Chapter 44: Take a closer look
I woke up from my dream and opened my eyes.
I could see the blue sky with clouds drifting by.
Right beside my field of vision was Flare, watching over me with a worried expression.
“Slayer-san! Thank goodness. . .are you awake?”
“. . .”
I turned my gaze
To Belfist, who was standing behind her.
With his power, she was invited into the spiritual world, and her physical body seemed to be sleeping.
“Did you have a good dream?”
“. . .not really.”
“Oh, I see. You understand now?”
“Yes.”
I slowly sat up.
“Are you okay?”
“. . .”
“Slayer-san?”
“It’s not. . .Flare.”
“Huh?”
“I’m not Slayer Raeburn.”
That was the problem I was facing.
The cause of the gap in my heart.
By objectively observing my own form and emotions in the spiritual world, I came to understand.
I was made to understand.
That I was merely an impostor, playing the role of Slayer Rayburn.
And yet, I had changed Flare’s. . .their future.
I had deviated from the ending that was supposed to come and distorted their fate.
All for my own survival.
To avoid my destruction and end. . .
“I always had a sense of guilt inside me. I just didn’t realize it. . .no, I was avoiding it.”
“Slayer-san. . .”
“I distorted the fate of many people for my own purpose. And I’m sure the one who was affected the most. . .was you, Flare.”
If this world is meant to follow the predetermined fate of the story I know… then I have taken it upon myself to fulfil the role of the protagonist, Flare, without permission.
As a result, Flare became my friend and was helping me with my plan.
Such a future was not supposed to be prepared.
It’s too late to regret now.
Once the clock’s hands start moving forward, they can’t be turned back.
I can’t redo the past or make everything that happened until now disappear.
That was why I felt regret.
All I can do now is just. . .apologize.
“. . .I’m sorry, Flare. I. . .”
“――Sigh, Slayer-san.”
“. . .”
“Did you really care about something so trivial?”
“. . .Huh?”
Flare, looking exasperated, appeared in my field of vision.
I stood still, staring at her in confusion.
“Listen, okay? Slayer-san, I am me. Even if I have the same name, the same circumstances, and the same appearance as the protagonist in the story you know, I am still me.”
Flare placed her hand on her chest.
As if gently confirming the location of her heart.
“Alright! I’m going to check on everyone that Slayer-san helped!”
“What? Where?”
“It’s decided! We’re going to see the people you helped!”
Saying that she grabbed my hand.
She forcefully pulled me along as we ran.
I moved my feet so as not to fall and followed her.
“Bell-san, you’re coming too!”
“Heh, well, I suppose.”
Belfist followed after us, exasperated.
I followed her to the school as she told me to.
The first place we headed to was Leone and Meigen’s place.
We found them in the training room.
“What’s wrong, Meigen! This isn’t like you!”
“. . .sigh, of course. I can still go on!”
“That’s the spirit!”
We secretly observed the two of them.
“Did you know? Lately, those two have been staying after school to practice together a lot.”
“I see.”
“Yes! Look at them. . .they both look so happy.”
“. . .”
The two of them, fighting side by side, were lively and carefree.
Leone’s gap in his heart was that he couldn’t find the meaning of becoming stronger.
By hearing his father’s true intentions, he learned what strength really meant.
What is the purpose of becoming strong?
Has he found it now?
I don’t know, but he has grown since the last time we fought.
For Meigen, who was with him, Leone was an object of admiration.
He admired his strength and dignified demeanour, secretly harbouring feelings of inferiority.
By facing his own weakness and overcoming it, he gained the courage to move forward.
Now, they have truly become friends.
“Let’s move on to the next one!”
Flare took my hand and headed to the next location.
The destination was the library.
He was always here.
“Oh, there he is.”
“Billy, you’re still here in the library as usual.”
He has always been spending a lot of time in the library.
His solitary figure reading books didn’t change.
But looking at the titles of the books piled up, I realized.
“He was reading a lot of books other than magic books.”
“He seemed to be looking for new hobbies. He wanted to have fun learning things other than magic.”
He was called a genius mage.
It was the influence of his deceased parents that made him so.
He seemed to have misunderstood it as a curse, but there are no parents who would curse their own child.
Billy’s parents just wanted him to be happy, even if it meant sacrificing their own happiness.
That was all.
Knowing their feelings, his heart was filled.
It seemed like he was no longer obsessed with just magic.
“Next person, please!”
Without asking, Flare pulled me along.
I didn’t resist.
I gradually understood what she wanted to convey.
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