Kuhn had been feeling something unusual lately.
He looked at just one girl and loved only her.
It was common sense for Kuhn.
Though the empire's law allowed for multiple wives, the widespread convention was to have just one.
Being a commoner, Kuhn was naturally rooted in this convention.
Though there were nobles with multiple wives, Kuhn had never witnessed such a scene, so it felt natural to him.
"Kuhn, what are you thinking about?"
And Kuhn already had his partner.
Emily.
A girl he had grown up with since they were children.
She was like his other half.
There were times Kuhn took care of Emily, and times Emily took care of Kuhn.
The two of them would look out for each other's shortcomings like they were of one mind.
If they were to spend their lives together, Kuhn thought this kind of relationship was natural.
Humans typically view the world based on their own experiences.
Given the life Kuhn had led, it was no wonder he couldn't think any differently.
"Emily."
"Hm?"
While moving student council materials, Kuhn looked over at Emily next to him.
"Do you think Rudy Astria likes Rie?"
It was an unexpectedly innocent question, unlike the usually thoughtful Kuhn.
Emily was surprised at the sudden question but pondered it seriously.
"Uhm... judging by their interactions... but... um..."
Emily couldn't give a definite answer.
When Emily and Kuhn first saw Rudy, he was with Luna.
At first glance, they seemed like a young couple, but upon closer inspection, it wasn't the case.
Then what about Rie, who was the vice-president?
Apart from when Rudy went to the lab, he was always with Rie.
Rie was the senior that Kuhn and Emily saw most often.
Rudy and Rie seemed like very close friends.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})They played playful pranks and occasionally bickered, just like good friends.
Of course, there were couples who acted like that, so it wasn't easy to just see them as friends.
Were these two in a romantic relationship?
Not exactly.
Judging by the recent atmosphere, it seemed like Rie had feelings for Rudy.
However, if one were to ask Rudy if he felt the same, the answer would likely be no.
Still, it didn't give off the impression that Rudy disliked Rie or that their relationship couldn't develop into something more.
Rie was a good colleague who filled Rudy's gaps.
While Rudy led the overall flow, she was the reliable colleague who filled in the gaps behind him.
If it were a typical relationship, one could just see them as good colleagues, but in some ways, it also looked like a wife supporting her husband.
After contemplating for a while, Emily shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know... I really don't."
"Hmm..."
After hearing Emily's response, Kuhn nodded and murmured to himself.
"What could Rudy Astria be thinking…?”
I sat at my desk, twirling my pen, deep in thought.
I had worries about the upcoming final exams, but the current dilemma was completely different.
Astina Persia.
The fact that she would die.
Is it a good idea to tell her?
When I wrote to Astina recently, I didn't mention such a thing.
Aside from concerns about the letter's security or other thoughts, my biggest dilemma was how to convey this possible reality to Astina.
Astina is strong.
She possesses a power that is unmatched by anyone else.
It is a fact acknowledged by Professor Cromwell, the Academy, and everyone in the Empire.
But if I were to tell her about her possible death, would she survive?
Someone strong enough to kill Astina.
Aryandor.
His power was beyond imagination.
A force capable of turning back time for everyone at the Academy.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})It wasn't something a typical wizard could fathom.
Someone close to the realm of the gods.
That was the conclusion reached by professors who had faced him.
In this world, it's believed that only gods can control the realm of time.
Space isn’t much different.
According to this world's creation myth, time and space were the first things created and dealt with by the gods.
Having witnessed magic of both time and space, I truly believe it's a domain of the gods.
The Astria family's position as the top ducal family of the Empire is also due to this reason.
Along with that magic, their swordsmanship skills were also outstanding.
I didn't think Astina could handle such an opponent on her own.
If they clashed, Astina's defeat seemed certain.
The best way to change this outcome?
For me to become stronger.
I may have glimpsed the future, but I didn’t know the specifics.
All I had was a vague sense of the events from memories of my future self.
Given that, I couldn't naively think of asking others for help.
I had to become stronger.
“Then…”
I looked at the papers beside me.
The gradually emerging outline of my staff.
"Will this be enough...?"
Having a staff would surely amplify my abilities, but something felt wrong.
“Can it... evolve further… Ugh…”
I sighed, setting down my pen.
There’s so much to think about.
“Still, I can’t just sit here like this.”
The final exams are fast approaching.
These exams can't be taken lightly.
The privileges given to the top student:
Access to a research lab, research funding, and even the additional provision of magic tools.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})I couldn't afford to miss out on any of them.
Of course, I was somewhat concerned about Evan.
In the past, I thought that if Evan didn't grow, the academy would be annihilated.
Even when I looked into the future, I felt the same way.
The future me held the top spot and completely overshadowed Evan's growth.
Could it be that everyone died because of me?
That thought crossed my mind.
But even with these uncertainties, I moved forward.
It was already the path I had chosen.
It was already something that had happened.
So I just had to do what I needed to do right now.
That's all there was to it.
So, what should I be doing now?
"Of course, I should be preparing for the final exam…"
"Hmm…"
Just as I tried to concentrate on my book again, I heard a voice in front of me.
I lifted my head and looked forward.
"...Why are you here?"
"I came to study."
Rie stood in front of me.
I slightly furrowed my brows and looked around.
This is the academy's library.
A place bustling with people, not exactly the ideal study environment.
So, seeing Rie here made me wonder.
I naturally assumed the voice belonged to Luna.
There was no one else in the library who was usually in the library that would come up to me like this.
Of course, Riku and Ena were there too, but they usually came with Luna, never alone.
Rie casually took a seat in front of me and opened a book.
"Is it strange for me to come here? I've been here before, you know?"
Rie said, pouting her lips at me.
It wasn't her first time coming here, but it wasn't a common occurrence either.
I stared at Rie for a moment and then spoke.
"Do you have something to say?"
"Not really? Ah, there is something I'm curious about though."
Rie clapped her hands as if she had just thought of something.
I wasn't sure if she genuinely just thought of it or was pretending to, but it didn't really matter.
"What are you curious about?"
"What will become of the Saint now? She lost her eyesight, right?"
"Oh, Haruna?"
I had a somewhat private conversation with Haruna.
Although Rie was a good friend, I had a little apprehension about discussing possession-related matters.
Astina accepted it well, but Rie might not be so accepting.
"She said it doesn't matter. She knew she was going to lose her sight anyway."
Haruna had been living like a blind person all this time.
She lost her vision overnight, but since she had been mentally prepared for it, it wasn't a huge shock.
She had intended for this to happen.
Summoning his future self to this place.
The Saint said that it was a forbidden magic.
Crossing different timelines could cause physical damage like Haruna experienced, and in extreme cases, could cost one's life.
Haruna said that this was a rule of the world and she was punished for not adhering to it.
"Don't you have anything else to say?"
"What else?"
I told Rie almost everything except the fact that I'm a possessor.
I didn't share personal stories like the question she just asked, but I did thoroughly explain important matters, like Astina's death.
"It wasn't your idea to summon your future self, right? Plus the future might not go that way."
"That's true, but Haruna said it was necessary."
"Then, don't you owe her something in return?"
Rie stared intently at my expression.
However, I just tilted my head at the idea of compensation.
Haruna never brought up such a thing.
If she needs something, I can give it, but...
"If there's nothing, then forget it."
Seeing that I had no particular reaction, she smiled meaningfully and opened her book.
It seemed she came just to ask that question.
Perhaps she came to see me since I've been neglecting student council work lately due to my studies.
I looked at Rie focus on her book then started studying again.
After several hours of concentration,
"The library is closing now."
A librarian announced.
Upon hearing that, Rie and I began packing up our books.
"You're going to continue studying when you get back, right?"
Holding her bag, Rie asked me.
"I have to keep studying."
With finals approaching, there's no time to relax.
"Then how about taking a walk? Your head will hurt if you keep studying like this."
"...Hmm, okay."
She had a point.
Sitting in one place and studying all day can make it difficult to concentrate, and it's sometimes necessary to take a break.
That's also a reason why I came to the library.
With that, I walked with Rie toward the garden.
The path Rie led me to was somewhere I hadn't been to in a while.
"Ah..."
The place where I had said something peculiar to Luna.
The place where I left ambiguous words of confession, saying I would give her an answer later.
After saying that, I hadn't seen Luna's face recently.
Our overlapping classes were on break due to the upcoming exams.
"Hey, is there any food you want to eat or something?"
"Food I want to eat?"
While I was contemplating such thoughts, I raised my head in surprise at Rie's sudden question.
"You must have foods you're craving."
Naturally, when I thought of food I was craving, it was Korean cuisine.
Sometimes I would go to Professor Robert's favorite restaurant and enjoy a dish called 'Cheonggukjang*.'
There were other dishes I was craving as well.
However, I couldn't say such things, so I was in a dilemma.
"Speaking of which, the food I had at the midterm camp was delicious. I loved those dishes."
It was the farewell dinner after finishing the camp.
Rie nodded in agreement.
"Oh, it was really good there. The Academy's cafeteria food never really suited my taste, so I didn't expect much, but I was satisfied there."
"Yeah, me too. The Academy's cafeteria doesn't quite work for me either."
Rie probably didn't enjoy the cafeteria food because she was used to high-end ingredients.
As for me, I wasn't a big fan of Western cuisine, so it didn't suit my taste.
But we did find common ground on this.
Rie continued with a satisfied smile and posed another question.
"So, anything you want or wish for?"
"Why are you suddenly asking me this?"
I narrowed my eyes, curious about Rie's sudden question.
"Well, is there really nothing like that?"
A thought came to mind after some pondering.
My birthday was coming up soon.
I didn't even know it last year, but now I had it in mind.
It was said to be nonsensical for a noble not to know their own birthday.
I remembered to avoid any odd behavior this year.
Seeing Rie's expression, I could somewhat guess her thoughts and chuckled lightly.
"Hmm... I don't really have materialistic desires or anything, so there's not much I want."
I gave an ambiguous answer to tease Rie a bit.
However, strangely enough, Rie smiled again, this time with a satisfied look.
Rie smiled and blurted out something strange.
"I know all about family ties and all... So, let's skip that..."
Family ties?
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, it's really nothing."
Rie raised her head and stared at me intently.
When our eyes met, Rie opened her mouth.
"Do you want to get engaged to me?"
*Cheonggukjang is a type of Korean fermented soybean paste stew and uh that cliff LOL
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