89 – Interlude – Already a year
– 90 –
1. Three-way face-to-face
“Welcome.”
When I opened my eyes, an unexpected person greeted me.
Arumanan, with a white veil around her eyes and a smile on her lips, bit the escorts standing behind her and sat down on the bed.
“Arumanan. Why are you here?”
“Why. I came to see Erif. But is that the sound you make when you wake up?”
Aruma Nan poked her mouth out and made a shriveled expression, but she didn’t seem to want to hide the smile inside.
“It came out pretty quickly this time. After you sent me, I came here right away using the excuse of inspecting.”
“Yes? How many days have passed?”
“It’s been less than a day since you arrived here.”
“Really?”
She spent at least three days in the Spirit Realm, but this time in the Spirit Realm, time seems to have flowed much faster.
Well, considering that Sophia spent a month in the material world and nearly a year in the spirit world, it was expected.
“Oh. Sophia?”
“Agent Sippiya? I said thank you for bringing you the letter, and then I took a vacation and left for Selmeier.”
That aunt is quick to act.
It was understandable that she hadn’t seen her daughters for nearly a year.
I’ll have to tell the senior to shoot the canteen later.
“But maybe… Oh?”
Aruma Nan got up from her bed without saying anything about her, and listened to her loudly outside.
Her me too followed her, focusing her hearing, to hear the bewildered voices of her guards and escorts, and the voices of a young boy.
I knew the owner of that voice.
“Bartiers!”
She sprinted the bed and ran across her room.
Her body moved just fine because she had only starved for one day.
When I opened the door, I saw Bartiers holding his arm by the guards.
It looked no different from what I saw in the spirit world.
“Hey, Erif.”
Even though he was being arrested, he calmly greeted me.
“Bar, Bartiers, Phuop.”
Due to Arumanan’s intervention, who knew Bartier’s identity, he was able to safely qualify as a guest.
We gathered in the drawing room and questioned Arumanan, who suddenly started to laugh.
“What is so funny?”
“No, you are very small. You almost became Erif?”
We looked at each other for a moment as we watched Aruma Nan smile with tears in her eyes.
As a result of exchanging glances, the simple conclusion was that he somehow touched Arumanan’s laugh code.
I should just drink coffee.
“Write.”
Bartiers frowned after putting his tongue to the coffee.
You’re still young.
I am already a perfect adult who can enjoy coffee with just two sugar cubes.
Seeing my triumphant expression, Bartiers sighed and muttered in his low voice.
“Do you have canned coffee or mix?”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Vartiers, who was confused by Arumanan’s question, drank a few spoons of sugar in coffee.
After a brief greeting, the story proceeded with the topic of where you have been so far.
I had nothing to talk about because I had no memory, but Bartiers looked a little different.
“Another World?”
Bar Tiers nodded his head with a serious expression.
“Yes. I don’t know if I will believe it. No, actually, I often wonder if it was just a dream.”
It sounded nonsensical, but somehow I couldn’t easily treat it as a delusion.
Because I-
Jeing
“Ugh.”
“Erif?”
My head hurt and I heard tinnitus.
Another world. Past life.
Like Bartiers, I was in another world, there I was a man, and again.
Helicopter.
Suddenly, the word stuck in my mind was about my body.
I couldn’t think of anything else so neatly.
When I stopped breathing for a while, the headache and tinnitus disappeared in an instant.
“Erif. It’s okay?”
I nodded my head to the two with worried eyes in a sign that it was okay, and then said to Bartiers.
“Tell me more about that other world.”
2. Handshake
“About this. Even if I explain in detail, most of them will not understand, so I only explained the important things.”
“Oh my God.”
When Bar Tiers finished explaining, Aruma Nan covered her mouth in surprise, and I was exhausted and droopy after experiencing sparks in my head for a long time.
In summary, it is said that Bartiers was caught in an enemy trap while using his teleportation ability, Vortex Drive, in the final battle of the Shinma War.
And when I opened my eyes, I realized that I was living as a child in an unfamiliar world that was infinitely similar to this one, but with a completely different essence.
Until then, he had not been aware that he was Bartier, but at some point he suddenly realized that he was.
“I might be a little surprised, but I was a girl there.”
“What?”
After hearing that, Arumanan and I could not bear it and laughed out loud.
“Don’t laugh. Who are you talking to seriously?”
“Somehow a girl’s sensibility… ….”
I opened my mouth excitedly, but then closed it again as Bartiers glared at me.
By the way, I thought I was probably a man, right?
You have to hide this fact until the very end.
I don’t think it’ll end to the extent of being teased if caught.
In a world where there is no magic, and where weapons operate through ‘fuel’, ‘gunpowder’ and ‘electricity’ rather than magic, he or she is said to have worked hard to find traces of her magic to return to this place. .
“There were many cases where magic appeared in literary works, video media, and ‘games’. Most of the things were completely different from our magic system.”
I expected the magic to be real, but Bartiers was frustrated when he realized that it was all a virtual setting.
“But even if there was magic there, could you come back here?”
“I thought if there was an excellent wizard, there might be a way. After learning that magic is a fictional creation, I lost the will to live.”
Miss Bartiers, who lived as if she had given up on everything at a young age, naturally fell in love with the game.
“I don’t quite understand the concept of ‘game’.”
“Well. Have you ever done a battle simulation with illusion magic before? It’s similar.”
“I didn’t do much. Training is mostly done by subordinates.”
“Actually, I don’t think Arumanan would like that very much.”
With that said, Bartiers glanced at me.
“I know what a game is.”
“Yes?”
Sorry appeared on Bartier’s face.
It is highly probable that I also lived in the other world, and I said this because I thought about the concept of the game while playing a helicopter simulation last time.
“Anyway. There is a game where you fight with battleships. It was so much fun.”
Bartier risked his life in a game of fighting on a ship, lest he was the Admiral of the Union.
I was obsessed with it for a few years, and it became quite famous, and I came back here after receiving another game with battleships from a member of the same fleet.
There were a lot of unfamiliar words, so Arumanan didn’t understand half of it, but as soon as I heard his explanation, I felt a cold sweat running down my back.
It was a serious sense of dizziness.
Game. Helicopter. Return.
These three keywords lingered in my head.
It seems to be closely related to me in ‘the other world’.
As I was lost in thought, Bartiers started ‘things to do’.
“So, Arumanan. Just shake my hand once.”
“Okay. Does it have to do with your spirit perception?”
First of all, it seems that his goal is to regain control over the water spirits, which is his main focus.
Aruma Nan took off his gloves and took Bar Tiers’ outstretched hand.
The refreshing energy of water was emitted from Arumanan.
Bartier received that energy with his whole body.
“Huh.”
Bartier fell to the side as if he had lost his strength.
“Wake me up in an hour.”
After saying that, Bartiers curled up on the sofa in the living room and closed his eyes.
Should I say shameless or naughty?
Arumanan did not panic and covered Bartiers with a blanket.
3. I promise to
The next day.
We returned to Jafir from Buoyant Island 3.
The gigantic white battleship that entered the port of Zafir, where the cold frost fell, became a big talk in the quiet city.
It was because it was not common for a battleship of that size to enter and exit the port of Canael, where the naval power was not very strong.
Since Arumanan, the guardian deity of Canael, guaranteed the identity of Bartiers, the citizens were not afraid and flocked to the port to watch the battleships.
“Finally, I was able to communicate with my subordinates. The earth guys are still there.”
Bartier looked very excited.
He shuddered as he recalled the past 3 years of living like a ghost, and seemed to be moved by the hospitality he received as a captain after a long time.
The next day, Bartiers contacted Chromanium with the help of Arumanan.
“It’s been a long time since I wrote a direct channel.”
“I will make the call.”
“Yes. I feel a bit uncomfortable with chromanium.”
“Is it because the properties are opposite?”
Bartiers, who made contact with Master Chromium, decided to head straight to the continent of Pavis.
“I heard that chromanium is coming soon. I have a story to tell.”
“Is this story related to us?”
“Well. I’ll tell you later.”
There were many fishing and cruise ships in the port of Zafir, but few ships for battle.
Except for a few ships for maritime patrol, there are no ships capable of combat.
The reason Zafir was peaceful was thanks to the air battleship Aruma Nan, which floated leisurely in her skies, and her powerful air power.
I must say that the need for a strong navy is naturally eliminated because aircraft with asymmetric power are so strong.
The huge battleship, which was located in the sea a little far from the port, looked really strong even to an outsider.
In modern times, there is probably no battleship stronger than Bartiers.
Between Shinma Daejeon and modern times, there was a strangely severe technical break, and there were hardly any sea relics excavated.
If the captain of that battleship was the boy in front of me, no one would believe me.
“I’ll go.”
“Yes.”
There were no words between us.
They had opposite attributes, and both had childish-like personalities, but since they were comrades who had been running around the battlefield together for the past few days, I was able to read the other person’s thoughts to some extent without saying anything.
With that promise, Bartiers headed over the ocean.
4. Graduation
“Congratulations on your graduation, senior.”
“There are still a few more years left!”
Senior Spinel threw his porridge and lightly chopped chops on my head.
February is still bitterly cold, although winter vacation is over.
It has been almost a year since I ‘returned’ here.
This is the auditorium where the ‘1st Graduation Ceremony’ is held.
Our military academy has a special grade system, but until the 4th grade, we live in the school dormitory and take classes like any other school.
And if you finish your 4th year safely, the first graduation ceremony will be held like today’s seniors.
The number of graduates is less than half of the entrance ceremony, so the seniors gathered here were the elite among the elite.
“Where did you belong?”
“Well. I decided to learn under the 2nd Corps.”
“I’m an apprentice to the powerful response force!”
After completing the 1st graduation ceremony, depending on their major, they will enter an apprenticeship in a combat unit or receive additional training.
From here on, it is said that until an official assignment is issued, one learns by traveling around the country, or learns in one place, and is then assigned as an official officer.
The period is usually between 1 year and 3 years as short as the 5th to 7th grade.
Actually, it was an OB concept after graduation, but in the meantime, you can go to and from the military academy at any time, and you can take classes by audition if you want.
Muria senior and Spinel senior seemed to have already established a connection like the top students in the entire class.
Muria, who is serious and excellent in leadership, belongs to the 2nd Corps, probably because Kirst caught her eye, and Spinel, who is a model of a strong woman, is a strong response unit that is famous for its hardships.
I’m sure both will do well.
“I hope to see you more often.”
“Ugh, I have already made a connection. This cute guy.”
Senior Spinel grabbed my ball and stretched it.
Senior Muria responded to me with a smile, and she grabbed Spinel senior’s neck and headed towards a chair in the middle of the auditorium.
“Erif!”
After sending the two seniors, a familiar voice called me and I turned around to see Ty Rian waving her hand.
He was a senior in the pilot class in the 4th year on the same team during the Thousand Two Festivals.
“Hello, Tyrian-senpai.”
“I remember.”
“Of course.”
Older Tyrian, wearing her uniform, looked like a decent soldier.
“I was going to say thank you one day.”
“Why?”
“During the Thousand Tou Festival, we won thanks to you. It got a lot of attention, so I was assigned to a pretty good place.”
“Wow. Congratulations.”
When it was time for the graduation ceremony, senior Tyrian shook hands with me and hurried to the center of the auditorium.
“Erif. You know a lot of seniors.”
“Would it be as good as Cermia?”
Chermia, who had been frantically greeting many seniors before, was able to sit down on a chair outside her, sighing, only when it was time for her graduation ceremony.
“What about Shane?”
“I’m being caught by the seniors in the warrior class over there. Come now.”
After a while, Shane slumped down on the seat next to us with a tired expression on his face and let out a long sigh.
“I have a lot of trouble.”
“Ugh.”
It is said that every time he catches the eye of the senior classmates he was close with after entering the pilot class, he gets teased.
It is said that it is a kind of tradition that aspiring pilots who take two majors usually experience.
Now that the 4th graders graduate, things will get better.
“From now on, we will proceed with the first graduation ceremony. Graduates, current students, and distinguished guests, please take a seat.
We’ll be graduating from here in a few years.
With a little bit of freshness, the seniors’ graduation began.
5. North continent
Spring comes even in the wasteland.
Even in the North Continent, where it is difficult to find a single grass, there are places where you can feel the atmosphere of spring unexpectedly, and this is where the girl with her white hair stands.
The spring sea was blowing a slightly cool and damp sea breeze onto the land.
The girl, with her frantic fluttering hair swept back, sat on a rock by the shore with her gaze fixed on the sea.
After a while, a boy of the same age as the girl slowly approached.
“Call the captain.”
“Yes.”
The girl showed no sign of moving her even after giving her answer.
A minute later, her restless boy urged her girl.
“Aren’t you going?”
“After a while.”
The girl is not afraid of the terrifying captain.
So the boy thought her girl was awesome, but she didn’t dare express it.
The girl, who had stared at the blue sea with her red eyes for a long time, got up from her seat after changing her long awning hat.
“Are you going to the captain?”
“Yes.”
An emotionless voice answered, the girl flew off the rock and ran away from the shore.
Her boy looked blankly at where she had disappeared, then came to her senses and headed to where she was working.
“Why did you call me?”
Astatt was one of the few demons who spoke nonsense to the captain of this place, Calad.
Kalad, who values politeness and superiority, always pointed it out, but Astat, with his empty eyes, refused to listen to him.
So he decided to just treat the girl as an equal.
It wasn’t that he could never admit that he had never healed the mental state of a young female demon, but that he was showing the appearance of a bold captain.
“Look here. Do you know a face?”
What Kallard brought out was a newspaper with human characters.
“Celest Military Academy 1st year student wins with a double pole in the Thousand Two Festivals”
In the photo, Erif with a headset and a microphone was photographed.
He couldn’t read the text, but seeing the photo, Astad opened his eyes wide and gave strength to his hand.
“How?”
“Our information network is rather good. They came out while tracking a relic called a helicopter.”
Callard smiled and fluttered the newspaper.
Astat nailed his gaze to the newspaper with a complicated expression.
It was the first time he had seen Astat’s expression like that, so Calad continued with an interesting face.
“Do you want revenge?”
“… Yes.”
Astat’s eyes returned slightly.
Until now, no matter what happened, the dead eyes had never been brought back to life.
Vengeance is the driving force.
Kalrad called for joy inside.
Rejoicing that he was finally able to wield the mighty Jinjo at will, Kalad promised Astat a sweet revenge.