63 – 29. What are the two of them doing right now? (1)
It had already been a few days since they resolved the Brookes event.
After all, isn’t vacation the time for recharging?
Even the students of Arc who were geniuses took some time to relax like a vacation.
“But that wasn’t the case for me.”
While others made travel plans or spent their time leisurely in their rooms, didn’t I run around outside and do work?
Before the vacation started, I fought against the hordes of savages,
And afterward, I resolved various issues from Edenria’s Archbishop Raymond to the recent zombie incident.
“Of course, I did go on a trip to the beach in between.”
Ian lowered his head.
Even though he wanted to rationalize, he simply couldn’t.
Yes, he did take a break. He fulfilled one of his bucket list items by comfortably lying on an empty beach and drinking a beverage.
But still, can it be called a good rest just because he did that for a few hours?
If someone who had been working hard ran off for a 3-hour vacation and was told to start working again, they would have to prepare themselves to be strangled.
“And even when I tried to sleep comfortably, I ended up fighting zombies.”
So, it couldn’t be said that he had a good time during the vacation.
That was the reason.
“I’m really going to rest this time. I can’t make any concessions.”
Being stuck in the Cheongwol Hall after declaring a strike.
I didn’t need to do anything special. I just wanted to enjoy the passing clouds and spend my time.
And then, after a while, as usual, I realized.
“Damn it.”
The world has never flowed the way I wanted it to.
Ian’s expression became uneasy as he woke up from sighing.
“Uh… I didn’t know there was such a kind and cute dark attribute spirit! If I had known, I would have studied spirit magic harder…”
– hehehe. Am I cute? Even my sister looks cute!
“It won’t work! Nathalion! Do you want to live with my sister?”
– … No, you can like my sister, but Ian is better. Can’t my sister live with Ian?
“Huh? Me and Ian? I do want to be with him…. Ah, what am I saying?”
When did Bianca come to the Cheongwol Manor, holding Nathalion in her arms in the next room.
Ian, who was looking at them through the crack in the door, couldn’t help but chuckle, as if he couldn’t believe it.
‘This seems like a bigger deal than I thought.’
Her coming to the Cheongwol Manor wasn’t that strange.
Even though she was grateful for the help she received at the Brookes Estate. She kept coming by the nearby inn room without fail.
‘Yeah. Let’s say that Bianca is keeping the mansion with precious memories, but other kids are also a problem.’
She didn’t stop coming.
Reina, who came every day with a dessert made using winter strawberries, was also there.
Is it all over once those two leave?
‘It can’t be.’
Next were Lia and Eri.
Rest was interrupted by these people who seemed tired of coming.
Eventually, after reaching the stage of enlightenment, Ian decided to end the strike.
‘But it’s not a bad situation.’
Come to think of it, isn’t this the utopia I desired so much?
He was the one who took away the heroines in order to attract Leviathan.
It was clear that receiving the attention of the heroines was a good situation.
‘The family is also doing well.’
Until the smoothly executed 2nd round ending with the players playing the game.
The meaning behind the words that there were no problems except for treating the players with quick regeneration was simple.
“I don’t have to cling to my lineage.”
It was the end of wasting time hesitating.
The atmosphere of the unstable family had stabilized, and lately, more and more people were coming for work, weren’t they?
Since the investment had officially started, there was no need to ask for help from those who had passed away.
“Then, is it time to start?”
Ian barely held his breath at the realization that the time to hunt demons had finally come.
At this moment, there was only one thing to do.
“Simulated training.”
He would enhance his skills to prepare for battles with demons, that was all.
As the simulated training began, Alex Volkanov appeared before Ian, wielding his sword.
“Fight fairly!”
Ian raised the corners of his mouth as he saw Alex rushing toward him, still wearing his protective shield, just like any other time.
“Aether.”
***
In the past.
During the difficult times before the possession, when I tried to support my struggling family by taking on menial jobs.
There was one thing I heard from the adults.
“Why did you come to this dusty place, working hard, even though you’re so smart?”
The guy who would be sitting under the cherry blossom tree on the university campus, sipping coffee and laughing with friends, was now in a perilous, dusty place… When I think about it, it doesn’t seem strange.
Of course, Ian didn’t want to be here either. He wanted to go to university, drink and have fun. But what can you do when the conditions aren’t right?
As he immersed himself in the dust and disinfected himself with pork belly and soju, he spilled the family’s stories. The old men would pat him on the back and laugh carefreely.
“Ah, young one, you have such a kind heart. Well! But do you know how quickly time goes by? It’s good to be dutiful. You should enjoy and have fun at your age. Otherwise, you’ll regret it later.”
Time flows quickly… If you spend your youth that way, you’ll regret it.
That was a phrase he had heard countless times, but Ian couldn’t relate to it.
“My clock seems to be running backward.”
Since he had lived a difficult life, he had never experienced time flying by.
Now he understood the meaning of those words.
“It’s already the first day of school? Don’t lie. I’ve only had a few simulated trainings and played with Neltallion. How did a month pass?”
Looking at the morning sunlight announcing the first day of school, a melancholic expression appeared on his face involuntarily.
But what could he do? The calendar didn’t lie. He would hold back his sadness and put on a calm facade, revealing his
Lonely and melancholic, the first half of the reincarnation overlapped briefly.
But now, things were different.
“It’s been a while. Captain.”
“… The last time I saw you was a week ago.”
“A week is still quite a long time, I believe.”
“Well, Eri was always sticking around with Ian, right?”
As soon as they arrived at the facility, Eri and Ria were there to greet them.
Of course, it didn’t end there with the people around.
“… But why are the others behind coming together?”
Eri’s eyes pointed towards Ian’s back.
Two women stood awkwardly. It was Raina and Bianca.
“… Well, I live in Ashellan outskirts, and it costs a lot of money to come to the facility, so I asked my senior for help. But why is Bianca here? Isn’t she supposed to be with Ariel in Trishura?”
“Why should I be in Trishura? And besides, Ashellan isn’t that bad after spending some time there. It’s warmer than the northern regions.”
They used to be the ones eagerly staying close to Ariel, but now they were clinging to Ian.
As an outsider who didn’t know the whole story, it was only natural for her to find it strange.
Eri sent a meaningful look as if asking for an explanation, but…
‘What am I supposed to say about this?’
There was nothing specific to say.
‘I can’t possibly say it’s a plan to isolate Ariel by gaining their favor.’
Nor could she say it was something unavoidable to attract demons.
‘And I can’t insist on separating to avoid noticing Eri’s suspicions.’
If she said it resolutely like that, it might work. However, she had to be prepared for all the efforts she had made so far to go down the drain.
Could she really make such a foolish choice?
It’s better this way. She just thought that and let it go.
“…Understood. Anyway, let’s move quickly.”
Fortunately, it seemed that Eri also decided not to investigate further.
Swoosh!
Eri and Ria subtly occupied the seats on both sides, while Bianca and Raina followed closely behind.
Seeing them, Ian secretly smiled a satisfied smile.
‘Well…. the situation is good.’
At the beginning of the possession, she received hatred from the heroines and lived with it.
If compared to her current appearance, there would be a tremendous difference.
From Noble mtl dot com
‘It’s much worse than expected, but anyway, the plan was successful.’
According to their words, even Celia said she spent the vacation stuck at her hometown.
The situation where the vaguely planned scheme was successful. Ian had nothing to complain about.
Suppressing his laughter, Ian entered the auditorium while looking around.
Familiar faces that caught his eye.
Including Igor and other squad members, squad leaders, and even the surprised Hailey.
However, Ian didn’t pay much attention to them.
Because there was another place for him to focus.
‘There you are.’
Instead of standing on the stage and looking down at the students like before, there was a woman crouched among the members of 1st Squad.
‘There you are, Ariel,’
Ian smiled upon seeing his lonely sister.
***
It was undoubtedly a journey planned with good intentions.
Bianca, who had to leave her hometown because she lost her family at a young age.
Every time she had free time like vacations, Ariel did her best for Bianca, who missed her family.
‘We used to spend time together at the mansion… And sometimes, we met Reina when we were bored.’
How long has it been since then?
Recently, she decided to visit Brookes Territory herself.
She thought that if she helped her sister, who couldn’t look at the past due to fear, she could boost her courage.
‘I didn’t expect zombies to appear. But I thought it was an opportunity.’
Although an unfortunate incident occurred, she saw it as an opportunity.
If she could drive away those monsters in the land filled with memories, it would make the bond between Bianca and her stronger.
She also believed that by gaining the title of the hero who saved the territory, she could regain her tarnished reputation.
However, the outcome didn’t go as expected at all.
‘I understand that I caused you pain. I also thought it was my fault. But…’
Ariel, looking gloomy, looked at the device.
I tried to contact Bianca countless times, but she wouldn’t even look at my messages.
The moment we reunited, the disappointment in her face was evident. She eventually left without returning to Trisha and went somewhere else.
The distance between Bianca and me grew.
However, the trials that Ariel faced were not over yet.
“Why is this happening? Why can’t I reach anyone?”
Even Reyna, who had a gloomy expression while traveling to Brookes Territory, lost contact.
“Celia said she’s been feeling tired lately and wants to take a break.”
In the end, Ariel had no choice but to spend the vacation alone.
It was the moment when the person who had always led others became lonely.
Initially, I thought there must have been something wrong during the early stages of the break. Time will resolve it. I clung to such vague attitudes.
I was mistaken.
“It’s the first day of school… No contact?”
Bianca and Reyna never replied, and Ariel ended up going to school alone in solitude.
“Isn’t that Ariel over there?”
“Where did our usual group go? Why is she coming alone?”
“Didn’t she switch sides due to an underground game?”
“Hey! Listen! Be careful.”
“No… I’m not insulting Ariel. I’m talking about that commoner and fallen noble….”
They hurriedly walked, avoiding curious glances and covering their ears.
After entering the auditorium like that, they stood in a line as 1st years and waited absent-mindedly.
“You, why are you all…”
Seeing the appearance of Bianca and Reyna with Ian, Ariel couldn’t understand.
Why are they acting like that?
Until before the vacation, she would aggressively react to Ian, so why is she now following him around and laughing carelessly?
There was absolutely no understanding.
“Ignoring my messages and being with Ian?”
When did they become so close? Why did this happen without a word to her?
At that moment, a strange voice echoed in her head.
– Don’t you feel unjust?
“Another hallucination…”
Since returning from Brookes, he had been plagued by a strange hallucination.
At first, he didn’t pay much attention to it.
He thought it was just because he had seen scary creatures called zombies. If you see scary things, you instinctively avoid dark places and start looking around for ghosts.
He still thought it would disappear naturally over time.
But as soon as the hallucination went beyond this Sunday, Ariel couldn’t bear it any longer.
“Isn’t it unfair that my friends were taken away?”
“There must have been a reason. There must have been! So shut up!”
He tried receiving diagnoses from priests, wearing earplugs, and even received treatment using sorcery with the help of his teacher…but nothing changed.
It was the same now.
“What is it? What?”
“Don’t you want to kill Ian? He took everything from you.”
He felt like his mind would go crazy from the hallucinations that kept ringing in his head, even though he tried covering his ears with his hands. The more hallucinations came, the tighter Ariel held on to the Holy Sword.
“Haa…”
He didn’t know why, but he felt like he could endure it as long as he held on to the Holy Sword.
Of course, he could still hear it slightly. It was just turned down a bit. Only that much.
Still, it was way better than listening to the hallucinations bang inside his head.
How long had it passed since he lowered his head?
The principal’s speech, which marked the end of the summer vacation, ended and students’ information started popping up on the screen.
“Well, from now on, we will begin the inter-class battles for each grade.”
The inter-class battles for each grade. After Ark began its new semester, it prepared simple sparring among students to prevent the decline in their skills.
One could also say it was like a practical sparring.
One different point was that the disciples were not matched up against each other. Professors assigned the matches instead.
“Where am I…?”
He searched the screen with tired eyes while grabbing his throbbing head.
That moment. He saw it.
[2nd-year 3rd-platoon Ian Volkanov: 1st year 1st-platoon Dias]
“Huh?”
Thus, he realized that it wasn’t himself but someone else who was going to fight Ian.
“It’s not me, but Dias who will fight Ian?”
He didn’t understand the unexpected pairing, and his pupils trembled.
Honestly, he thought that he would be the one facing Ian.
After all, aren’t there figures as formidable as Ian in the Ark?
Of course, it’s common for top students to be paired with students one grade higher, but among the 3rd-year students of Arc this time, there were individuals who were so insignificant that they were referred to as the worst skippers in history.
In contrast, for the 1st year, the situation was described as having the best skippers in history.
Ariel believed that the professors would choose someone from the 1st year to face Ian.
She was sure it would be her.
“Although I lost in the war game. Still, if it’s just a simple duel.”
If it’s a duel where strategy is minimally effective, she believed she could have another chance.
But that wasn’t the case? Then who would she be fighting against?
Surprised, she moved her eyes and saw it.
[1st-year Platoon Ariel Volkano: 2nd-year Platoon Igor Pendiya]
Igor…
He was definitely the man who accompanied Ian. The one who destroyed all the plans of Platoon 1 by disrupting their rear in the war game.
That kind of person was her opponent. That’s what she thought in that instant.
“Hey, isn’t Ariel Volkano your opponent?”
When the muscular man covered with tattoos and scars looked down at her.
It was the moment she faced Igor Pendiya.