Episode 112
"Young Master? Where are you going?"
"...Night walk."
It's sudden, but I think I need to go for a night walk with Clana.
Originally, I should have ended this exhausting day and gotten some proper sleep, but it can't be helped.
After all, Clana's hand, asking me to go for a night walk, was trembling.
Just like that time, several weeks ago.
"Kania, how much time do you think is left until Clana's memories fully return?"
"In her current state, her memories could return at any moment."
Kania's expression is dark as she answers my question.
Staring at her for a moment, I eventually sighed and answered.
"With the Slave Market Liberation Quest overlapping, I'm feeling uneasy. If all those slaves end up like they did in the previous cycle..."
"Young Master, are you already assuming that you'll be caught?"
"...Sigh."
I was about to argue against Kania's words, but I eventually sighed and closed my mouth.
From the day I placed temporary measures on Clana's memory until today, I've had countless thoughts, but no particularly sharp solution came to mind.
"Anyway, I'm making preparations, Kania. I hate leaving things to chance without any preparation and then messing things up."
"I under...stand."
So when I finally told her the truth, Kania, who had been biting her lip, answered with difficulty.
"Then, I'll be..."
"I have a question."
As I patted her shoulder and was about to leave the room, Kania grabbed me and asked a question.
"...Isn't it about time for the third trial to come?"
"How did you know that?"
"I can tell just by looking at Young Master's expression."
Kania said that while looking at me with a sad expression.
"What is this trial? Ms. Irina is getting anxious again. Even if it's just to prevent her from losing her mind..."
"I don't know either."
"You don't know?"
When I answered calmly, Kania asked back with a flustered expression.
"I really don't know. What the third trial will be like."
But in this case, there's nothing I can do either.
Because the third trial changes depending on the partner.
That's why I was working hard to plan so that I could overcome it regardless of who I partnered with, but things went wrong when I became partners with Perlotte.
"Then... is this trial an unknown territory that even Young Master doesn't know about?"
"...Yes."
After hearing that explanation, Kania began pacing around the room with an anxious expression.
"Don't worry. The third trial also tests mental strength. I'm confident in my mental strength..."
"About the time you received mental counseling while wearing the 'Robe of Deception.' There were results."
As I was trying to reassure her, Kania slumped into a chair, took out a report from her bosom, unfolded it, and began speaking in a low voice.
"To start with the conclusion, there is definitely something abnormal about Young Master's mental state."
"Me? That can't be true. Do you know what my mental strength value is?"
My mental strength value is 9.5 based on the current standard where I'm receiving my partner's blessing. In other words, it would be hard to find someone with stronger mental strength than me in the entire world.
But there's a problem with my mental state? I can't understand it at all.
"Young Master, you have an obsession that you must always be okay."
As I was thinking that and about to open my mouth, Kania spoke in a serious voice.
"Of course I do think that way... but that's not an obsession, it's a fact. Even if I see illusions, if I just wait a little, my mind becomes clear again. And since I've experienced most things, I don't really feel much..."
"That's not having good mental strength. It's just that your mind is forcibly restored and becomes clear due to your high mental strength value."
"But..."
As I was about to answer her, suddenly the dormitory door burst open.
"...Ms. Irina, you said you'd just listen."
"I really can't stand it anymore. Sorry, Kania."
Soon Irina, who entered my room, approached me and began speaking.
"What happens if you tape or glue back a broken porcelain vase? As you well know, eventually water will start leaking out little by little."
Listening to Irina's sudden story, I sighed and began to argue.
"...If you use restoration magic to perfectly attach it, there's no problem. My mental state is the same."
"But even if it attaches perfectly, the shock from when it broke can't be erased. Of course, the porcelain might be fine, but it's not the porcelain receiving the shock, it's your mind."
When I fell silent at those words, Irina said with a determined expression.
"That's why, in this trial, no matter what you say, I'm going to interfere."
"Interfere?"
"Yes, I don't think I can just watch your mind keep breaking and reattaching anymore."
To Irina who said that with a determined expression, I sighed and answered.
"Thank you for worrying. But you can't interfere with me, Irina. And same goes for you, Kania."
"Why?"
"You tried to interfere in my trial last time. But you failed, didn't you? Do you not understand what that means?"
When I asked that, the two women tilted their heads.
"The system hates tricks."
"Then, is there really no way to deceive the system? Just looking at Serena's case right now..."
Hearing those words, I...
"Serena is a special case..."
Answered with a bitter smile and left the room.
"...For anyone other than her, it would be impossible."
Leaving behind the two women with their lips tightly bitten, I went outside, and a long silence-filled corridor came into view.
"Clana?"
As I looked around the corridor, I eventually started walking forward quietly.
"Y, Young Master Frey. Hello?"
"...Where's Clana?"
After walking for a while, I found Clana's maid and asked.
"Ah, well... she went outside first."
It seems she went outside the dormitory building first.
What was so urgent that she went outside?
"Has Clana been showing any strange behavior lately?"
"W, well... I'm sorry. It's classified information."
"Tell me quickly."
When I asked, sensing something unnatural in her behavior, the maid answered in a trembling voice.
"Lately, the time she spends talking to herself has increased significantly. She used to talk to herself a lot... but recently it's almost pathological..."
"...I see."
Having roughly guessed her condition, I started heading outside the building, leaving behind the maid who was bowing her head.
"...Clana?"
After walking for a while and coming outside the dormitory building, Clana was pacing around while biting her nails.
"You've come."
When I carefully called out to her, Clana momentarily changed her expression to a calm one and looked at me.
"You're quite late. I guess the promise with me didn't seem that important to you?"
"...I was getting dressed up."
When I roughly answered the words that came out of her mouth, Clana quietly started clearing her throat.
"Ahem, hm. Anyway, let's walk for a bit."
"Aimlessly?"
"Yes, aimlessly."
Saying that, Clana slowly started walking forward.
"Alright, I understand."
For this time, I'll have to go along with Clana's whims. After all, although her expression is calm, her hands are still trembling.
'Should I hold her hand?'
I thought as I looked at her continuously trembling hand, but then shook my head.
According to what Kania said earlier, she's in a state where her memories could return with even the smallest trigger.
So I shouldn't stimulate her rashly.
"Still, I think it would be good to at least set a destination."
Thinking that, I carefully said to her.
"Ah, there's a cat over there."
"A cat?"
But whether she heard my words or not, she suddenly pointed to the grass in the academy backyard.
"They're cats that live here. If you stand still, they come and cling to you. They're really fearless creatures."
Of course, I knew well that there were cats here, but pretending not to know, I widened my eyes, and Clana cleared her throat and began speaking.
"Ahem, can you wait here for a moment?"
"Suddenly?"
"Yes, an important contact came. I'll be back soon."
Saying that, Clana took out a crystal ball that was starting to emit golden light and started walking somewhere.
"...Meow."
"Hmm."
Looking at her with suspicious eyes, I heard a cat sound at my feet and lowered my head.
"They're doing this again, these guys."
Looking blankly at the cats that had gathered at my feet and started rubbing their faces against me, I eventually looked around and quietly petted them while whispering.
"Should I raise you? I can take good care of you."
"Meow."
"I'll give you lots of food too. Really."
"Meow!"
"...Tch."
Seeing them coldly turn their heads away despite my continued love calls, I clicked my tongue.
'...I need to tame them someday too.'
Those aren't actually cats, but spirits living in the academy.
Of course, they're no different from animals, so my penalty doesn't apply to them. That's why if I can tame them, they would be of significant help in the future 'Academy Defense Battle' quest.
"Chirp!"
"...Huh?"
While thinking about ways to tame them, I was flustered when a canary flew to me from a tree in front of me.
"Chirp, chirp!"
"...Stop it."
This canary, judging from what happened at the birthday party last time, is probably one that Clana controls.
But why is this one pecking at my cheek without mercy?
Is Clana taking out her grudge against me like this?
"You don't do bad things to cats, right? Same goes for the canary."
"...Anyone watching would think I commit evil deeds just by breathing."
Having my flesh pecked by the canary that landed on my shoulder for a while, I answered calmly when Clana approached from afar and asked.
"I'm not the type to pay much attention to animals."
"...I see. That's a relief."
"What?"
"It's nothing."
Clana, who answered with a meaningful expression to my words, quietly began leading my arm somewhere.
With the canary still on my shoulder.
.
"Crunch, crunch."
"Kania."
At that same time when Frey was being dragged somewhere by Clana with a puzzled expression.
"Crunch, crunch."
"KANIA!!"
Irina shouted at Kania, who had been pacing around the room and biting her nails continuously ever since Frey left.
"...Yes?"
Then Kania looked at Irina with hollow eyes and tilted her head.
"What's wrong with you since earlier? What's going on?"
".......Well."
Hearing Irina's question, Kania made a resolved expression and started walking toward the door.
"I think I need to follow Young Master today."
"What?"
At those words, Irina thought Kania had finally lost her mind, but.
"Ms. Clana might fully regain her memories within a few days, possibly even today."
".....!"
She froze upon hearing her following words.
"Whether there was some trigger, the unconsciousness I planted has started mixing with the trial memories at a rapid speed."
"T, then...!"
"Yes, at this rate, it won't be long before the penalty definitely comes."
Hearing those words, Irina started biting her lip hard.
"We have to do something. We can't just stay still when we know the penalty will come even though the third trial hasn't even arrived yet."
"Kania."
"Somehow... even if it costs my life force, I need to do something..."
"...There is a way."
Hearing Irina's calm statement, Kania bit her lip so hard that blood started streaming down.
"What... do you mean by that?"
But Kania didn't care about such things and asked back.
"You said it's impossible to deceive the system except for Serena...?"
Leaving Kania behind, Irina clenched her fist and muttered.
"...Absolutely not."
On her body, a magic circle of the same shape as the scroll she gave Frey several weeks ago was emerging.