Chapter 136: Those Left Behind

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While Reysir Daudabina took turns expressing his gratitude to Vigdis, Liolikin, and Yor…

I brushed my hair back, feeling a sense of frustration. A sigh escaped my lips. “Haa…”

If the Protagonist of Another Novel looked like he was in good shape, I would have used this opportunity to quietly slip out of the auditorium.

‘But if he notices I’m gone later, there’ll probably be an uproar…?’

To think his trauma caused a panic, and that panic ended up updating his trauma.

I wondered how such a terrible vicious cycle could even exist.

Even though, despite the slightly twisted process, the Heroine Candidate was safely rescued.

Still, unlike the Original Work where his mental state was completely shattered, this time it was merely cracked.

If he goes home and gets plenty of rest, he should recover quickly.

There is Dyuf, an adult he can rely on, and Hailga will surely help Reysir pull himself together.

“Hailga. Take Reysir and return home at once. He seems to be in need of stability.”

“Yes, I understa—”

“I can’t go yet.”

For some reason, even after going through all this chaos, Reysir was being stubborn about not wanting to go home.

There wouldn’t be much to do even if he stayed here…

Wait, is there?

“I’m asking just in case… regarding what just happened here. Reysir, is this phenomenon similar to what you experienced as a child? Is that why you want to investigate?”

“If you’re talking about the phenomenon, then yes. Though the monsters were much weaker than the ones that appeared in my hometown, and the environmental changes seem smaller. But I’m not planning to investigate.”

The Protagonist of Another Novel denied the possibility I had considered.

Even though, in the Original Work, he traveled around investigating places where such phenomena occurred with his [Eyes that Read Truth] to find out the cause and prevent the creation of the Demonic Realm.

That point was somewhat puzzling, but if there was something more urgent, it wouldn’t be strange to postpone it until later.

Since his mind was unstable, he might have also felt a desire to leave this place as quickly as possible.

“Then why are you saying you can’t return home immediately?”

“Because I have to see you home.”

“……?”

“I think I’ll only feel at ease once I see you return home safely.”

“……What?”

“Are you asking because you really don’t know?”

Reysir started with that remark, then suddenly took a large step forward, narrowing the distance between us.

And then…….

“On the day we went home after finishing the last semester, you said you were exposed to poison, right? Since they failed to kill you then, they might have prepared a more certain method this time. That’s why you’ve been carrying potions around, because you’re worried about that, right?”

He whispered that into my ear.

He was being considerate in his own way, trying to keep my secret.

“So…. Please?”

Reysir took a step back, met my eyes, and spoke in a desperately pleading tone.

He really seemed quite worried.

Well, it would be maddening to hear that someone you barely managed to save from a monster died on their way home.

“I have to use the Gate to return anyway, so I’ll accompany you that far.”

“I’m still uneasy with just that…”

“Once I pass through the Gate into the Duchy, my family’s carriage and guards will be waiting. They will try to protect me no matter what happens.”

“…If that’s the case, alright.”

His expression was still quite sour, suggesting my answer wasn’t entirely satisfactory.

Still, seeing as he didn’t insist on watching me step inside my house, it seemed this was a level of compromise we could reach.

“Then let’s get moving.”

I said that and quickly turned around toward the exit.

Then, not only Reysir and Hailga but also Vigdis followed along.

Liolikin, who had still been sitting on the floor, also jumped up and chased after me.

‘If it was going to end up like this, couldn’t we have just talked inside the carriage heading to the Gate facilities?’

Just as I emerged from the auditorium with that thought.

A character from the Original Work, who still maintains their status as an Academy professor, blocked my path.

If I describe it only like this, the readers might feel some aversion, but….

“Karbaldr-rr~! Are you okay-ay~?? I heard something incredible happened inside-de~?!”

Through this short line of dialogue.

The information that Skadi was outside, not inside the auditorium when the Magicalization occurred, and that she heard about what happened inside from someone else, should have been conveyed to the readers.

“I noticed you didn’t attend the Graduation Ceremony; were you nearby?”

“Well-ll~, I got a lo-ot of complaints when I showed my face at a major event before-re~. They said they didn’t want a criminal loitering around during the important moments of their lives, so what can I do-o~?”

“……”

“But I do have students too, don’t I-i~? Those few students who chose my lectures and don’t hate me that much. When they leave the Academy, I want to see them off too-oo~!”

“So you were waiting nearby? To see those few students off?”

“Yes! Exactly-y~! Normally, I wouldn’t talk to them like this and just hide properly, saying ‘Goodbye~, see you next semester~’ to myself in my head, but-tt.”

I thought it was strange.

I clearly read in the Original Work that Skadi also awakened on the day of the Graduation Ceremony, yet her figure was nowhere to be seen inside the Grand Hall.

It seems it wasn’t just the combat tournament held outside the Academy grounds that she couldn’t attend.

‘Still, since she was within the range of the Magicalization, she must have awakened this time too, but….’

Since she wasn’t on the scene when the Boss Monster rushed at me, it’s natural that I can’t blame her for not saving me.

In fact, one should almost feel sorry for her situation.

“But today, a strange… veil? Something like that covered the sky, and unfamiliar plants started growing like crazy-y~! Even monster-like things appeared-d!”

Did she think we would be curious about the situation outside, just as she was curious about the situation inside the auditorium?

Or was it because she was alone when she faced the sudden changes caused by the Magicalization, and thus couldn’t share the confusion of that moment with anyone?

Even though I didn’t ask, Skadi spoke about what she experienced in an excited tone.

For the sake of the readers, I’ll add a few explanations to Skadi’s words.

The ‘veil’ she mentioned is the boundary that separates the inside and outside of the Demonic Realm, and an entrance to pass through it can only be created by an ‘Awakener.’

Once created, it is set so that even ordinary people can pass through.

‘In the past, the people of Reysir’s fief were isolated and massacred because of this. They couldn’t escape because they didn’t know an Awakener could create an entrance. And since it was the first Magicalization phenomenon, there were no Awakeners outside, so no one could enter…!’

This ‘boundary veil’ of the Demonic Realm disappears when the ‘Magic Core’ possessed by the Boss Monster is destroyed.

“Oh, but it’s safe now-w~! All the monsters that appeared outside are dead-d! I took down about two or three-e~? The rest just suddenly flopped over and didn’t get back up-p. I don’t know the reason, but it’s a total relief-f~!”

The minions also lose their lives the moment the Magic Core is destroyed.

That is why I wrote in Episode 133 that the destruction of the Magic Core was essential.

And there is a setting that this Magic Core cannot be destroyed by anyone other than an Awakener, and in the Graduation Ceremony scene of the Original Work, it was the professors who defeated the Boss Monster….

“Anyway, anyway-y~! After the monsters collapsed, the doors to the Grand Hall opened, and a few professors from the combat department came out, saw me, and asked about the situation outside-e. Honestly, I still don’t like them, but the students’ safety was at stake, wasn’t it-t~? So we decided to exchange information-n~”

Skadi was unable to set foot in the ‘Boss’s Domain.’ Given the circumstances, it must have been the same in the Original Work.

This means that there is at least one other person among the professors who awakened besides her. Since they are just an Extra who doesn’t even appear in the Original Work, I decided not to bother paying them any mind.

“So I heard about what happened inside the Grand Hall, and I regretted it a little-e.. If I’d known it would be like that, I would’ve snuck in and hidden-n…! If I had, I could’ve saved you magnificently and become a respected teacher-r..!!”

I don’t think I need to add a footnote for this statement, so I’ll just move on.

“It’s a great shame for me, but…. Still, Karbaldr, it must be a good thing for you, right-t~?”

The time has come where a footnote is needed again.

However, since even I didn’t understand Skadi’s words, I couldn’t add a supplementary explanation myself.

I decided to pass that role to the speaker.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’ve made friends, haven’t you-u~?”

“I believe I’ve told you several times, I don’t have anything like frien—”

I habitually started to deny Skadi’s words but then hesitated.

It was because the conversation we had in Episode 124 flashed through my mind.

At that time, I gave several examples while arguing that ‘there is no friendship without a narrative.’

And those examples were….

“Because you overcame a desperate crisis together, and even saved each other’s lives from the brink of death-h~. Now you’ve really made true friends, right-t~?”

It’s a relief, at least, that Skadi doesn’t know about Reysir’s trauma.

But….

“Gasp..! Come to think of it…!! When I was being bullied by my fellow professors and suffering mentally, you told me I wasn’t someone who deserved to be treated like that-t~?! You even gave me courage, telling me not to endure it because they didn’t have the right to torment me-e…! So now, I’m liberated from that pain-n! Was I the only one who didn’t know we were friends-s?! What should I do-o, I’m sorry for not noticing-g..!!”

The fact that she suddenly looked back on her own past was not a relief at all.

“Phew….”

At this timing, Yor let out a sigh as he slapped his forehead with a loud thud, shaking his head.

That look seemed to lament, ‘I knew it would turn out like this,’ which made me feel strangely complicated.

“Karbaldr, what is all that about?”

“I don’t know either. I suspect she’s talking nonsense because she’s tired from dealing with monsters.”

“Then why did you stop mid-sentence when you were about to say you don’t have anything like friends?”

“…That’s also because I’m tired.”

“I don’t think that’s the reason?”

I desperately ignored Reysir’s suspicious gaze.

I spoke toward Skadi, who was tilting her head with a puzzled expression.

“As you’ve heard what happened during the Graduation Ceremony, you surely know, but since I’ve gone through many chaotic events today… I’m desperate to go back to my safe home and rest comfortably. So, I will be taking my leave now.”

“Ah-h, I’m sorry-y~! I didn’t know and kept holding you up to talk-k…! Go on, friend-d~!”

“The professor and I are not friends.”

“Hmm-mm~? But-tt….”

Skadi repeatedly tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand.

Still, she didn’t hold me back with more questions when I said I wanted to rest and obediently cleared the way.

While saying the following.

“Anyway, goodbye-e~! Have a good break and see you next semester-r~!”

Because I knew she wouldn’t be here next semester, I couldn’t return the same words.

Thus, after a light bow, I quickly left the scene.