"It's a nice day."
"Indeed, the weather is lovely."
I shaded my eyes with my hand and looked up at the sky.
Next to me, Priscilla clung closely like a puppy.
I gently stroked Priscilla's head as she sat beside me.
"You've been so busy that you couldn't summon me, what's the occasion?"
"No matter how busy, one must take breaks now and then."
The reason for such leisure was because Homecoming Day had been canceled.
The preparations for Homecoming Day were already complete, and essentially, since time had been reversed, there were no issues at the academy, but Vice Principal Cromwell boldly canceled it.
Homecoming Day was a venue for bonding between juniors and seniors.
Also, it was an event where graduates returned to the academy to see the faces of their professors.
However, after experiencing an attack from the rebels, neither students nor professors could possibly enjoy such an event.
The graduates might be disappointed, but holding the event despite that all that would be problematic.
Perhaps Cromwell thought the same, as he boldly canceled the event.
"Indeed, the professors must be busy as well......"
The attack by the rebels and the reversing of time.
All of these events were known not only to those inside the academy but also publicized throughout the entire empire.
The Emperor and numerous nobles were furious, and orders to apprehend the rebels were issued across the empire.
Though they spoke of capture, it was essentially a kill-on-sight order.
Even the fragmented empire had united like this because the academy had been messed with.
So, the professors at the academy began to pass information about the rebel leaders to the empire.
Daemon, who uses necromancy.
Jefrin, who utilized illusion magic.
Venderwood, who could regenerate infinitely.
Aryandor, the swordsman who used time magic.
Portraits of these individuals were drawn and distributed across the empire.
I wondered if there was any point to this.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Could they really be caught just by searching for them?
Having faced them, I knew their power well and was fully aware that they could not be caught by ordinary means.
However, seeing the empire unite over this issue made it seem like a not-so-bad situation.
"Now, I suppose it's just up to me to do well......"
With a slightly disheartened smile, I stroked Priscilla's head.
Priscilla smiled comfortably, seemingly pleased.
"Well then, I'll leave this part to Professor Mcguire."
"Okay. What else?"
"Yes... there's the matter of repairing the training grounds..."
Kuhn glanced slightly as he reported to Rie.
"...Don't worry about her."
This place was clearly the student council room.
However, a girl who wasn't part of the student council lay on the room's sofa, giving Kuhn a slight glare.
"Hmm~ It seems like it's about time to wrap this up~."
The girl, lounging on the couch with cat-like grace, was Yuni.
Yuni slightly adjusted her position and spoke.
“Sis seems a bit tired~.”
Yuni’s tone was subtly teasing.
Kuhn briefly glanced at Rie.
“I'm not tired. Keep reporting.”
“Yes, then…….”
"Hey! Just leave it to him and play with me!"
Yuni spoke to Rie, pouting her lips.
She was whining like a little child.
“Ahem…….”
Kuhn coughed awkwardly at Yuni’s typical behavior.
It felt as if he was intruding on a family conversation.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})“Sigh.”
Although Rie sighed, the corners of her lips twitched upward slightly.
It didn’t seem like she minded Yuni’s playful whining.
“I'll play with you tomorrow, so go home for today.”
Hearing those words, Yuni’s lips curled into a grin.
“Is it a promise?”
“Yes.”
Seeming pleased with Rie’s response, Yuni exited the student council room with a spring in her step.
“Alright, let’s continue…….”
As soon as Yuni closed the door behind her, it opened again.
“What’s up with her?”
Rudy entered the student council room, looking in the direction Yuni had disappeared to.
“Oh, Rudy, you're here?”
Rie greeted Rudy with a smile.
It was a casual, everyday sort of greeting.
“Is there any problem with the work?”
“Nah, now that Homecoming Day is gone, there's pretty much nothing to do.”
“Did the professors say anything?”
“Nope. I think we can just keep doing what we were doing?”
As Rudy moved to his place, Rie passed him some documents without a word, and Rudy accepted them as if it were a matter of course.
Kuhn just stared blankly at the two of them.
“What? Is something wrong?”
“No…… Then, I’ll continue the report.”
And so, Kuhn resumed his report.
Rudy did his work, and Rie listened to Kuhn’s report.
“……Umm?”
“Huh? Ah, go on.”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Kuhn continued his report, sweat beading on his forehead.
“Hmm…….”
Rie, however, seemed lost in thought.
Although Rie had been focused and asking various questions while Yuni was there, now she was neither looking at the documents nor at Kuhn.
At the end of Rie’s gaze was Rudy.
Kuhn couldn’t help but feel bewildered.
Even though he had sensed a strange atmosphere between these two before, it felt like that level of tension could exist between any man and woman.
However, now it felt entirely different.
It wasn’t usually like this, but whenever the two were working together separately, Rie seemed to malfunction.
Continuing to stare blankly, and quite openly, she just kept gazing at Rudy.
Her face seemed to be immersed in some profound contemplation.
This situation began after Rie visited the Royal palace.
Due to the rebel invasion incident, Rie and Yuni had both visited the Royal palace together.
Although it was officially a situation report called by the Emperor, it was a well-known fact that he called them after hearing that the two princesses had encountered some unpleasant incidents.
After the two princesses visited the Royal palace, Rie and Yuni became quite close.
However, something about Rie's state was...
"...strange."
Kuhn, thinking further discussion would be pointless, roughly summarized and moved on.
However, Rie, perhaps unaware that the conversation had ended, continued to stare at Rudy.
Kuhn cautiously opened his mouth.
"...Senior?"
"Hm?"
Rie, startled, turned to look at Kuhn.
"Ah, oh, right. Good job. Continue handling it that way."
Rie offered a casual smile and brushed it off.
"...I will take my leave then."
Kuhn, thinking that stepping back might help the two, retreated for the moment.
"...? Alright, good job."
Rie offered a puzzled face and a greeting as she watched Kuhn hastily disappear.
Rie didn't understand why Kuhn vanished so quickly.
She hadn’t fully realized that she had been staring at Rudy.
There was a specific reason why Rie was gazing at Rudy so blankly.
The conversation she'd had at the Royal palace.
Rie had talked a lot with her father.
About how Yuni had almost died.
About how Yuni had thrown herself in harm's way for her.
That conversation had taken place, and there was also a discussion about how Rudy had saved them both.
Talking so openly with her father after so long felt good.
It felt like she was talking to a father, not the emperor who ruled the empire.
Having such a conversation, Yuni, with a smile, said to Rie,
-I don't want to be anything like an emperor. Sis, you can do all that.
Rie was greatly surprised by Yuni's words.
Yuni, who had been competing with her for the throne all this while.
Despite having many deficiencies compared to Rie, the effort and study Yuni put in to attain the emperor's position had always been genuine.
Thus, hearing Yuni willingly relinquish the throne was nothing but shocking.
-I don’t think that position suits me.
A relief was visible on Yuni's face as she spoke with a smile.
Although it wasn't an official declaration, it felt like she had shaken something off by telling Rie.
-So. Starting today, we’re going to get along even better. Now, not as competitors, but as sisters!
Rie smiled at Yuni, who spoke thus.
Through their conversation, Yuni and Rie resolved various misunderstandings.
Misunderstandings that have been followed since childhood.
Rie, who faced harassment opposing the noble faction, and Yuni, who nonchalantly sided with the noble faction because it was convenient.
Yuni simply accepted them because things were bothersome and tough.
The misunderstanding that accumulated between Rie and Yuni was entirely because of the noble faction.
The noble faction pitted Rie and Yuni against each other, creating a confrontational structure.
Once such misunderstandings were resolved, the relationship between Rie and Yuni strengthened.
Thus, after concluding with Yuni, Rie faced the Emperor alone.
Although she was a bit bewildered when the Emperor suddenly called only her, she met with the Emperor alone as it was her father's call.
And the words of the Emperor:
-Uh... my daughter...
-So... are you... dating that Rudy Astria?
-How about thinking about marriage?
Because of these words, Rie kept thinking.
While Rudy was reading documents, he felt a gaze and lifted his head.
When he looked to the side, Rie was staring at him intently.
Rudy looked at Rie with a puzzled face.
"...What are you doing?"
"Hmm...?"
Rie, suddenly realizing Rudy was calling her, snapped to attention.
"Ah..."
Realizing she had been blankly staring at Rudy, Rie blushed.
"Oh, it's nothing! Nothing at all!"
Rie stood up abruptly from her seat and shouted.
"Ah... okay."
Rudy nodded his head with a puzzled face at Rie’s intense reaction.
Somehow, that reaction was even more embarrassing.
Rie turned her head and tightly closed her lips, frowning.
However, on one hand, she continued her thoughts.
-How about thinking about marriage?
She recalled the Emperor's words.
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