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Chapter 222: Interlude – Fireworks (1)
Sigh.
Letting out a low breath, I leaned against the wall.
When I raised my head to look at the sky, the dark night adorned with twinkling stars came into view.
A heavy sense of fatigue weighed down my body.
Although the battle with the Archbishop of Madness hadn’t been particularly long, I had expended all my strength, leaving me utterly drained.
Siiiiiing.
As I leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath, I saw translucent threads of spiderwebs wrapping around the annex building’s roof.
Soon, a figure dashed up the annex as if flying.
“Cadet Dale! Are you alright?!”
Professor Elisha rushed over as she saw me sitting against the wall.
“The Archbishop of Madness is…?”
Instead of answering, I pointed to one side of the annex’s rooftop.
There, remnants of black ash, not yet fully dispersed, were scattered on the ground.
“…Did you win?”
“Well, it took some effort, but yes.”
“……”
With a stiff expression, Professor Elisha crouched down in front of me.
Slowly, she reached out and caressed my cheek.
A touch so soft and warm, unlike anything that might belong to a “spider.”
“…How many times did you die this time?”
“Not too many.”
Only once properly.
Although the Primordial Flame burned my body and killed me a few more times, considering the opponent was the Archbishop of Madness, it wasn’t all that much.
“Don’t speak as if it’s nothing.”
Professor Elisha frowned and pinched my cheek with the hand she had been gently stroking.
“I may not have experienced death and revival like you, but I know enough to understand it’s not a pain that can be brushed off so lightly.”
She, too, had crossed countless battlefields and suffered so many injuries that they were impossible to count.
Some of those wounds had been severe enough that it wouldn’t have been surprising if she had died on the spot.
There were times when her flesh had been ripped away to the point where her bones were visible from a beast’s claw, or when her intestines had spilled out after being slashed by a demon’s sword.
The excruciating pain she felt during those moments was so vivid that she still occasionally relived it in nightmares.
‘But the pain Cadet Dale must have endured isn’t something I can even begin to imagine.’
It was undoubtedly an unimaginable and overwhelming agony.
“That’s why…”
Professor Elisha gently pulled Dale into her arms.
Cradling his head close to her chest, she whispered softly.
“At least in front of me, you don’t need to act so tough.”
She recalled the memory.
The first time Dale had spoken about his past lives.
He had carried on as if it didn’t matter, speaking with a calm demeanor.
But eventually, his whole body had trembled as he poured out the emotions he had been suppressing.
“You’ve done well.”
Like soothing a child, Professor Elisha stroked Dale’s head as she held him in her arms.
“…Professor Elisha.”
“Do you feel a little comforted now?”
“……”
I responded with a small nod instead of words.
“Phew, that’s a relief.”
For a while, Professor Elisha continued to hold me, patting my back before finally taking my hand and helping me up.
“I’ll handle the aftermath, so Cadet Dale, go and rest.”
“No. There’s still something I need to do.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“We all agreed to gather on the rooftop of the party house this evening, didn’t we?”
“What?”
Professor Elisha furrowed her brows slightly as she continued.
“You’re not seriously planning to go watch the fireworks in your current state, are you?”
“It’s a promise. And I’m just tired—it’s not like my body is in bad shape.”
“What do you mean you’re fine?!”
She bit her lip and scolded me harshly.
“Even if you look fine on the outside, you’re so exhausted you can barely stand!”
She wasn’t wrong.
Having overused the Primordial Flame, I was so drained that without Professor Elisha’s support, I wouldn’t have been able to stand up on my own.
“Still, I need to go.”
“You…!”
“It’s a once-a-year festival, isn’t it?”
In my previous life, I hadn’t cared whether there was a festival or not.
‘But things are different now.’
I thought of Lanez, wandering the streets with an excited expression.
Of Iris and Yurina, smiling brightly with anticipation.
And of Professor Elisha, who had quietly regretted being unable to enjoy the festival alone.
In my once-empty life, I now had so many precious things.
That’s why.
“For today, we should enjoy it together.”
“…Sigh.”
Letting out a deep sigh, Professor Elisha placed her hand on her forehead.
“Take my hand. I’ll take you to the party house.”
“Thank you.”
I chuckled softly as I took Professor Elisha’s outstretched hand.
When Professor Elisha and I arrived at the rooftop of the party house, we saw Lanez, Iris, and Yurina already waiting for us.
“Dale! Why are you so late?!”
“Yeah! You said we’d meet at six!”
Iris and Yurina pouted, their lips sticking out in annoyance as they scolded us (thankfully, they had changed into their school uniforms).
“Oh, you’re here… Dale.”
In one corner of the rooftop, Lanez was crouched down, emanating a gloomy aura.
“T-Time was up, and you didn’t come, so I-I was wondering if I should… cut it short or not…”
“…….”
Cut what, exactly?
“Sorry. I was late because I was helping Professor Elisha with some work.”
“Work? What kind of work?”
“You know, things like patrolling the school or keeping an eye on outside merchants.”
“Keeping an eye on them? Why are you doing that?”
“I told you before, didn’t I? I’ve been selected as a ‘Special Cadet Candidate.’”
“Oh.”
Although the principal Lionel had asked me to keep the matter of the special cadets confidential, I had already shared it with my party members in advance.
“I was investigating because the fireworks are about to start soon. I thought there might be an issue.”
I planned to tell them about the Archbishop of Madness only after the festival ended.
Telling them now would only make them worry.
“Hah… If that’s the case, you should’ve let us know in advance. I was worried something might have happened to you.”
“Sorry.”
“Hehe. It’s okay. There’s still some time left until the fireworks start.”
Iris smiled softly as she looked up at the night sky, cloaked in darkness.
“You haven’t eaten anything since the omelet rice earlier, have you? Should I prepare a light snack with Lanez for you?”
“That would be great. Thanks.”
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“Iris! What about me?!”
“Yurina, you just sit quietly here. Not doing anything is the best way you can help.”
“Ugh. That’s so mean….”
Yurina deflated like a popped balloon.
“Shall we head down to the second floor, Lanez?”
“Uh, yeah. But….”
Lanez hesitated, pulling at the hem of Iris’s clothes timidly.
“Lanez… don’t call me that. Just call me comfortably.”
“Huh? But…”
“We’re… friends… after all.”
“Oh my.”
Iris chuckled at the sight of Lanez blushing shyly.
“Then I’ll call you Lanez unnie from now on.”
“U-Unnie?!”
“Hmm? But you are an unnie, aren’t you?”
“W-Well, I am, but… u-unnie….”
Lanez twisted her body awkwardly as if hearing “unnie” for the first time ever.
Watching this, Yurina smirked and sidled up to Lanez.
“Then can I call you unnie from now on, too?”
“Y-Yurina as well?”
“Why? I can’t?”
“N-No! You can… c-call me unnie!”
Lanez exclaimed in a flustered voice.
“Hehehe… unnie… she called me unnie….”
“Lanez unnie, don’t just stand there. Come on.”
“O-Okay! Coming!”
Lanez followed Iris down to the second-floor lounge.
About fifteen minutes after the two went downstairs, they returned to the rooftop carrying plates of food and a delicious aroma.
“Huh? You’re already done?”
“We made something simple to go with drinks.”
Iris placed the plates on the table and pulled out a bottle of liquor she had prepared earlier.
“Is Professor Elisha… still busy with work, so she can’t drink?”
“Well, right now, I think it’s fine.”
“Then I’ll pour you a drink.”
After filling everyone’s glasses—
Cheers.
The casual drinking session began.
“It’s the first time we’ve all sat together like this to drink.”
“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”
“Yeah, usually there are other people around….”
Iris, Yurina, Lanez, and Professor Elisha.
This was the first time I’d shared a drink with these four special people all together.
“This will become a regular thing. You might as well get used to it now.”
Professor Elisha smiled faintly as she sipped her drink.
“A regular thing…?”
“Hmm? Not right away, but eventually, we’ll all live in the same house, won’t we? Then every evening will probably feel like this.”
““……!!!””
Iris, Yurina, and Lanez widened their eyes at Professor Elisha’s bombshell statement.
They had only recently become romantically involved, so they hadn’t considered such a future yet.
“Living together with Dale…?”
“Sharing a life with him…?”
Iris and Yurina blushed like ripe tomatoes as they envisioned the future with excitement, while—
“Gasp…! D-Dale, you absolutely can’t come into my room…!”
For some reason, Lanez turned pale and trembled.
“There’s no need to overreact. There’s still a lot to take care of before then.”
Professor Elisha’s expression darkened momentarily.
“Take care of…? What do you mean?”
“Is something the matter?”
The three women looked at her with puzzled faces when—
Boom! Bang! Crackle!
Fireworks lit up the night sky.
“Wow!”
“It’s started!”
The fireworks began.
Although the party house was some distance from the central square, the colorful lights in the night sky were strikingly vivid even from afar.
“It’s an annual event, but… it feels more beautiful this year.”
Iris smiled as she gazed up at the sky.
“Yeah… Usually, I’d just go to bed early during the festival….”
“This year is different because you have people to watch it with, right, unnie?”
“Y-Yeah. Being together… makes it nice.”
Lanez smiled shyly as she looked up at the sky.
“Oh, speaking of which… we haven’t decided on the most important thing yet.”
As Iris spoke softly, the four women’s gazes turned to me.
“Who’s going to do the kiss?”
“…….”
“…….”
A heavy silence fell.
The warm and pleasant atmosphere from moments ago froze in an instant.
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