We Need to Talk
When I opened my eyes, I was once again beneath the great tree. Looking around, I was relieved to see that Yoo Seora was nowhere in sight.
To be honest, I had prepared myself for the possibility of being rejected, so this was a welcome relief in more ways than one.
Either they truly have a clear conscience, or they’ve decided to act as if they do.
Then again, they were gods. Why would they feel intimidated by me? Even if they couldn't exert any influence on the outside world for some reason, it was undeniable that they reigned as absolute beings within their own Trials.
Whether they would actually be honest with me was another matter entirely, but...
It doesn't hurt to ask.
I looked up, staring directly at the great tree. A moment later, a voice echoed.
"I have a few questions."
So that was possible too. But there was no need to erase her memories. What I wanted to ask was far more important.
"Starting from last winter, all connections with the Constellations were severed. Do you know anything about this?"
For me, it didn't really matter since my reliance on Sung Yu-rang wasn't that high. But for others who depended heavily on their Constellations, it was a completely different story. And going a step further...
In the first place, the Constellation system itself is highly suspicious.
Coincidentally, every single character I encountered had a Constellation attached to them. At first, I thought it was just a byproduct of a random Crossover Encounter. But as they say, when coincidences pile up, they become fate.
By this point, it's definitely abnormal.
I was starting to wonder what exactly was going on behind the scenes. And the only ones who would know the truth were the gods. Especially...
The God of Chains. That was the guy I needed. Since he was the deity who had linked Sung Yu-rang and me through the trait of Absolute Obedience, I had suspected he would be involved, and it seemed my hunch was correct.
"Then, summon the God of Chains for me."
But the nameless god fell silent for a moment. For some reason, they seemed troubled. After a brief wait, the voice echoed from the void once more.
"You cannot? What do you mean by that?"
Until now, that guy had habitually intruded even during the Trials of other gods. Was there a reason he couldn't show up now? My suspicions only deepened.
A task, and at a time like this. That could only mean one thing.
"Does that 'task' happen to refer to severing the connections with the Constellations?"
"The opposite...? Do you mean the severing of the connections created a need for this task?"
If he wasn't the one who severed the connections, then what on earth was this task? Considering what he had said in the past, he held a vital role in this world. For him to go into a period of deep rest, whatever he did must have been incredibly significant. Yet, this nameless god clearly had no intention of revealing the details to me.
"So, when will this period of rest end?"
Why the connections with the Constellations had been severed, and what exactly his task had been—in the end, the only way to find out was to ask the God of Chains himself. I could only pray that his rest wouldn't last too long.
Half a year? While it felt faster than I had feared, it was by no means a short period of time.
At least it falls within the timeframe where I can freely access the Trials here.
My contract with this nameless god lasted until my graduation from the Hero Academy. Until then, I could enter and leave the Trials as much as I pleased.
It was a surprisingly polite apology, unlike the attitudes of the other gods I had encountered so far. But whether it was truly "for the sake of this world" was something I would judge for myself once I heard it directly from him. I spoke to the tree.
"Then, once the God of Chains awakens, let me know the next time I enter the Trial."
There was no point in trying to force the issue when it was physically impossible. For now, I decided to back off. It felt a bit ridiculous to use the term "backing off" when there was absolutely nothing I could do to a god anyway, but still.
Understanding, my foot. I stared up at the upper branches of the great tree, where the God of Chains usually manifested, and spoke.
"Now, send me back."
Damn it. I walked out of the Lake, doing my best to untangle the increasingly complicated web of thoughts in my head.
"Sung Yu-rang?"
Time likely hadn't flowed while I was conversing with the god at the great tree. Because of that, Yoo Seora and I exited the Trial at almost the exact same moment. However, she seemed to notice that my state of mind was slightly different from right before we left.
"Did something happen?"
"No, nothing at all. I'm just a bit tired."
I offered the excuse. Fortunately, Yoo Seora seemed to buy it—or perhaps, rather than actually believing the excuse, she simply saw no reason to doubt me.
"Let's head back. It's late."
The curfew had long since passed. In particular, the Trial was something ordinary cadets weren't supposed to use outside of class hours. To get back unseen, we would need to conceal ourselves.
I pulled Amyah out of my inventory. Yoo Seora didn't seem particularly surprised by this either. By now, she seemed to accept whatever strange things I did without batting an eye.
Holding Amyah in my right hand, I extended my left hand toward her.
"Would you mind holding my hand for a moment?"
Physical contact was necessary for her to benefit from Amyah's effects. But for some reason, Yoo Seora, who had been perfectly composed until now, reacted differently. She looked almost startled.
Ah. Come to think of it, suddenly asking her to hold hands without any explanation could easily lead to a misunderstanding. I quickly gave her a brief explanation of the relic.
"This is a sacred relic that grants invisibility. But to share the effect with you, we need to be touching."
Only then did a look of understanding dawn on her face. I added:
"Actually, just holding onto my sleeve should work."
Now that I thought about it, there was no real need to hold hands. Once Yoo Seora grabbed my sleeve, I activated Amyah's effect. Verifying whether it worked was simple enough.
"Can you see me?"
She nodded, looking slightly puzzled.
"Then it's working perfectly."
If the effect had only applied to me, I would have vanished from her sight. But since she could still see me, it meant she was under Amyah's influence as well. Now, all we had to do was make our way back to the cadet dorms before the duration ran out.
Sung Yu-rang...
The black-haired man walking ahead of her, letting her hold onto his sleeve. To be completely honest, she had absolutely no idea who he really was.
Black hair, originating from Sak. And on top of that, a fellow bearer of the Crest of the Crow.
Of course, she had never heard of his name before. Perhaps he was a distant relative.
Yet, he uses the exact same swordsmanship as that girl, Elsie.
Whatever that swordsmanship was, it was clearly far from ordinary. Furthermore, for some reason, a similar aura lingered around both of them. Did they share some kind of relationship?
Hmm...
No, they probably weren't related. Perhaps they had just happened to learn the same swordsmanship by chance. As for the similar aura, it was likely just her imagination. There was no way he could share an aura with that crazy woman.
After all, to her right now, he felt like someone standing in an entirely different realm. It was a presence that rendered all her previous speculations about him utterly meaningless.
Just how much does this man know, and how far does his knowledge reach?
He could freely use the Lake, a place normally off-limits to cadets. He knew the full extent of her power, something even she hadn't fully grasped. And then, he had blocked her full-force attack as if it were nothing.
Of course, if it had ended there, she might have found a way to rationalize it. But he also knew something about the true nature of the Constellations. And for some reason, he even knew what lay ahead in the future—in incredible detail, no less.
He's almost like a Constellation.
No, she didn't particularly want to use that comparison. She still carried the painful memory of being abandoned by her own Constellation. In the first place, the power and knowledge that made Sung Yu-rang seem like a Constellation weren't what truly mattered to her right now. What mattered was his attitude.
He was definitely sincere.
She had felt it before, but he possessed a remarkable talent as a strategist. If he ever resolved to deceive someone, he could easily pull it off. In fact, she herself had been tricked by him this time, and even now, he was essentially deceiving the entire Hero Academy.
And yet...
He would never use deception to harm others. Even when he hid the truth, his ultimate purpose was pure and righteous. That was why anyone who had caught even a single glimpse of his true self would never feel truly deceived by him again.
No, if he chooses to deceive me, I will gladly let myself be fooled.
Even if she couldn't grasp the exact nature of his intentions, she knew they could never be malicious. It would always be to save someone, and ultimately, to save the world. There was only one word she wanted to use to describe him:
Hero.
Yes, this fit him far better than a Constellation. The very existence she had yearned for ever since the day she lost her merchant guild. In her eyes, he had already reached that lofty height.
That was why, when he had reached out his hand earlier, she couldn't bring herself to take it so easily. While it was true that she had felt a flutter of joy, she still believed she wasn't worthy of standing by his side. Clutching tightly to his sleeve was the only place she deserved for now.
Come to think of it...
The academy at night was dead silent. Naturally, this wasn't a time when cadets were permitted to wander around freely, a rule established to prevent any number of unfortunate incidents.
Unfortunate incidents...
She stared down at the sleeve she was holding. Amidst the cool night air and the chorus of insects filling the silence, her chaotic thoughts gradually quieted down, and she became acutely aware of the atmosphere between them. A strange, unfamiliar sensation washed over her.
"Is our next match the day after tomorrow?"
Sung Yu-rang's quiet voice suddenly broke the silence. She snapped out of her daze and quickly replied.
"Yes—ah, right. I think so."
"You did well today. I'll give you the details on what we should do next after tomorrow's strategy meeting. Even if it was a virtual space, the mental fatigue is still real."
He seemed to be formulating a plan. Just as he said, she was indeed feeling quite exhausted. And...
"We're here."
They had finally reached the dorms. The walk back felt incredibly long when she thought of the tangled thoughts she had wrestled with, yet fleetingly short when she focused on the warmth of the sleeve in her hand.
"Uh, Yoo Seora? Amyah's effect is deactivated now. You can let go."
"Ah."
Only then did she release her grip. Sung Yu-rang slipped the dagger back into his inventory.
"Goodnight, then."
Sung Yu-rang waved as he spoke. Although a lingering sense of regret tugged at her heart, there was nothing she could do. She waved back and replied.
"See you tomorrow."
Because he had told her today: in exchange for his help, he needed her too. As long as she remained someone he needed, they still had time.
I just have to become indispensable to him.