I wake up to the light streaming in through the window in the morning.
“Phew…”
It’s an unusually refreshing awakening.
Normally, I would still be in a haze for a while, my eyes would be bleary.
But right now, I feel utterly comfortable.
I sit up from the bedding and stretch my body.
I run my fingers through my tousled hair and question this good awakening.
My sleep schedule hasn’t changed from usual.
My waking time hasn’t varied much either.
If I had to think of a reason… it might be yesterday’s incident with Arcelia.
The prince’s meddling had restored my relationship with Arcelia.
The cause was a trivial difference in values.
Though Arcelia was at fault, I should have taken the initiative to address it.
I was close to repeating the mistakes of my past life.
I’m still an idiot, as always.
I’ll set my reflections aside and focus on the reason for this good awakening.
Perhaps, without even realizing it, the turmoil with Arcelia had been weighing on me.
And now that it’s resolved, that burden has lifted.
Thus, I woke up well this morning.
But it’s not just that; I feel that the fact that Arseria and I had an honest conversation was also a contributing factor.
Both Arcelia and I have extremely narrow social circles.
Not broad and shallow, but narrow and deep.
So, by talking about various things with each other, I felt we had truly become friends.
“Alright…”
Even though I prioritize the sword above all, I’m still human, and it’s impossible to not interact with others.
Because I didn’t understand this in my past life, it became too late; but in this life, I just managed to get it in time.
It’s a bit embarrassing since my mental age exceeds thirty… but perhaps this is what growth feels like.
I prepare myself and gather my belongings before leaving the inn.
I carry all my luggage with me.
Now that I’ve reconciled with Arcelia, there’s no need to stay at separate inns.
So, I planned to visit the inn where Arcelia was staying again.
I stepped back into my previous inn and reserved the room next to Arcelia’s at the reception.
If it was already booked, another room would have been fine, but fortunately, it was available.
I walked up the stairs and down the hallway, entering the room I had left twenty-two days ago.
I placed my luggage down, sat on the bedding, and took a breath.
“Phew…”
With this, the tangled threads have unraveled.
Now, I just need to be a little mindful and train as usual.
Thinking that everything is settled, I left my room and gently knocked on the door to Arcelia’s room—only for it to open with a click.
It was Arcelia.
“Hey, Arcelia.”
I greet Arcelia, who looks up at me.
It feels a bit awkward since there were various things that happened in this room yesterday, like Arcelia hugging me, but I decided not to dwell on it.
It’s really nothing at all.
I just need to act normally.
“…Are you back?”
“Yeah. It’s no longer needed, so I’m back.”
“I see…”
A brief silence followed.
I waited for Arcelia to make a move.
“…Where is your brother?”
“He should normally be in class… Do you need something from him?”
“I just wanted to apologize as a form of closure.”
Arcelia turns away as she replies.
Apologizing to someone else, let alone a stranger, would have been unthinkable for the old Arcelia.
Seeing her turn away and look a bit awkward, I felt that she had changed more than I expected.
“I see. I also have business with the prince, so I think I’ll head to the academy.”
“…What business do you have?”
“He pushed me to take action. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have talked to you yesterday. So, it’s to express my gratitude.”
Should I also bring up the engagement talk with Arcelia?
Instead of me saying it… it would be better if Arcelia directly addressed it.
“About the engagement…”
“――!”
“If you dislike it, just say you do. You are you, and it’s not my problem to deal with.”
“…Understood.”
Arcelia nodded firmly.
Thinking this would be fine, I closed the open door.
I silently descended the inn’s stairs and stepped outside.
Feeling at ease with the long-awaited presence of Arcelia beside me, I walked the familiar path toward the academy.
I passed through the large gate, walked through the vast grounds, and stepped into the magnificent school building.
Considering the time, she should normally be around the classroom, but… it’s a bit ambiguous.
I thought it might take longer than expected when something fell from above.
“Just as I thought, you two came.”
A man with dark brown hair and a self-important expression landed silently on the ground.
Despite his demeanor, there was a certain elegance about him.
“Rowen and the prince—! They’re here!”
The man shouted.
Then something else fell from above, landing right in front of me.
“Hey, Kraze. And Arcelia-san. From the looks of it, I take it you made up?”
“Hmph… It’s been a while.”
The one who had fallen from above was my brother and the second prince, Sheeland.
Arcelia froze at the suddenness, and I was slightly surprised and bewildered.
“Uh, so? I have various things I want to ask, but… who are you?”
I directed my gaze at the man who was proudly crossing his arms.
He looked somewhat familiar, but I unfortunately couldn’t recall anything.
“My name is Ishirion. I’m a friend of your brother, Rowen.”
“Oh… I see.”
Ishirion.
Hearing that name triggered a memory.
If I recall correctly, Ishirion was a participant in the Magic Combat Tournament.
“You’re the one who lost badly to my brother, right?”
Nostalgic.
I remember he was nicknamed the ‘Runaway King’ or something like that.
“It wasn’t a complete loss. I lost by a narrow margin.”
“Well, well, Ishirion. Let’s set your shame aside for now. It seems Kraze and the others have business with us, right?”
“…Well, that’s true.”
No matter how you looked at it, it was a complete loss, but since the conversation had shifted, I chose not to point it out.
As my brother said, Arcelia and I indeed had business.
However, regarding Ishirion, I honestly wished he would go somewhere else since he wasn’t really relevant.
That said, let’s put that aside.
There was no one around, so it should be fine here.
I glanced lightly at Arcelia, and she stepped forward.
“Rowen-sama, I apologize for my rude remarks.”
Arcelia lowered her head as she expressed her apology.
It didn’t feel like a mere formality.
I sensed it was a sincere apology from the bottom of her heart.
“Alright. I accept that apology.”
My brother accepted it as if it were nothing, and Arcelia raised her head.
“I’m glad. I’m not angry or anything, so apologies aren’t necessary, but… it seems you were able to have a proper discussion?”
“…Yes. We talked about various things.”
“Then that’s good.”
My brother nodded with a gentle smile.
I felt a sense of discomfort at that sight.
While it was true that my brother was tolerant and kind, that was mainly towards family and close acquaintances.
He was generally quite indifferent towards people with whom he had little connection.
In other words, my brother must have acknowledged Arcelia as family.
However, their only connections were through the Magic Combat Tournament and when Arcelia insulted my brother.
It was clear that neither of those were particularly good connections for my brother.
Yet, he seemed to take a liking to Arcelia for some reason.
I’ll have to ask him later.
“Now then, Prince Sheeland. About the engagement—”
“That’s a lie.”
“Huh?”
I tilted my head in surprise.
“A lie?”
“Yeah. It’s a lie.”
“Why?”
When I asked, the prince sighed in exasperation.
It seemed my brother and Ishirion were looking at me with a similar sense of disbelief.
“If I had left you alone, you would have remained apart. So, at your brother’s request… Rowen asked me to stage a scene. I also had my own purpose, so it worked out perfectly.”
I nodded in understanding.
So, my brother stopping me at that moment and the prince approaching me were all calculated for Arcelia to overhear.
If the prince hadn’t pushed me, I wouldn’t have chased after Arcelia.
“I see. Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. I also found that situation unfavorable.”
Unfavorable… now that I think about it, he did mention he had a purpose.
“You said you had a purpose, Prince… would you mind sharing?”
My and Arcelia’s involvement was necessary for the prince’s purpose.
To be honest, I had no idea what it could be.
“Do you know about Nordshale?”
I instinctively raised an eyebrow.
Because I did know about it.
I knew it quite well.
“A place teeming with powerful monsters, a land of vast resources. Rumor has it there are ancient ruins as well.”
“Well, well. You certainly know your stuff.”
The prince nodded as if impressed, then continued.
“I am the third prince. I cannot ascend to the throne… no, it would be more accurate to say I have no interest in it.”
Essentially, the next king… in other words, the crown prince is determined by age.
To put it bluntly, anyone below the second prince is essentially a reserve for the first prince.
According to the order, this prince, Sheeland, wouldn’t become the crown prince.
“I have a dream. A dream to explore Nordshale.”
I instinctively understood what he was trying to say.
Without meaning to, I made a face that conveyed my mixed feelings.
“In that case, I need capable and trustworthy people.”
I didn’t mind it.
If anything, I was rather interested.
“Kraze Raynostia and Arcelia Oriandor. I want your strength.”
The prince’s words echoed in my mind.
I wondered what kind of expression Arcelia was making next to me.
“…………I see.”
As I said, Nordshale is indeed infested with strong monsters.
Moreover, it’s an unexplored area.
There’s no doubt my curiosity is piqued.
Furthermore… Nordshale is where I closed the curtain on my past life.
