Sleepless Nights
The communication orb lit up almost immediately.
-{I’ve received your call.}
-{How unexpected, Young Lord Lisite. For you to contact me first.}
As expected, Millium responded to the transmission right away. I bowed my head toward the dignified voice coming through the crystal orb.
“Have you been well, Your Majesty?”
-{Of course. What reason would I have not to be?}
“Even though the seasons have turned and a pure white winter has arrived, I have failed to visit even once. Please forgive this unworthy subject for—”
-{Tsk tsk… Enough with the stiff formalities that don’t suit you. Get to the point.}
I had been laying out the prepared flowery preamble when Millium cut me off with his characteristic chuckle. I was honestly grateful. These kinds of courtesies always felt awkward to me.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will speak plainly.”
I calmed my mind and began the conversation. Well… to call it a “conversation” was a bit much. In truth, the only thing I wanted to ask was for the imperial princesses to be allowed to stay at the palace during the ranking competition period.
“I humbly request your favor.”
-{……Suddenly? You want Luci and Neria to remain at the palace?}
Upon hearing my request, Millium let out a puzzled snort. Yeah, he was probably wondering if I’d had one too many drinks. If I were in his position, I’d think some random young noble had lost his mind for calling the emperor directly with such a nonsensical demand.
But I had no choice. This was the best way to get Luci to a safe location.
-{I don’t understand your intentions behind this request.}
“I have no particular intentions. I simply thought that after the grueling academy exam schedule, Her Highness the Princesses might wish for a bit of rest…”
-{As far as I know, the ranking competition is also factored into their grades. Do you take breaks during exams?}
“……”
He wasn’t going to let it slide. I had tried to gloss over the tricky parts and only serve up the juicy bits, but I’d been caught immediately. I chewed my lip and clicked my tongue softly.
‘Well… Millium attended the academy in his youth too. I guess that excuse was too flimsy.’
While I was racking my brain for a way to salvage the situation, Millium spoke again.
-{I understand for now.}
“Pardon…? Does that mean you will grant my request…?”
-{Yes.}
Millium answered lightly.
-{Since I owe you a debt from before, it is only proper that I grant a request if you make one.}
-{It’s not a difficult favor, either.}
-{Though I must admit, the intent behind it is rather vague and raises questions.}
What the hell. If he was going to accept so easily, he could have skipped the nitpicking earlier. He’d just made me nervous for nothing. I let out a sigh of relief and rubbed my mouth.
-{Is something going to happen during the ranking competition period?}
-{It doesn’t seem like you’d make such a request without any meaning behind it.}
Millium asked in a subtle tone. Though it was phrased as a question, there was a faint certainty hidden within it.
……As expected, this man’s senses were terrifyingly sharp.
I deliberately looked upward as I answered.
“I’m not sure what you mean. As I said earlier, I merely wish for Her Highness the Princesses to have some rest…”
-{Tsk tsk… I understand. I understand. If you say so, then it must be so.}
Millium cut himself off with his usual chuckle. He laughed for a while before clearing his throat and composing himself.
-{Ahem. Then is that all for today’s business? I should return to my duties.}
-{As you know, this position is not an ordinarily busy one.}
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will visit once spring arrives.”
-{Tsk tsk… Spring is too far away. Come when the academy begins its break. Luci will be delighted.}
With those final words, Millium ended the communication.
“For now… the most worrying part has been taken care of.”
Ariel and Rachel would be taking a carriage back to the main estate tomorrow. Luci would soon have someone from the imperial family come to escort her as well.
Now, all that remained was to prepare for the invasion itself.
“Hmm…”
What should I prepare?
I tapped my fingers on the desk, lost in thought. In my mind, a rough map of Reynolds Academy was taking shape.
First, the main gate where the twins would launch their assault. I could leave that to Allen and Korn, just as I had decided last time. Those two should be more than enough to successfully repel the attack.
“The real problem is the rear gate…?”
Once the invasion began, the rear gate would likely become the most vulnerable point. Unlike the main gate guarded by powerhouses like Allen and Korn, or the academy building where the faculty was stationed, the rear gate had almost no capable personnel assigned to it.
At best, there would be a few guards and disciplinary committee students… It couldn’t be helped. The rear gate was located on the distant outskirts, far from the main building.
The guards would fight hard, but if they alone could stop the invasion, the tragedy from the original story would never have happened.
“This is tricky…”
The faculty’s priority would be securing the students’ safety, so they would most likely remain stationed at the academy building. There wouldn’t be many professors with enough leeway to send support all the way to the rear gate.
That meant the demonic creatures pouring through the rear gate would have to be stopped by the people nearby… The problem was that the number of enemies wouldn’t be small.
“……In the novel, there were at least several thousand of them.”
I muttered and rubbed my face dryly. I didn’t want to get involved in dangerous things, but… this time, it seemed unavoidable.
If the defense against the invasion failed, countless students would die or be injured. I couldn’t just stand by and watch.
As I let out a soft sigh, a scene from the original story suddenly flashed through my mind.
-I… couldn’t protect them…
-I’m the hero, yet…
-Everyone died because of me.
-If only I had been stronger… If I had tried harder…
It was Allen’s line after the invasion ended, as he despaired at the horrific scene before him. He had wept bitterly for a long time, mourning the corpses scattered across the ground.
“……That kind of future must not be allowed to happen.”
Back when I was Naru, The Heroes Who Erase Sorrow had been a novel with great meaning to me. It was the book Changho-hyung had given me as a gift, and it had been a dear friend that accompanied me through my lonely boyhood.
The story of children struggling to bring light to a world steeped in darkness. I had truly loved it. I cherished the resonance I felt with every page I turned.
Whenever I went on adventures with the protagonists, overcame hardships, and shared in their friendships, I could escape my solitude, even if only for a little while. I could find comfort for my scarred life.
No matter how much the current, immature Allen had hurt me, the tender feelings I once held for him hadn’t disappeared. Of course, I still harbored some resentment toward him, but I didn’t wish for him to be unhappy.
“……So, I want to protect him.”
Who in the world enjoyed watching a story they cherished spiral into ruin? I was no different. I wanted to help those children grow, even if only a little.
“Is that greedy…?”
Even if it was greedy, it didn’t matter. I had decided not to stand by and watch tragedy unfold, and I would do my best to help.
“……I hope everything goes smoothly.”
With that modest wish on my lips, I gently closed my eyes.
A day passed like that, and the next morning arrived.
I stood motionless at the carriage stop located at the academy’s main gate.
-Whiiiish……
The winter wind blowing in tousled my hair. The biting cold gnawed at my skin, shaking my exhausted mind awake. I blinked several times, trying to regain my senses.
In my still-blurry vision, a black carriage adorned with elegant patterns stood waiting. As I stared absentmindedly at the lavish decorations plastered all over it, a red-eyed girl standing in front of the carriage soon waved at me.
“Then I’m off, oppa!”
With a bright farewell, Ariel climbed into the carriage. Her red hair swayed gently with each bouncy step. Her characteristic refreshing aura was enough to draw a smile to my lips.
“Have a safe trip. Say hello to Grandfather and Father for me.”
“Okay! I will!!”
Ariel nodded vigorously at my request. She really was a bright child. She must have taken after her late mother.
After waving her arms energetically, Ariel slipped inside the carriage. I turned my gaze slightly to the side.
There stood a brown-haired girl holding her bag in silence. She had been maintaining a heavy quiet, but once she confirmed Ariel had boarded, she took a step forward.
“……Then I will be going as well, Young Master.”
Rachel looked at me with an oddly subdued expression. Beyond her clear pupils, I could glimpse a sadness she couldn’t quite hide.
‘What is it…?’
Why was she looking at me with such wistful eyes?
As I tilted my head in confusion, Rachel covered her mouth and smiled bitterly.
“You won’t just disappear while we’re gone, right? If you’re going to leave… at least say goodbye first.”
“Ah.”
I let out a dazed sound as I realized it belatedly. Come to think of it, I had spoken last time as if I might vanish at any moment, but I still hadn’t explained myself properly. It seemed I would need to have a proper conversation with her once this invasion was over.
“I won’t run away. Just go safely.”
“……It’s a promise.”
“Yes, it’s a promise.”
I casually brushed off her distrustful gaze and hooked my pinky finger around hers. Only then did Rachel seem somewhat relieved. Her expression softened as she climbed into the carriage.
“I’ll be back.”
“Yeah.”
“Oppa! I’ll be back!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I kept waving at the departing carriage for a long time. Within the scenery swaying along with the passing wind, the carriage slowly disappeared from view.
“……”
Why did that calm, receding figure feel so painful to watch?
I deliberately turned away from the ache rising in my chest. By the time I realized it, my steps were already trudging back toward the dormitory.
“……I can’t sleep.”
I suddenly sat up from the bed. As I rubbed my dry eyes, a deep yawn escaped between my lips. The view outside the window was already dyed pitch black. The clock that caught my eye told me it was 3 a.m.
At this hour, normal students should have gone to bed long ago to manage their condition, but I was still wide awake. How was it possible that there wasn’t a single day I could fall asleep comfortably?
I pressed my throbbing forehead and let out an irritated snort. My hand moved habitually, groping across the table beside the bed. It soon found the pack of extinction grass tucked away in the corner.
I naturally pulled out one of the green sticks, put it in my mouth, and lit it.
-Click. Hiss…
“Haa…”
The gray smoke that crumbled along with my breath. The faint herbal scent lingering at the tip of my nose calmed my restless mind. I repeated slow breaths for a while, steadying my fatigue-soaked self.
My rolling eyes scanned the quiet room. The empty dormitory interior felt not just lonely, but downright eerie.
Normally, I would have been able to hear Rachel’s sleeping breaths through the open door. But tonight, even that small sound was absent.
“……It’s a little lonely.”
Feeling strangely restless, I hugged the pillow tightly. As I buried my face in the soft pillow, a familiar scent touched the bridge of my nose. It was sweet like peach, yet warm and comforting.
‘What is this…? Why does my pillow smell like this…?’
Stimulated by the unfamiliar scent, I tilted my head. It felt somehow familiar… When I examined the pillow with that question in mind, I found the embroidery ‘Ray’ in the corner.
“……”
My brain froze for a moment. Why was Rachel’s pillow in my room…? We had done laundry the day before yesterday. Did I misplace it while organizing?
My mind filled with confusion. Then the action I had just been doing flashed through my head. That meant I had been hugging Rachel’s pillow and burying my face in it…?
“……!”
The moment that realization hit, I hurriedly set the pillow down. Heat surged across my face, which had been frozen by the winter temperature. My heart pounded wildly, thumping irregularly against my chest.
Overwhelmed by embarrassment, I rubbed my face dryly.
“What the hell was I doing…”
Damn it. Why did Rachel make a mistake she never usually made? I tried to blame the absent Rachel, but the shame refused to fade. I let out a sigh, drowning in the sound of my frantic heartbeat.
“Damn it…”
It really was a day that made falling asleep difficult in every possible way.