Fates Interwoven Beneath the Stars
Ludenberg Lavante found it hard to accept the current situation. If Ashytara Solenute's visit to the Lavante Duchy had been influenced by Raha, that meant Ashytara herself had met Raha, didn't it?
As Ludenberg fell silent for a moment, Ashytara seemed to sense something off and asked him cautiously.
"But... Lud. Why the sudden change? Do you know something about that dream?"
Ludenberg had no choice but to hesitate. Was it okay to tell Ashytara about things related to Raha? Would it drag her into his own troubles unnecessarily? Would it expose her to whatever cursed thing—this evil fate targeting him—was?
Such anxieties were gradually shaking him.
But he'd already let slip that he knew about Raha. Ludenberg had no choice but to admit his own mistake.
Or perhaps... just by being entangled with him like this, Ashytara was already inevitably caught up in his fate.
Ludenberg made up his mind. There was no point in hiding it forever anyway. Hadn't they already suffered enough from needless misunderstandings and suspicions wounding each other deeply?
Moreover, now that it was confirmed Raha had already made contact with Ashytara... there was no reason for him to keep it secret.
Ashytara was already as entangled as she could be in whatever fate surrounded him, so it might be better to share everything openly.
Anyone else might leak it carelessly, but... this was Ashytara.
With that thought, Ludenberg opened his mouth.
"...Yeah. I've met the woman you saw in your dream too."
"When? I haven't seen her once since then..."
Ashytara shot back at Ludenberg's low voice.
"Since before enrolling in Solemnute Adem. All along."
"What?"
"She even appeared in my dream just recently."
"If it's not too rude, could you tell me what kind of dream it was?"
"She introduced herself as Raha and told me that an evil fate was targeting me."
"...Evil fate?"
"Yeah. I still don't know much, but it seems connected to the Salvation Cult somehow."
"...!"
Ashytara's face filled with shock.
"What..."
"Actually, I held back from telling you because I didn't want to drag you into it, but if you met Raha before I did... maybe you're entangled with me too."
Uncharacteristically anxious, Ludenberg looked at Ashytara, who seemed eager for more details and asked,
"Lud. Can you tell me everything related to that story?"
"...Yeah."
Ludenberg nodded. And amid the lingering echoes of the past spread around them, his tale began.
Meeting Raha, how she'd tested him on her own whim, stories related to the Starting Knight, and everything connected to him... The reason he'd suddenly grown so strong, why he'd become acquainted with Professor Nah Tes and Nadan Tes. And the tales of his trials, even about the sword called Liberra.
Things he hadn't even told Professor Nah or Nadan—Ludenberg told her everything.
Ashytara had already met Raha, after all.
Silence flowed between Ludenberg, who had shared it all, and Ashytara, who had heard every word.
As the story unfolded, Ashytara's expressions shifted—sometimes intrigued, but from some point on, increasingly complex and sad.
In truth, she'd sensed before that Ludenberg carried some burden. She understood it was something he couldn't speak of.
Seeing the jet-black sword he suddenly carried and his skills exploding upward unnaturally, she'd known he had secrets.
The biggest clue was during the recent battle with Jepita, when he'd gotten up despite a wound that should've killed him.
From then on, Ashytara realized he was hiding something from her and felt a twinge of hurt.
She knew everyone had unspeakable secrets, but she'd hoped he'd confide in her.
But today, that hurt vanished.
Ludenberg had told her everything.
She realized he'd kept quiet out of worry for her, which only made her sadder.
Especially the part about growing stronger through experiencing death in the world of trials. From that, it seemed Ludenberg might have already etched the sensation of death into his body.
"You've been through a lot... And thank you for telling me, Lud."
She couldn't even imagine how terrifying that must've been... but all Ashytara could say was that.
Words about his hardships.
Having never been in his situation herself, she couldn't speak carelessly. She'd never endured that pain or toil.
"Talking about it feels a bit relieving. Anyway, that's how it happened. Getting to know Professor Nah and Nadan... it's all thanks to Raha. Me getting this strong too. Sorry for hiding it. I had no choice. I was weak... and I couldn't bear the thought of you getting dragged into my mess."
"So you decided to tell me right after hearing my story?"
"Yeah. If you've already crossed paths with Raha, and you're tangled up with me like this... you're already caught up in it. So I figured it's better to let you know everything."
"Raha... Come to think of it, maybe I should thank her too."
"Why?"
"Because of that dream, I got to meet you."
"Is that so? But because of it, you might get dragged into things you never imagined. And maybe... even face danger."
"It's fine."
Ashytara said it matter-of-factly, then gazed at the starlit gates adorning the sky and spoke to him again.
"Look over there, Lud."
Their eyes met at the same spot.
A starlit gate was approaching this very place.
And passing through it revealed a sorrowful young Ashytara.
"You might worry that I've been caught in your fate... but I'm actually glad."
In Ludenberg's eyes was a gray world and a lifeless little girl.
Like a doll, blankly staring at the sky with empty eyes, not knowing what to do—she seemed utterly unlike the Ashytara he knew.
"See? Before I met you, I was like this. Not knowing what to do, hating people, a pathetic girl who'd abandoned herself."
"...Yeah."
Professor Nah had said these held happy memories, so why had this gate appeared?
Ludenberg found it a bit puzzling.
"It's a little weird, right? It's clearly a bad memory, but here it is."
Her words pierced his doubt, and Ludenberg nodded.
"Yeah. At the time, it was a bad memory for me. But look, Lud."
As Ashytara walked, the world around her gradually changed.
Color seeped into the gray backdrop, transforming her surroundings.
And at the end was Ludenberg, diligently swinging his sword.
"After meeting you, I could change. That's why this memory is so special to me. Because I met you. And my world became richer."
Ludenberg was at a loss for words.
"You're like my teacher. Our childish games we didn't even understand back then, the silly banter with you... all of it influenced me somehow."
He didn't know what to say.
What if you end up in danger because of me? Is that okay? The words rose to his throat, but he couldn't spit them out.
"Right now, you're thinking, 'What if you get in danger because of me? Is that okay?' aren't you?"
"Yeah."
"I already said it. It's fine. It's fine with you here. That's what I've decided. So don't worry, and do what you need to, Lud."
"...Got it. Thanks for saying that."
Hearing Ludenberg's reply, Ashytara just smiled.
Then, suddenly, she walked over to her younger self with light steps and stood beside her.
"What do you think? I've grown a lot, huh?"
"Yeah."
"You stand next to your younger self too."
"Huh? Me too?"
"No backtalk, hurry up."
"Ah, alright."
Next, Ludenberg approached his younger self.
Ashytara watched with a faint smile.
"You've grown a lot too. See? We'll keep growing. And keep moving forward. I want to stay by your side, looking where you look."
It was embarrassing, yet her words rippled through Ludenberg's heart.
"...Me too."
"That's enough. No need to worry. Isn't there good stuff too? Stories about the Six Heroes. You've admired them since way back... and they had a mentor, and you got to see that time through his body. It's amazing. Oh, is saying that rude to you?"
"Nah. The pain was like tempering me... so it wasn't that bad."
"Good then. Anyway, now I'm curious about the end of that story too. It feels like it'll differ a lot from the history we know."
"Probably... I'll definitely tell you."
"Thanks."
At that moment, the space around them began to dissolve, soon returning them to their original spot.
"Ah. We're back."
As Ashytara murmured softly, they were now at the top floor of the Star Tower.
But unlike before, the stars no longer adorned the sky; only a hazy blue night sea stretched out, shrouded in mist.
"How was it? Fun time?"
At Professor Nah Tes's amused question, the students grinned and shouted back.
"Yes!"
"Good. Now for the main event. Everyone, look up."
Snap!
Professor Nah snapped her fingers, and the students already gazing skyward went wide-eyed.
"Whoa..."
Beyond the top of the Star Tower... stars once more embroidered the sky, and comets traced colorful trails across it.
It wasn't just the comets.
The surrounding sky where they fell was blanketed in a curtain of light, dyed in the comets' hues.
"So pretty."
Amid the vividly unfurled curtain of light, Ashytara turned to Ludenberg with a smile.
Watching her, Ludenberg realized her face—tinted in rainbow hues by the light—looked far more lovely than usual.
And suddenly... Ludenberg sensed something wrong with his body.
Heat rushed to his face, and his heart began beating a little faster.
"...Yeah."
Flustered by the inexplicable change, all Ludenberg could manage was that.