I submitted my test paper, completed in 20 minutes.
As I turned around, my eyes met with Elise's.
Instead of her test paper, Elise was staring at me. Piercing me with her distinctive round eyes.
I didn't know why, but I responded with my lips.
─What are you looking at?
Elise bowed her head without a word, and I gathered my things and left.
Today, I have an appointment with Soliette.
Was Soliette's elective physical training?
She's probably taking a physical assessment right now.
I took the bus and arrived at the lakeside, behind the Endex old building.
"...Are you here now?"
"What?"
But Soliette was already at the lakeside. Alone in a tent, fiddling with her smartphone.
"Here you go."
She handed me something. It was some kind of coated paper file.
[Fraternity List.]
"This is a list of fraternities I know. There was a lot of information in the family library. I compiled them and brought them. Please read."
"...."
I took the file.
There were many fraternities listed, but I skimmed through and tucked it away.
"You've worked hard."
It probably won't be in here.
Not that it isn't, but there's already a vague heavyweight group in my mind.
From Knightmare's first murder to his last, if I think of all the benefits from his murders…
Naturally, the group called 'The Beginning and The End' comes to mind.
Currently, there's no public information as it's shrouded in a veil, but in 12 years, the veil of this fraternity will be slightly lifted.
It's a secret society, almost like a religion, where the children of high-ranking families known by name join and grow through the 'university' channel.
"I'll look into it. Me too."
"...."
Then Soliette gave me a suspicious look.
"You. You seem to know something."
She's quick to notice. I shrugged my shoulders.
"I told you. We're dealing with an opponent we can't chase even if we want to right now. We need to grow stronger."
"...Well, if you tell me, will I break in alone?"
"Could you?"
The future Soliette. The only one who could have won a single victory against the world's best, Jade, The Greatest Sword.
I don't know about her then, but the current Soliette is honestly too weak.
"But anyway, they'll approach you first."
"What do you mean?"
"Just act normal, live as if you've forgotten everything, and enter Edsilla University. Then they'll definitely try to capture you first, the heir to the Arkne family."
"...."
Soliette looked at me. As if she was puzzled. Without blinking her big eyes once, she said.
"You speak as if you already know everything."
Whooosh──
Suddenly the wind blew, and her hair fluttered. A streak of starlight fell from the void. It was a shooting star in broad daylight.
Suddenly, the atmosphere was set.
For some reason, I thought.
It seemed okay to tell Soliette.
It seemed okay for at least one person to know my secret.
"I know everything. Because I'm a regressor."
Thud-
The wind stopped.
Soliette blinked her big eyes again.
Blink- Blink- She asked after a moment of silence.
"Ah yes. Tomorrow is the day of the swordsmanship exam, have you decided on your opponent?"
"Not yet. I've planned out the basics."
I had laid out the Five Basic Forms and Three Sword Forms in the 「Notepad」, utilizing them to their fullest. If I proceed as planned, Soliette will be taken aback at least once, right?
"Is it that crazy Changing Sword again?"
"That's right."
Soliette refers to my swordsmanship style as the 'crazy Changing Sword'. She says it's a mad style that tortures the body 3-4 times more than the Changing Sword.
"Well, I'll go and watch you break your body."
Soliette shifted her gaze back to the lakeside, teasingly. The gentle sunlight reflected off the ripples in the water. She murmured softly while watching it.
"But… you're a bit strange."
"What is?"
"You came to me when I needed someone the most."
"Hmm."
My heart fluttered slightly, but she was probably saying this because she truly found it strange. Without any hidden intentions or meanings, she was simply amazed at the timing of my arrival.
I smirked.
There was only one thing to say in response.
"You must have done something good in your previous life."
______________________________________________________________________
Elise had taken the Latinel evaluation test. She had filled the entire 90 minutes, double-checked dozens of times, and was confident of a perfect score.
"Elly~ Elly, let's check the answers~"
As soon as the exam ended, Layla rushed over. Elise handed her the answer sheet.
"Oh, thank you!"
"Do you think you did well?"
"Look at this. Hehe."
Layla showed off the notes that [At Your Service] had written for her. Elise was honestly a little envious, but Layla didn't share. It was worth a whopping 10,000 Ren.
"Almost ten questions came out from this note alone, you know? And only the really difficult ones!!"
"You've worked hard. I have to go now."
"Ah! You're leaving already?! There are a lot of handsome guys here, hang out a bit!"
Elise stepped outside. Ignoring the nobles who were clinging to her, she immediately got into the waiting sedan.
"Let's go right away."
Today's destination was the Celon Mental Hospital. Not Petra University Hospital, but one of the hospitals under Petra.
She had to meet Yael again and come to a proper conclusion this time.
Ding-
A text message arrived just then.
[Father: There is no surveillance. No cameras, no eyes, no ears, and even mana, nothing will be watching you.]
It was from her father. For the first time in almost a year, her father had contacted her directly.
Elise put her smartphone in her pocket.
"We've arrived."
The Celon Mental Ward, which only has three floors above ground, but extends very long underground.
Elise descended into the basement of the place alone.
Elise hugged Cookie tightly to her side as she took the elevator.
Ding-!
A place that didn't even exist on the ward's blueprint, the 17th floor underground.
The entire floor was stark white, and in the middle of it all, Yael was bound in restraints.
"Seeing you again so soon?"
He spoke with a beaming face.
"Even surveillance is absent. It's a first. Perhaps father is expecting you to kill me?"
"..."
If it were her father, that might be possible. Hoping that I would kill the man he couldn't, simply because of blood ties.
Elise walked over and sat down in front of him.
"I'll get straight to the point."
No need for pleasantries. No reason to waste time. Elise stared into Yael's eyes.
"What's your relationship with Shion Ascal? How did you become friends?"
Yael chuckled.
"Why are you so curious about him?"
"Because he's your friend."
"You could be friends too."
"...Stop playing with words. Before I kill you."
Elise activated her Magic Body. Vroom- Yael's eyes widened as he watched her hair rise.
"Whoa. Are you talking about Petra Hospital? I met him there once, didn't I? Shion said he'd never seen anyone as beautiful as you before."
He closed his eyes and smiled as if reminiscing about the past.
"Ah~ I miss the old days."
"Just by knowing of your existence, Shion Ascal is a threat to the family."
Elise's expression twisted menacingly.
"You know that too."
"What?"
"If a commoner knows about you, the family has no choice but to deal with him."
For the first time, Yael's expression hardened.
"...Shion is a good guy."
A good guy.
Elise nodded.
"Yes. I know. I know that too."
Shion Ascal is a good person.
A person who overcame unimaginable hardships, fought against diseases and made it this far. Yet, he never forgot his roots and continued to support the Orphanage, and remained loyal to Libra. A thoughtful person.
Elise knew that too.
Shion Ascal is a good person.
"But what can I do? I'm not a good person."
She stood up from her seat.
"Stop."
Yael grabbed her as she was about to turn around.
His tone was completely different from before.
"..."
Elise looked back at him. He clicked his jaw, the only part he could move.
"Sit down."
The atmosphere had become heavy.
Now, his always clown-like demeanor was gone.
Elise willingly sat back down.
Yael looked into her eyes.
"How did we become friends? I sought him out myself. When I heard Shion was hospitalized."
"...Why?"
"Because I knew about Shion Ascal from the beginning. Even before he was hospitalized."
Knew him before he was hospitalized? Elise maintained her poker face, but she didn't understand what he was talking about. Shion was just an ordinary commoner.
"Elise. Do you know how you were born?"
Yael suddenly twisted the topic with a strange question.
"Is how I was born important right now?"
"Yes. I'll tell you. Elise, you were special from the moment you were born."
Yael looked into Elise's eyes with a serious expression. He began to recite his old story.
"You were quite unlucky. That day, a storm like a magic disaster was pouring."
Elise quietly listened to his reminiscence.
…It was a dark night of a certain summer.
In the stormy night, a sedan was moving on the road. Inside were his mother, father, and Yael.
Their destination was Petra's relatives, but his mother suddenly felt labor pains, and his father hurriedly turned the steering wheel to a nearby hospital.
The view was completely covered with rainwater, and nothing could be seen. To make matters worse, the car slid out of control.
Crash───!
It collided with a car from the opposite side.
His father and Yael were safe, but there were two seriously injured.
No, three.
The other driver, his mother Celine, and Elise in her womb.
His father quickly called the hospital. Fortunately, the ambulance arrived without delay, and both were taken to that small hospital.
However, the number of doctors was limited. The surgical space was also narrow.
Then his father threatened the hospital. He flaunted the Petra family.
─Don't you doctors know what kind of family Petra is?!
Yael saw his father's eyes as he shouted.
They were ferocious.
His eyes, which could not tolerate the fact that they were trying to treat his wife and daughter equally with a commoner, were more fearful than the fear that his wife and daughter might die.
Eventually, the hospital chose his mother.
His father seemed satisfied and sighed, and Yael wandered around the ward alone and saw through the gap in the door.
A woman dying coldly alone, and a nurse quietly sitting next to her, sobbing.
At that moment, he heard the cry of a newborn baby echoing like fate.
Waaaaaah───!
There, Yael had a strange experience.
He felt something breaking inside his heart.
That day, he clearly understood the identity of the 'discomfort' he always felt as he grew up as the son of a noble, the child of a great family.
"...One person died, and two people survived."
Yael concluded the story.
Elise's eyes were completely empty.
"You and our mother survived."
A bitter smile spread across his lips.
"I still wonder. Couldn't the hospital have saved all three of them?"
Yael murmured like a sigh.
"But time that has passed never returns."
Then he looked back at Elise. Nonchalantly, he mentioned someone's name.
"Her name was Eren."
"..."
Elise sat quietly.
Perhaps because she had anticipated the end of this story from the start.
"Eren Ascal. You survived in place of my friend's mother. But you want to kill that friend? Don't you think that's absurd?"
Startled-!
Elise rose to her feet. Her movements were shaky, like a puppet with its strings cut. She tried to maintain her composure, but her hands were trembling.
"More than Petra's desires, ambitions. More than such lowly, useless things, you are."
Yael spoke from behind her.
"You need to remember your beginning as a human."
Her legs were weak. Elise, supporting herself against the wall with her hand, went outside.
"Remember, sister. You are not 'Petra,' you are 'Elise.' Elise, Elise!"
As if fleeing, she closed the door to the white space.
She immediately got on the elevator.
When she came to her senses, she was above ground at the hospital.
There, along with her attendant, stood her father.
Ken Petra.
The head of the Petra family, with eyes identical to hers.
It had been a long time since she had seen her father's face, but Elise was still dazed. She felt suffocated. It was hot, as if a fireball had settled in her. She felt a constant urge to vomit.
"How did it go?"
Her father asked.
Probably a question about Yael's life or death.
Elise barely responded.
"He's alive. But, he's not going to talk."
"..."
Her father had no answer. He just turned around, and Elise did not stop him. Was it because he truly wished for Yael's death?
Elise just took out her smartphone.
She was about to call her mother when, suddenly.
Someone saved as [Trash] caught her eye.
"Trash..."
Elise stared at it, repeating the word, then letter by letter, letter by letter, letter by letter.
She slowly changed the name.
From the five: [Trash], to ten: [Shion Ascal].