Seizing Control (1) [EP???. How to Cross the Desert] -The Gate to the Heavens, The Boy Who Gazes at the Stars-
The fairy tale—long if it felt long, short if it felt short—had come to an end. What remained was a brief moment of reflection. We had been staring blankly into space for a while before we finally started walking back toward the dormitory. The hour had already slipped into deep evening.
Whiiiish— A sudden wind brushed past us. The academy’s scenery remained utterly unchanged, not a single detail altered. We had spent ten days inside that book, yet only a few hours seemed to have passed in reality. At most.
Everything’s back to normal.
The shoes once caked in sand, the outer robe stained with scorpion blood, the tie that had come undone in every possible way—every trace had returned to the exact state it was in before we left. As if the entire ordeal had been nothing more than a single dream.
We simply remembered it all with vivid clarity. The story of one boy, aged far beyond his years, who had set out on a distant journey to meet a girl.
I wonder if they met safely.
I lift my gaze to the sky. Against a pitch-black canvas, stars twinkled like scattered diamonds. Surely, among those countless lights, the two of them were living on one of those distant specks.
As I wandered through the starlight that seemed ready to pour down at any moment, a faint smile curved my lips.
They must have reached each other.
Had their reunion succeeded? After swimming and swimming across that vast sky, had the boy finally arrived at the girl’s side? We had no way of knowing. Yet whenever I imagined them wrapped in each other’s arms, the stars seemed to smile down at us. When I pictured them failing, they appeared to hold back tears.
Depending on nothing more than imagination, the world could look entirely different.
I still chose to believe the sky was beautiful.
“······.”
As I walked lost in thought, a voice suddenly drifted from beside me. It belonged to none other than Legia.
“It really feels like I dreamed the whole thing.”
“It was definitely an experience that’s hard to believe.”
“No one would believe us even if we told them.”
“It will remain a memory just for the two of us.”
“Yeah.”
Her voice flowed out softly. The pink-haired girl murmured as though savoring a particular moment.
“I feel like I learned so much.”
It seemed the journey had taught her many things. Her expression was unusually serious. I offered a faint smile.
That’s a relief.
If it had contributed to the protagonist’s growth, I was satisfied. After all, that had been the entire purpose of preparing the journey. I hoped she would continue to grow straight and true without veering off course.
While I quietly savored that pleasant inner thought, I gently extended my hand toward the girl.
“Miss Legia.”
“Yes?”
“Could you lend me your hand for a moment?”
“S-suddenly…?”
Legia tilted her head in confusion, but soon obediently offered her hand. I carefully placed mine over her pale skin.
“Young master…?”
“It was a date of sorts, wasn’t it? Even if we got caught up in strange events halfway through.”
A warm temperature passed between us. Within her clear eyes, only the golden-haired boy was reflected.
Watching the protagonist stand frozen with bated breath, I revealed what I had been hiding in my palm. It was a ring swirling with soft green light.
“A gift.”
It was one of the rewards from this episode—one of the two items that had dropped. Since we had cleared it together and I had carried the latter half alone, it was only fair to give her a proper share. Still, receiving it this way felt nicer.
Besides, explaining the item’s effects would have been tedious. It was simpler to call it a gift I had prepared. As a bonus, it would raise our protagonist’s favorability.
I shamelessly told the lie and slipped the ring onto her slender finger.
“I chose it after careful thought, so I hope it suits your taste.”
The ring settled onto Legia’s ring finger as perfectly as if by magic.
Legia, who had been standing in a daze, suddenly panicked and began to stammer.
“Y-young master? Wh-what is this…?”
“Didn’t I tell you in the desert? That I would stay by your side forever. You didn’t forget, did you?”
“I-I remember! But what does that have to do with a ring…”
“Think of it as a token of that promise.”
Though it looked like an ordinary ring at first glance, it possessed truly fraudulent performance. It was originally an item that dropped at the lowest possible rate, so I had simply gotten lucky.
Accessory—Ring of Bonds.
An item capable of blocking any single attack aimed at the player, regardless of its nature. It vanished after use, but in the original story it had been a powerful enough trinket to withstand Judah’s Liar. Among consumables, it was essentially end-game gear.
“Carry it with you at all times. If a day ever comes when I cannot keep my promise, this little friend will protect you in my place.”
“B-but it looks incredibly expensive! I can’t possibly accept something like this…”
“It’s fine.”
I gently stroked the girl’s hair. My voice came out soft and warm.
“You’ve earned the right to receive it. After all, Miss Legia is my most cherished friend.”
“Y-your most cherished…?”
“Please don’t refuse.”
“Eek… uuu…”
The girl let out a small, suffering sound before timidly nodding. Her face had flushed bright red, as expected. She lowered her head in embarrassment. It seemed the word “friend” still felt awkward to her.
“……Th-thank you. I’ll accept it gratefully.”
She answered quietly, trying to regain her composure. Yet her fingers continued to fidget and tremble. The adorable reaction drew a low chuckle from me.
“Hehe, it’s getting late. Shall we head back for real now?”
“Ah… Y-yes!”
Our hands remained linked. Side by side, we crossed beneath the night sky.
We returned to academy life. In truth, only about two hours had passed in the outside world, but for us it had been nearly ten days. Naturally, the academy remained exactly as we had left it. Peaceful air drifted through our daily routine.
“Young Master Judah!”
“Miss Legia.”
I gave a light wave to the girl approaching me.
“Sorry I’m late. The lecture ran longer than expected.”
“I’m fine! I didn’t wait long at all.”
“You really are a good girl.”
“Hehe…”
As I stroked her head in praise, her bright expression gradually softened. Warmth spread across my palm.
She’s been in a good mood lately.
If anything had changed since the desert, it was Legia. The emotional distance between us had narrowed considerably. She no longer called me by my full surname—she simply used my first name now. It seemed safe to say she had opened her heart to some degree. She no longer shrank from my touch. Even when I stroked her hair like this, she simply stood still instead of running away.
It felt like taming a skittish kitten. The thought filled me with quiet pride.
I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Emilia, who had been watching us, tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
“The atmosphere between you two seems completely different after just a few days… Did something happen?”
“Hehe, who knows?”
“You’re suspicious.”
Her blue eyes scanned us carefully. Her wandering gaze soon locked onto one spot—Legia’s ring finger.
“Commoner? What’s that ring on your finger?”
“Ah, this is…”
It was, of course, the accessory I had given her. The girl hesitated, embarrassed, before finally confessing in a trembling voice.
“It’s a gift from the young master.”
“Eh…?”
“We made a promise a few days ago. We explored the outer district together, and he gave it to me then—as a token of that promise.”
“That’s right. It was a pleasant date.”
“D-d-date?!”
Her pupils shook violently. The girl froze in shock for a moment before suddenly shouting at me. Her pale face had flushed with heat.
“You lecher…!”
“Hmm?”
“After doing such shameless things to me! Are you going around touching every other woman you see?!”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“When you said you liked me—!”
“Of course I like you.”
“What are you—!”
“I like both you, Lady Emilia, and Miss Legia equally and fairly.”
Why was she getting so worked up? The look of utter contempt in her eyes was impressive. To calm her, I placed a hand on her blue hair. Before I realized it, I had ended up in a rather comical pose—stroking both girls’ heads at once.
So this is what they call being a cat mom.
“……You’re the worst.”
Emilia turned her head slightly away, but she didn’t avoid my hand. It seemed she couldn’t bring herself to resist, perhaps remembering the terms of our contract. I let out a soft chuckle.
The lively atmosphere scattered on the summer breeze.
As we continued our peaceful daily routine, a sudden remark cut through.
“Come to think of it, the school trip is right around the corner.”
The school trip—an academy event now only a week away.
“I should head to the library. I need to finish reviewing the next exam scope before the trip.”
“C-can I come with you…?”
“Do as you like.”
It seemed the girls planned to focus on their studies until the event.
“Unfortunately, I’ll have to sit this one out. I have other matters to attend to.”
“I-is that so…?”
With one week remaining until the school trip, I already had a clear plan for how to spend the short time.
“First, I need to meet someone.”
I murmured with meaningful weight.
Several hours later, I sat in a professor-exclusive research room for a private meeting.
“This is unexpected. I never imagined Student Judah would come seeking me out.”
The person sitting across the desk was none other than Selena Drunkard, homeroom professor of Class A. Her red eyes regarded me calmly. The woman blinked indifferently, then began toying with the liquor bottle in her hand. Her long purple hair swayed as it spilled over her shoulders.
“I’m curious what your business is.”
The thick scent of alcohol hung in the air. I answered directly.
“I’d like you to grant me one request.”
It referred to the accident during the previous midterm exam. Selena owed me a personal debt. Despite being the supervisor, she had failed to prevent us from getting caught up in the incident. Because of that, she had promised us that while we remained at Galimar, she would grant each of us one favor of our choosing.
“You won’t pretend to have forgotten now, will you?”
“Of course not.”
“I heard you were stripped of your chief professor position because of that incident. Are you truly alright?”
“There’s no particular problem.”
The woman tilted the bottle with an indifferent expression, as though it hardly concerned her. After taking several long drinks, Selena asked again, her red eyes faintly glowing.
“Paha… So, what is this request?”
“It’s nothing difficult.”
I smiled with dark intent.
It was time. In the future filled with countless calamities, suppressing every incomplete threat would require power—even within the academy. Power capable of crushing ordinary students with ease.
“I’d like you to appoint me to the position of head assistant.”
I stated my demand boldly. It was time to seize control of the academy.