She dreams.

Now, she sees the distant memories of a time that has long since vanished, memories that can no longer be reached.

It was her memory, but at the same time, it was not wholly hers.

It was a memory of the future that she might someday reach, coupled with the memory of the past that has already faded away.

Memories that have become so old and gone through so much time that now no one remembers them, clouded and distant.

A future that has not yet arrived, yet a past now filled with regrets that cannot be changed.

The man was indeed very fearful. As far as she knew, he was deeply afraid of many things.

He feared that those around him would leave him.

He feared that those around him would sacrifice themselves for him.

He feared that those around him would disappear, leaving only him behind.

The man was truly weak. The talent given to him was meager, and compared to those around him, the power he possessed was utterly insignificant.

And the people around him died for him. They sacrificed their own lives for him without hesitation.

A world where the end of everything is predetermined. A closed world in which the conclusion cannot be altered, no matter what.

In a world filled only with despair, the only person who held the potential to save everything was that man alone.

Thus, people smiled and died for him. They shielded him with their own lives as a barrier.

So that he could live a little longer. So that he could gaze toward the future a little more. So that he could obtain a few more possibilities.

…but, he did not desire such things.

He despised it.

He disliked that anyone would die for him.

He disliked that anyone would sacrifice themselves for him.

Because of this, he did not use his own weakness as a shield and always jumped into the front line of battle.

To avoid making pitiful excuses to himself. To escape the nauseating self-comfort.

In a distant future, to never be disappointed or regretful of himself.

The man was weak. But his willpower was stronger than anyone else in the world.

It wasn’t that his will was unbreakable. There was just something he could not abandon, even amidst his disgraceful struggles.

And she, watching that man, felt nothing but sadness.

His pain felt like her own, and his sorrow resonated within her.

If only she could, she wanted to carry the burden he bore. She wanted to share in the pain he felt. She wanted him to know the fact that she was here, looking at him.

To warmly embrace him and allow him to rest quietly in her arms.

Indeed, while chasing after that man’s back, she had unknowingly fallen for him.

Even if this time held no meaning at all.

Even if one day she forgot that she had been with him, and their relationship completely reverted to nothing—

In this moment, she wanted to cherish and love only him.

Jin, do you remember me?

Once, we shared love, and transcending time and space, I have continuously loved you and will love you in the future.

 

“…Is it a dream?”

Awakening suddenly, Altina muttered absentmindedly, unaware of her own words.

It was an oddly vivid dream. A strange dream that felt like experiencing something that had actually happened. Yet as soon as she would wake up, everything quickly faded into emptiness.

But why, then? The events that just transpired were nothing but a dream, mere fabrications of something that had not occurred.

Why did she feel as if she might cry?

“Hah.”

Exhaling a sigh, Altina rose from her bed.

Today, for some reason, her body felt unusually heavy, but she had no time to linger in bed.
EP.35

Especially on a day like today, this would be even more true.

Because today is the day the Duel Assessment between Altina and Erekaya takes place.

“…..”

After forcibly awakening her still-dazed consciousness, Altina stood in front of the mirror to tidy her outfit.

She is none other than Altina von Rudel Seryas. There is no way she could appear disheveled in front of others.

Altina gazed blankly at her reflection in the mirror.

Her disheveled pajamas revealed her fair skin, akin to fine jade sculpted with utmost care by a master artisan.

However, several purple bruises were visible on her otherwise flawless white skin.

These were the injuries stemming from the “Special Training” with Jin and could be seen as the results of it.

For the past month, Altina had worked diligently. It felt like it was perhaps the first time she had pushed herself this thoroughly and relentlessly in training.

It was an extremely harsh regime that she would never have managed alone.

But Altina was not alone. Because at her side was a truly admirable master who was already walking a path further ahead than hers.

“…Jin.”

Altina unintentionally murmured his name. At the same time, a faint smile appeared on her face.

He was the master she respected and the benefactor who had led her to the ranks of mastery.

Jin taught her with all his heart as a master, and Altina, as his disciple, faithfully accepted his teachings and stepped into a higher realm.

…But is that really all? Is he merely a master to Altina von Rudel Seryas?

Then why, each time she repeated his name, did her heart feel so confused?

“…Ugh.”

Her head ached. Memories and knowledge that were not her own stirred chaos in her mind.

Why is that? Why does she feel such a familiarity and closeness to a man she has only known for just over a month?

In the past, no man had ever approached Altina von Rudel Seryas so closely, so why was she so sorrowfully repeating his name?

It would seem as if Altina herself was infatuated with him—

“…No way.”

That can’t be true. She is not the kind of woman who easily falls in love or loves someone casually.

She is always rational and cool-headed when judging everything—that is the woman named Altina von Rudel Seryas.

She merely respects him as her master. Nothing more, nothing less.

…Yes, that must be it. Surely.

After once again calming her heart as she looked into the mirror, Altina neatly donned her school uniform and exited her room. Strapping the practice sword that she would be using for the duel to her waist was an extra.

Once outside her room, Altina moved her feet and stopped in front of the Men’s Dormitory.

She had promised to go to the training ground with Jin today.

For some unknown reason, the thought of going to the training ground with him, having him by her side, and being looked upon by him made her feel energized.

…However, despite having far surpassed their meeting time, Jin had still not come out of the dormitory.

“Hah, seriously. Being late even on a day like today.”

Well, it had been the same on ordinary days. She wondered what he always did at night, as he always appeared sleepy in the mornings and often found it hard to fully awaken, resulting in habitual tardiness for classes.

Yet, on a day like today, she thought he would at least show some self-restraint; after all, he was indeed a very consistent man.

Ultimately letting out a sigh, Altina decided to go check up on Jin’s dormitory herself.
It is generally impossible for a woman to enter the Men’s Dormitory, but as with everything in the world, exceptions exist.

Presenting her ID card to the dormitory attendant, Altina silenced him lightly and moved her steps toward the door bearing his nameplate.

However, she hesitated for a brief moment in front of the door.

“…Hmm.”

But is it really acceptable for a woman to intrude into a man’s room? If someone were to witness a woman entering a man’s space, wouldn’t there be an unusual misunderstanding?

“…No, that can’t be.”

Although not widely known, she and Jin share a master-disciple relationship. Isn’t it the duty of a disciple to attend to their master?

Yes, that’s right. She is merely entering his room for the sake of her master. She has no personal intentions whatsoever—

With that self-justification, Altina slightly opened the door. Surprisingly, it was not locked, so there was no need to break the doorknob.

What lay behind her first entry into another man’s room was… unexpectedly nothing remarkable.

Jin’s living space was thoroughly bleak.

Only the textbooks and several essentials used in class were neatly placed on the desk, and there was hardly any trace of decorations or items to embellish the room.

The only notable item was perhaps a small wooden necklace sitting on the desk.

Well, given that it was made of wood, it didn’t seem particularly special—

Just as Altina was about to let out a sigh full of disappointment, something on the desk caught her eye.

“…A photograph?”

It was a picture. A photo of a man and a woman with a young boy between them.

It was nothing special—just a family photo, a common sight found everywhere in the world.

However, a unique feature was that all three—man, woman, and boy—had black hair.

Even across the entire continent, it is rare to find anyone with black hair. If that is the case, then that photo must be—

“Jin’s childhood….”

In an instant, Altina swallowed hard. His childhood image—a past version of Jin that she did not know.

What had he looked like in a past she was unaware of? What kind of appearance did he have? How incredibly adorable could he have been?

Just as Altina, half-dazed, was about to take a closer look at the photo—

“…Altina?”

At the sound of a voice from behind her, Altina jumped, like a sinner caught in the act.

“J-Jin?”

“What the hell are you doing here? Isn’t this the Men’s Dormitory? How did you even get in?”

With a voice filled with disbelief, Jin questioned her, and without thinking, Altina waved her hands in a panic as she began to explain.

“N-No! I was just worried because you hadn’t come out after the agreed time…!”

But why was she feeling like a criminal, explaining herself? She had merely come up here out of concern for him since he wasn’t out yet!

“Anyway, come out quickly! I’ll be waiting by the entrance!”

With those words, Altina hurriedly dashed out of Jin’s room.

And just before leaving, she briefly glanced back at the photo, closing her eyes tightly as if to clear her thoughts.

…If only she had noticed that family photo a bit earlier.

The boy in that photo.

Thinking about his childhood image made her feel a strange sense of cuteness that she couldn’t shake off.