyros seemed to have a lot to say, as he just gaped his mouth for a while.

But in the end, it was thanks to Lucian that I was safe.

Even though he was angry that Lucian moved knowing full well it was dangerous, the fact that he saved his friend in the end does not change.

“Friends, all of them….”

He clasped his hands tightly, perhaps to hide their trembling, but he couldn’t hide it completely.

After all, there was another person here who could read lies like a ghost.

“Anyway, I’m glad you came back safely.”

When I seemed okay, the senior left for a moment with Zephyros.

Thanks to that, only Lucian and I remained in the infirmary.

“Thanks for saving me.”

Hmm, awkward. I fiddled with the back of my neck for no reason.

Facing Lucian, the image of him I saw in the Trial of Judgment came to mind.

The empty and brittle Lucian, a Lucian I didn’t know.

“…….”

Thinking about it made my stomach churn.

Let’s not think about it. Look at the Lucian in front of me.

Does it even make sense to see a glimpse of the fallen hero in his current form?

It’s ridiculous.

“Theo?”

My body flinched at the hand that approached while calling my name.

The image of ‘Lucian’ cutting off his father’s neck without any hesitation.

Without realizing it, I slapped Lucian’s hand away.

“Uh. Uh….”

When Zephi and the senior were here, the image of Lucian from the trial didn’t come to mind….

I should say I’m okay, I should apologize, but no words came out.

“You must be really tired. I’ll head out first.”

Lucian left the infirmary without a word.

“⋯This is driving me crazy.”

Left alone in the infirmary, I roughly wiped my face.

“Kkeueuk.”

A sob escaped.

My head knows it’s not Lucian’s fault, but the image of my father, who couldn’t bring himself to cast magic on his student until the end, and the image of my father’s neck rolling on the floor, vividly come to mind.

“I know, I know it too!”

Lucian and the Lucian from the Trial of Judgment are completely different people.

Even knowing that what I did was close to an unwarranted tantrum, a surge of hatred welled up in me for a moment.

Anger swelled up on its own and paralyzed my reason.

《A quarrel, is it?》

Breaking the silence, Albedo spoke.

“Albedo.”

Albedo slightly opened one eye and asked.

《Your very nature has changed in the meantime.》

“My nature has changed?”

《Your body had few impurities for a human, but now… it would be fair to say they have vanished entirely.》

My wide, surprised eyes were reflected in Albedo’s eyes, which were now fully open.

I don’t really feel any change, though?

The professors and my other friends didn’t seem to notice either.

《It is not something a mere mortal would notice.》

“Don’t insult my father.”

I glared at Albedo.

It’s fine to insult me, but not my father.

《Yes, it is a change only visible to the eyes of a demon. It is clean, as if all impurities have been burned away.》

At Albedo’s expression ‘burned away,’ I finally realized. It was a change caused by the Trial of Flames.

I quietly looked down at my palm.

Hmm, it does feel a bit cleaner than before.

《It seems you have some inkling.》

“I guess? So, what’s so good about these so-called impurities disappearing?”

《First, you will be able to accept mana very well. It is not for nothing that a vegetarian diet is recommended over a carnivorous one for mages.》

Albedo shuddered as if recalling something at the same time.

《However, there is a bad side to it as well.》

“A bad side?”

《The spirits will come to like you.》

I knew that spirits weren’t the purely benevolent beings people thought they were, but Albedo’s reaction was quite strange.

《You say that because you do not know how much those beings bother everything around them!》

Albedo, as if he couldn’t comprehend my rather mild reaction, pounded on the blanket, bang! bang!, and unleashed his anger.

Is it something to get that angry about?

The moment I placed my hand on Albedo’s forehead to calm him down, I felt a burning sensation in my left hand where the ring was.

At the same time, a bright golden light exploded before my eyes, and I heard the clear chirping of a bird.

“Peeeeee!”

A bird with golden feathers appeared before my eyes.

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