“It’s been ages since I’ve stepped outside like this.”
If the man’s memory serves him right, the last time he ventured out was more than a decade ago.
Add to that the fact that he was alone, and it was certainly a first-time experience in his life thus far.
All around him were nothing but mounds of sand.
A vast, endless desert.
The only wasteland in the Astria Empire.
Ethiopia was the stronghold of Avatarara.
“…A traitor.”
He knew this was an impossible story.
But if that’s the case, how is it that he knows about Avatarara and has been chasing their traces until now?
Aike Akses.
He was the current most-watched opponent by the man.
Avatarara had been working behind the scenes for a very long time to bring down the Astria Empire.
They had meticulously concealed their tracks without leaving even a tiny hint, and if any traces were left behind, the Avatarara of that era had completely vanished.
Normally, Aike should have ambushed Avatarara, and the moment Rex’s existence became known in Astria, they should have hidden once again.
But the man decided he could delay no longer.
In reality, they were on the brink in several ways.
Thus, he started to spread the name of Avatarara from this side first.
In any case, the man concluded that Aike Akses was already aware of Avatarara’s existence.
He had killed the informant who operated in Heros and annihilated the Black Wolf and assassins preparing to stomp out the seedlings of Arcana.
And from what he discovered recently, it seemed he was digging for information on Avatarara through some means, though how exactly was unclear.
How could that be possible?
How could they start moving one step ahead of themselves?
No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t figure it out.
Because of that, Aike Akses already emerged as the greatest threat in the man’s mind.
Leon Aigis Astria, the greatest genius in the history of the empire.
Reina Rozelia, whom Rex said posed an equal threat.
His instincts warned him that Aike Akses was even more dangerous than those two.
Under normal circumstances, he should have informed all the executives of Avatarara about this fact.
He should have given orders to keep a close watch on Aike Akses.
However, faced with an uncertain unknown, the man ultimately chose silence.
Even though he knew it couldn’t be true, doubt began to creep in that there might actually be a traitor within Avatarara.
Only Rex, who first sensed the ominous premonition about Aike Akses, somewhat understood the man’s troubles.
“…What on earth is that guy’s identity?”
After starting to notice that, the man’s worries deepened, and he quietly sighed.
“It could just be a coincidence. Or maybe that X guy came from the future?”
Just after the Black Wolf was killed.
The words Edgar had said when he thought of Aike Akses as X at that time.
If that was indeed the case, then there was no hope for Avatarara.
“Well, I guess there wasn’t much to begin with.”
Of course, even so, the man had no intention of giving up.
This had been a dream passed down from the long-forgotten predecessors, whose faces he didn’t even know.
The goal was singular.
To destroy Astria and bring about the true resurrection of the empire.
He was born and lived solely for that purpose.
“Ugh.”
Feeling parched, the man quietly removed his hood and gazed at the sun.
“The future lies in our hands.”
As he spoke, his eyes sparkled, one a light green and the other a blue hue.
★
Now that Avatarara was beginning to be known throughout the empire.
To be honest, time was running short.
If we were simply to consider the sheer abilities of each individual, they might currently exceed the original story.
Since last year, after the second semester began, Arcana had increased the ratio of practical training under Ender Dean’s strong leadership.
However, what was most problematic in the fight against Avatarara was that it wasn’t just about raw power.
No matter how strong they became, it would be meaningless if they couldn’t break through.
“…First, I need to quickly pass this ring to Sophia.”
The Ring of the Saintess he had received from Olivia during last summer break.
It had already been over six months, and he still hadn’t handed it over to Sophia.
Of course, thinking only about the timeline of the original story, that was only natural, but he knew it shouldn’t be like that.
In the original story, Aike Akses had insisted that Sophia should be recognized as the Saintess as soon as possible.
Let’s think.
How did Sophia become the Saintess in the original?
After the assassins of the Black Wolf attacked Arcana, Charlotte came to repair the Barrier.
And when Sophia caught Charlotte’s eye, she headed to the Magic Tower, challenging the Trial Room at the end.
In the Trial Room, Sophia would hear the catchphrase of the former Saintess, Selene, and would then recite it in front of Ender Dean, embarking on her journey to become the Saintess.
…Wouldn’t it be resolved if I taught Sophia that catchphrase?
It wasn’t that I hadn’t considered such a possibility.
But I had doubts whether just that alone would make the story unravel simply.
The Trial Tower was a device that showed hallucinations based on various emotions and memories dormant in the subconscious.
And the hallucinations Sophia encountered there originated from the complex feelings she felt after entering Arcana.
The feeling of distance from her classmates stemming from class differences.
The loneliness from having no one to confide in about that distance.
The discomforts and gazes she endured due to her confrontations with Reina, the daughter of the Rozelia Duke House.
And the helplessness that arose every time she recalled the students who died in the Arcana assassination incident.
Such complex and negative feelings relentlessly assaulted Sophia’s mind in the form of hallucinations, ultimately causing her to faint.
“Miracles always come unexpectedly. It is up to the individual to seize them.”
But just before she fainted, the last catchphrase she heard in a hallucination was that of the former Saintess.
That phrase somewhat alleviated the negative feelings Sophia had.
Feeling the loneliness borne from distance.
Facing malice from others for the first time.
Even when despairing from the feeling of helplessness, having done nothing.
“Even so, meeting everyone is undoubtedly a miracle. I don’t want to miss this hope.”
Reflecting on that phrase, she rises and uses it as the driving force to move towards the future instead of fleeing.
But what about now?
There were no confrontations with Reina, so there were no discomforts or malice to be felt, and the threat of assassination against Arcana’s students had completely disappeared.
What about the distance and loneliness?
Even that, when recalling recent Sophia, I found myself tilting my head.
According to what I heard from Reina and Helen, Sophia reportedly has several friends besides us.
Well, I guess that makes sense. One of the biggest reasons she couldn’t expand her friendships in the original story was her confrontations with Reina.
Now that the internal sentiment of Arcana had somewhat stabilized, it was only natural that people would gravitate toward Sophia’s bright and positive traits.
Anyway, to return to the main point.
If I teach Sophia the catchphrase of the former Saintess, can she truly use it as the motivation she had in the original story? That was the concern.
Above all, the Trial Tower shows hallucinations based on memories in the subconscious, not fabrications of events that never occurred.
That’s why Ender Dean was able to connect Sophia with the former Saintess.
But if someone were to directly tell her that phrase, and if that someone were to be me, then Ender Dean would likely furrow his brow.
While we are currently maintaining a good relationship, I suspect he still has some degree of wariness toward me in his heart.
There was a time when I believed everything would be easy because I knew the future; what a foolish thought that was.
“It’s really difficult.”
I know how absurd and ridiculous it is to want a conclusion where no one dies.
But since I’ve already reincarnated in this novel, it’s not bad to have such dreams, right?
So what should I do?
It’s been almost a month since the second year started.
It was time to arrive at a real answer.
“…Is that really the only option?”
In some ways, it was the simplest yet most undesirable last resort.
However, as long as a dream for the future existed, I had no intention of ruling out any means or methods.
★
I’m exhausted.
Having finished the preparation of documents related to Arcana’s schedule, Ender quietly sipped his tea as he pondered.
Since last year, as most of the major subjects were shifted to practical training, it was only natural that the number of cases to handle increased.
Still, Ender didn’t dislike this feeling of fatigue.
In fact, he could say he enjoyed it.
Watching students evidently grow, the weariness dissipated quickly.
Additionally, the slowly changing public opinion also brought a smile to Ender’s face.
At first, a majority of students were opposed to the practical-focused classes.
Even though Arcana split its major into swordsmanship and magic, it wasn’t strictly an educational institute for knights or mages.
Most were preparing for when they would inherit their families or when they would be adopted into other families, hence placing greater importance on liberal arts subjects like history, politics, and economics.
However, as the number of students aspiring to be knights and mages increased, their positive feedback about the expanded practical training began to alter the students’ perspectives.
A rising voice for change in the liberal arts curriculum began to emerge.
Of course, simply responding to requests to add practical training to the liberal arts courses wasn’t easy.
Unlike swordsmanship or magic, which one can solely practice to yield results, liberal arts subjects have a stronger abstract nature.
However, when people gather, various discussions are bound to surface, and among them, there were many opinions compelling enough for Ender to acknowledge.
The documents Ender just finished drafting were of that nature.
“Hmm.”
After finishing his tea, Ender lightly stretched.
A glance outside revealed the sky was already tinged with twilight.
Watching the students move in a positive direction made it impossible for Ender not to smile, but sadly, the current empire was not filled only with good news.
“Avatarara.”
Most of the recent stories coming from various corners of the empire were concerning the unidentified organization, Avatarara.
From minor skirmishes to calls for reforming the empire.
When investigating the roots of those incidents, the name Avatarara emerged every time for some reason.
Of course, their actions were too insignificant to be labeled as rebels immediately.
But for some reason.
Ender felt an ineffable sense of unease.
That unease was undoubtedly rooted in:
“…That suspicious person from back then.”
There was no direct connection, but nonetheless, Ender was convinced.
Ender’s instincts had sounded an alarm, and he knew all too well from long experience that sometimes, the simplest thoughts are the closest to the truth.
And there was still one individual he had some lingering suspicion about.
To be frank, Ender knew that it wasn’t a character that should invoke such feelings.
Yet the private reason for Ender holding onto these emotions was clear.
“Just in case, should I observe a bit longer?”
As he reached that conclusion, there was a knock on the Dean’s office door.
“Who’s there?”
“It’s Aike Akses, Dean Ender.”
Upon hearing the response, Ender widened his eyes slightly.
“Come in.”
“Thank you.”
The man who entered through the door was the very character Ender had just concluded to keep a closer eye on.
A second-year student at Arcana.
Aike Akses, the second son of the Akses Duke House.
