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Chloe Piste was a student who originally had no need to attend Grandis Academy.
She belonged to the Imperial Magic Tower, and her master was the Rank 8 Archmage, the Tower Master. She could learn at the Magic Tower without needing to attend the academy, and even if she did, it made more sense for her to attend an academy in the Empire.
Then why did Chloe come to an academy in a foreign country?
If you asked Dean Billend, who was also from the Imperial Magic Tower, he would probably answer with a wry smile.
Because of the intense power struggle within the Magic Tower.
"Rank 6? What are you thinking so hard about?"
"…It's nothing. So, you want to know about Adam?"
"Adam, you seem to know him quite well."
"I can't say I don't."
Chloe wasn't this irritable at this time originally. It was Beatrice who was like that.
After associating with Adam, Chloe gradually lost her malice and her personality softened, but… not anymore.
Therefore, Ruth's intention was clear.
'I can't let Adam and Chloe get involved.'
It seemed like Chloe didn't have a good impression of Adam because he helped Beatrice.
Even so, if they met properly, they would quickly become close, just like before. Adam and Chloe were a good match in many ways.
But then the relationship between Beatrice and Chloe would be a problem.
Those two were sworn enemies who would never get along.
'If Chloe becomes close to Adam in this situation where Beatrice and Adam are already close…'
It was obvious what would happen between Beatrice and Chloe.
As a Regressor, as someone who had to prevent Adam's downfall, she couldn't allow that. In the end, Ruth's goal wasn't everyone's happiness, but to avoid the worst possible future.
'I'm… a little sorry to Chloe.'
It would be a lie to say there was no selfishness in that decision. Ruth hadn't seen Beatrice in the future, but she remembered Chloe in the future, who committed countless massacres alongside Adam.
The person who would definitely follow Adam if he fell. And the person who seemed happiest when she was with Adam.
Especially thinking about Chloe's last words made her freeze with guilt. However, if she couldn't prevent Adam's downfall, she had to at least prevent Chloe from joining him.
She had to turn a blind eye even though she knew the path to Chloe's happiness. Guilt welled up, but no matter how many times she thought about it, it was right to keep her away from Adam.
"It must be about Beatrice, right?"
"…You're quite perceptive. Judging from what you did at the entrance ceremony, I thought you were just full of yourself."
"Didn't you come to get information from me? You're not here to pick a fight, are you?"
"What's with your tone? You're the same age as me, and yet you're trying to talk like an old man, but your actions don't match that, do they?"
"…Hmm… Anyway, I'm just here to ask a few things. I'll give you a reward if you answer properly."
"A reward?"
"You got into a fight with that armor maniac during the midterm exam, right? I'll tell you his weakness. That's enough, isn't it?"
Kaern Deste's weakness.
It was information Ruth didn't know. She had never been deeply involved with Kaern Deste. She only heard that he died in some territory after the academy collapsed and the kingdom fell into chaos.
Ruth, judging that there was nothing to lose, nodded, and Chloe smirked as if she had expected it.
"I'll tell you about mine first. Surely the Rank 6 wouldn't run away just by hearing this, right?"
"…I keep my promises."
"Good. Just remember that I have my own ways even if you run away. Anyway, that madman's weakness is his armor."
"Armor?"
"I'm telling you, I don't mean a weakness in battle. It's a personal weakness. Anyway, there's a reason why that madman cherishes his armor. It's his parents' memento."
His parents' memento.
So that's why he didn't take off his armor even during the deserted island midterm exam.
"Well, I heard that his parents went out to buy that armor and were killed by bandits. He was originally a good-for-nothing who bragged about becoming a knight without any real plan, but he changed after that. It's just a rumor, so I don't know if it's true."
"…I understand."
"What 'I understand.' Just speak comfortably… *Sigh*, whatever. Anyway, I spoke first, so now it's your turn to answer, right?"
"Yes."
The questions Chloe would ask were obvious.
What did you talk about with Adam back then, have you seen Beatrice and Adam meeting, what kind of person is Adam, and so on.
Ruth was prepared for all those questions.
'I have to make Chloe lose interest as much as possible.'
As you can see, Chloe was the type to pursue someone even more if they didn't submit to her or deviated from her expectations.
As such, she lost interest in those who were servile or incompetent. To be precise, she didn't even pay attention to them in the first place.
'It hurts my heart to slander Adam, but…'
That Adam was receiving private bribes despite being the Finance Director, that he was the Headmistress's secret lover, that he was a money-grubbing snob, and so on.
Of course, it wasn't true, but if she told such lies, Chloe's interest would soon disappear. She would think that someone else, not Adam, who was 'actually a nobody,' helped Beatrice.
'I'm sorry, Adam.'
But this was also for your sake.
I have to make sure Chloe doesn't spread these lies—
"Uh… Is there a way to make a specific person appear in a dream, besides magic?"
"…What?"
"I've already checked myself with all sorts of magical means. But there's no curse, no mind magic, nothing. Maybe you, as a Rank 6, would know something other than magical measures."
"W-wait. Dreams?"
"Yeah. That Adam Keynes guy keeps appearing in my dreams."
What in the world…?
Adam appears in your dreams?
"Didn't you say it was related to Beatrice?"
"That's right. I recently investigated everyone who approached that noble princess. I looked into the Finance Director too, and I keep seeing him in my dreams ever since. Is this really some kind of curse? What do you think?"
"...."
So, she didn't specifically investigate Adam from the beginning, but just investigated everyone who approached Beatrice.
It was actually the right choice. Ruth was a Regressor, so she knew Adam was special, but from an outsider's perspective, Adam was just an ordinary Rank 1 Finance Director.
A Rank 1 who wasn't even a mage, and who only met Beatrice briefly, cured her chronic illness? Objectively, it was absurd.
Even if she was suspicious, she would suspect a mage or Beatrice's close aide, not Adam. Chloe just happened to look into Adam while obsessively investigating everyone.
"So it's just because of a dream?"
"I'm suddenly having the same dream, and it's not because of magic. Then I should ask the martial arts department, but it's a bit burdensome to go to a professor. But you know a bit about the Finance Director, and you're a classmate who's not inferior to a professor, right? Anyway, as a Rank 6, do you sense anything suspicious?"
"Not really…"
It wasn't a lie; there really wasn't anything.
Just in case, she raised her Aura and scanned Chloe's body, but there really was no problem.
"You know the Finance Director a bit, right? Is there a possibility that it's related to him?"
"The Finance Director is a Rank 1 who's neither a mage nor anything. As you know, he's a complete stranger who has nothing to do with you."
"Damn it. Then what is it?"
…Wait a minute.
Dreams?
"Just in case, what's the content of that dream?"
"What? Will you have a solution if you hear it?"
"It's better than not hearing it at all."
"…It's nothing special. It's just the Finance Director walking ahead, and I'm chasing after him. And then I wake up."
As expected, was it just a groundless worry?
I wondered if Chloe's memories of the previous timeline were appearing as a dream, but it seemed like that wasn't the case.
'Well, if that were true, Adam and the others would also be gradually regaining their memories.'
But there was no sign of that. Of course, even then, Chloe's dream of chasing after the Finance Director was somewhat unsettling.
"It's just a meaningless dream, so there's no need to worry about it."
"I don't need to worry about it?"
"It's not affected by your magic, and I don't see any problems, which means it's not the influence of a curse or magic. Otherwise, it would mean that someone Rank 7 or higher interfered with your dream, and that's impossible, isn't it?"
"That's… true."
If it were the Archmage or Beatrice who appeared in her dream, she might have suspected some kind of scheme, but for Chloe, the Finance Director appearing in her dream was too sudden.
As far as she knew, Chloe and the Finance Director had only met once by chance during the duel. They weren't acquaintances, just strangers.
With that explanation, Chloe seemed somewhat convinced.
And just in case…
"If the dream keeps bothering you, use Forget magic. It's just a meaningless dream anyway."
"…Tsk, fine."
Erasing nightmares or annoying dreams with Forget magic was a common mental treatment method.
Even if it was fine now, there was no telling when the dream of chasing after someone would change, so she had to say this much.
Chloe seemed troubled for a moment, but then she clicked her tongue and left.
'With this, I changed it.'
Compared to the previous timeline, many things had changed, and it gave her a strange feeling to think that she had changed the future herself.
While feeling guilt towards Chloe, a sense of accomplishment, and relief that things would be okay…
"Ah."
The egg discount.
I'm not late, am I…?
***
"…A meaningless dream, a meaningless dream."
Chloe wandered aimlessly. She kept walking through the streets, back alleys, classroom hallways, dormitories, and so on.
It was to have time to think…
And at the same time, although she didn't realize it herself, it was also to meet someone.
…Actually, Chloe had lied.
It was true that the content of the dream was only about chasing after Adam. And it was also true that she woke up after that.
However.
'What is that…?'
As she chased after Adam, there was a voice she could hear. Chloe didn't mention this fact.
It was Chloe's own voice.
But unlike now, it was a more mature and deeper voice. The Chloe in the dream was different from the current Chloe.
How should she put it… it felt like she was a few years older and more mature.
──Why.
That voice… came from the depths of her heart, as if echoing from within.
As if it were her true feelings.
──Why won't you look at me?
The voice was sticky. And more than that, it was filled with dark jealousy and regret.
At first, she didn't even realize it was her own voice.
──Adam, turn around. I'm right behind you.
The voice called out to Adam. Only when calling Adam's name did the voice brighten.
The Chloe in the dream could only see Adam's back, but for some reason, she could also naturally picture his face. Similarly, Adam also looked a little different from when she saw him during the duel with Beatrice.
His eyes were hidden by his hair. For some reason, he had a blood-red string hanging around his neck. His steps were unsteady, as if he lacked strength, but he never fell.
Not only did calling his name bring a smile to her face and joy to her heart, but just picturing Adam's appearance did the same.
But the sweeter the joy she felt.
The greater the fall afterwards.
──I'm always following you, always watching you.
Her hand in the dream was in her pocket. She wanted to reach out and grab Adam right now. She wanted to beg and even kneel. That was her true desire, the endless urge she felt.
But as if that hand was her last shred of pride, as if time was on her side, she never took her hand out of her pocket.
And the voice always ended with the same words.
──Is that dead woman more important to you than me, who is here right now…?
Throb.
Especially the last words, filled with the darkest and stickiest emotions.
The single step away from Adam that felt like it would never be closed.
Just recalling it gave her a headache. The dream always ended there.
It had already been over two weeks since she started having this dream. Because of that, she quickly gave up on the deserted island midterm exam and rested, but the dream repeated every day.
She had to get good grades to bring down the arrogance of those Magic Tower bastards.
She shouldn't have given up on the midterm exam, a major exam.
But for some reason.
The content of the dream bothered her more than the midterm exam.
'What should I do?'
Should she really use Forget magic, as that Rank 6 guy said?
It was a method she considered from the beginning, but she hesitated because of a vague feeling that it would be irreversible.
But wouldn't it be better than agonizing over the dream and dragging things out? Shouldn't she just forget that dream and focus on her grades and efforts again?
As it is with worries one has alone, there was no easy answer, and Chloe suddenly came to her senses and looked ahead.
Students were gathered in a large group.
"It's the Headmistress!"
"That person in armor is the Security Captain, right? The celebrity at the main gate. Who's that person next to her? They seem to be a faculty member…"
"Did you hear about the Kraken? She tied a Kraken leg with her little finger and made it into a ribbon!"
"I heard she gave it to her secret lover."
"…Think about the Headmistress's age. She was born before our great-grandfather, cough!?"
"Huh? Q-quickly take this guy to the infirmary! He suddenly fainted from breathing difficulties…!!"
Someone was hurriedly carried away on the back of another student, and other students filled the gap.
Chloe, after briefly watching the students, quietly teleported to the roof of a nearby building.
Teleportation magic, which could only be used by mages of at least Rank 5.
It was the result of countless hours and effort that Chloe, a mere talented individual, put into learning it.
'Why?'
The rooftop of the building she teleported to.
From here, she could clearly see the gathered crowd and the Headmistress and her companions walking in the center.
"T-to see Sir Julius…!! Shouldn't we tell the Chief Examiner!? He'll be very happy!"
"Captain of the 1st Security Unit, this is official business. Don't be reckless."
"Adam, how can you be so stubborn from your academy days until now—"
"Captain of the 1st Security Unit."
"Yes, Headmistress!"
"Is there anything wrong with what the Finance Director said?"
"…That."
"If you're thinking of ruining official business with your personal grudge, I'll take the Chief Examiner instead of you, as you wish. Be quiet if you don't want that."
"Yes…"
The Captain of the 1st Security Unit, wearing thick armor and a helmet, and the Finance Director, the person who appeared in her dreams.
The Headmistress, leading the way between the two, came into view.
"...."
Why?
The Captain of the 1st Security Unit wasn't even in her sight from the beginning, and she couldn't help but smile favorably at the Finance Director, but.
It was different when she looked at the Headmistress. An emotion she never intended to feel arose.
'Why?'
At some point, Chloe was glaring at the Headmistress with intense jealousy.
It was the darkest, deepest, and heaviest emotion she had ever felt in her life.
An emotion like an abyss.