Chapter 519

Episode 519. It’s Not Easy… (4)

Baron stared ahead with a vacant expression.

‘No, isn’t this different from what I expected?’ was the thought that crossed his mind.

He had thought that as soon as they met, they would drop their act as if they had been waiting for the moment, or that they would at least open their mouths to talk about the ritual site… but contrary to his assumptions:

Those two were simply walking.

They weren’t even heading to a secluded or gloomy place.

‘Are they just wandering around the commercial district…?’

Penia and Alon were strolling peacefully through the shopping district.

And they had been doing so for over 30 minutes.

As if they were on a date.

No, there wasn’t even a need to describe it as “as if.”

Baron’s eyes scrutinized the faces of Alon and Penia.

Alon, with his characteristic expressionlessness, looked here and there in the commercial area.

However, it felt like he was just taking a general look rather than searching for something specific.

Well, in any case, there wasn’t much difference, but the Penia standing beside him was different.

Penia’s gaze did not waver for a single second.

If she moved at all, it was only when Alon’s gaze briefly landed on her; the rest of the time, it was fixed exclusively on him.

With her face hardened as if she had made a great determination,

Fidget, fidget—

She kept playing with the fingers of her left hand, which was close to Alon.

Slide—

Penia’s left hand cautiously approached Alon’s right hand.

If she moved just a little bit more, her index finger would touch him.

But just before achieving it, her hand returned toward Penia again.

“Ah…”

Having already observed more than ten attempts in 30 minutes, Baron ended up becoming deeply immersed in the scene.

Without realizing it, he let out a sigh like a spectator watching a romantic drama.

“…Just take his hand already…” he muttered.

After blurting out those words unconsciously, he regained his senses and shook his head several times from side to side.

‘No, thinking about it, this is weird. Weren’t they fiancé and fiancée?’

Baron instinctively looked for suspicious points.

However, he soon recognized that his doubts might be forced.

Basically, the engagements or marriages of nobles were different from those of common citizens.

For the nobility, marriage was not a union with a loved one, but an extension of interests between families.

Of course, there were exceptions, but for most noble houses, engagement or marriage were important tools.

That is to say, it wasn’t strange for Alon and Penia, seeing each other there, to emanate that atmosphere.

‘Then, did the young lady of the Colina family fall in love at first sight as soon as she saw Alon?’

An engagement she didn’t want.

But she likes the partner of that engagement more than expected.

However, like a joke of fate, he still retains an ex-fiancée with whom the breakup hasn’t fully finalized.

And Lady Colina tries to make an effort, even if just a little, due to unnecessary anxiety about what might happen.

Baron reached that point in his reasoning and marveled slightly at himself.

He thought it was a deduction with considerable credibility.

…Of course, in reality, not a single part of that was correct.

In any case, Baron, although impressed by his own logic, couldn’t erase a doubt from his mind.

All because of the Alon walking next to Penia.

‘…That much?’.

Baron observed Alon’s face closely.

A good-looking face.

But not enough to seduce women to that level, so after being puzzled for a moment, he shook his head again.

‘I must not be overconfident.’

Baron composed his expression.

Although they gave more of an impression of being normal academy students than intruders coming to sabotage the ritual, he didn’t intend to lower his guard.

…Because, even if it didn’t look like an act, as incredible as it might be, that could also be theater.

Furthermore, aside from her, there were more individuals who aroused suspicion.

‘I must watch the others as well.’

Baron thought that while looking at the two and soon turned around.

Unfortunately, from here on, he had tasks to fulfill for a few days.

Thus, in the next moment, Baron, who was among the bushes until a second ago, disappeared.

At that same moment.

Alon, who was walking through the commercial area with Penia, thought:

‘As I expected, they haven’t prepared anything in the middle of such a busy commercial district.’

Someone might say that preparing a ritual in the middle of an area full of people is a fool’s errand, but his thinking was somewhat different. He knew that precisely because it was a ritual that had to be hidden, leaving it in plain sight made it harder to predict.

‘It would be good to know at least what kind of preparations the ritual requires…’

Alon opened his mouth.

“Penia.”

“Penia?”

“Ah! Yes, Alon!”

Penia replied, startled by Alon’s voice.

Although her reaction was strange, Alon continued looking at the surroundings of the commercial area while speaking.

“By any chance, have you obtained any information from Leila?”

He mentioned the name of the student she had recently become friends with and who, according to rumors, had links to the Throne of War. Penia shook her head.

“No, nothing.”

“I see.”

It was logical that she knew nothing after only a few days of friendship. Alon nodded, but suddenly…

Contact.

Alon shifted his gaze upon feeling something on his right hand.

What he saw was Penia’s hand, entwined somewhat ambiguously with his own.

It was too vague to say they had held hands.

But it couldn’t be said no either, since their palms were touching. When Alon looked at Penia with a slight sense of bewilderment:

“T-this… is because we are fiancé and fiancée.”

Penia spoke while turning her head away for some reason.

Alon, observing her, replied:

“…I suppose you’re right.”

And immediately after, he firmly gripped Penia’s hand.

At the warmth he felt in his previously empty right hand, a small “hic!” was heard from Penia.

“T-this… let’s keep touring the place! Alon?”

“Alright.”

Alon nodded at Penia’s words and looked at her.

She remained as before.

However, curiously, Alon could not see Penia’s face head-on again until that day’s patrol ended.

Instead.

‘…Had we held hands like this at the beginning?’.

He could only realize that the hand that was simply being held at first had, by the end of the patrol, ended up with fingers interlaced.

Two days later.

Just like two days ago, Alon finished his classes and moved to perform another patrol.

“Lina.”

“Alon.”

Arriving at the old school building, the site of today’s patrol, Alon met Rine, who was already there waiting.

“You’ve arrived early.”

“It’s just that my class ended sooner than expected.”

Rine replied with a light laugh.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been delayed a bit.”

Alon spoke while looking at the clock hanging like a lamppost on one side of the old building, and Rine asked:

“Did something happen?”

“Nothing important, but…”

“So something did happen?”

“…Someone picked a fight with me.”

“A fight?”

Alon nodded, remembering the man who had spoken to him right after today’s class ended.

‘Delgard Kadenmeyer.’

He, the most influential person in Alon’s current class, had been frequently looking for trouble lately. For example, today, while leaving after class, he had purposefully blocked his path with an arrogant attitude.

‘As if he were a child… well, technically he is a child.’

By age, he must be like a senior high school student, so he was a child.

…Although in this world, at that age, one is already practically an adult.

“Yes, well, it’s nothing out of the ordinary.”

“…Do you want me to take care of him?”

“No, it’s not necessary.”

Alon shook his head at Rine’s quiet question.

Although it was annoying, it didn’t seem like something that required a major response.

‘Besides, reacting to every child is exhausting.’

Alon closed that thought and continued the chat.

“By the way, we’re going in late today.”

“It’s true. As I felt last time, the old school building is larger than it looks.”

At Rine’s words, Alon nodded without realizing it.

‘To think this is only a fifth of the total size of the academy.’

The academy was divided into five sectors.

There was the main building and the dormitories where the current students gathered.

Then, the commercial area where they transited.

Behind were the practice labs and the old school building.

And among them, the old building was so vast that it was difficult to traverse completely in a single day.

“…First, let’s walk through it calmly. If we don’t finish today, we can continue next time.”

“Alright.”

They began to walk through the old building.

“Hmm…”

The place was deserted.

Sometimes students were seen using clubs, but there were no more than one or two and not frequently; there were many more empty landscapes than those with people.

“It’s quiet.”

“It’s true.”

While saying that, Rine naturally linked her arm with Alon’s.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

Alon looked at her, and at her natural attitude as if nothing were happening, he suddenly remembered the events of a few days ago.

The image of Rine falling into a groggy state immediately after giving him a small kiss on the cheek.

The thought of “why would she go to such extremes?” crossed Alon’s mind again for a moment.

“Ahem—”

Rine seemed to clear her throat for a moment and then spoke:

“That… about last time, Alon.”

“…Last time?”

“Yes. When… I… did that…”

At Rine’s words, Alon was going to look away toward the building but looked back at her.

He didn’t expect her to bring up that topic now.

After being stunned for an instant:

“…Ah, yes.”

“Ahem. I’ve researched a bit more deeply and it seems that, contrary to rumors, Alon and Lina (Rine) didn’t break their engagement because Lina was excessively obsessive.”

“…Ah, really?”

“Yes, apparently there were problems between the families.”

“I see.”

Alon nodded involuntarily at Rine’s words.

He thought it was a plausible story.

Basically, in noble marriages, it was extremely common for love not to exist.

For the nobility, the measure of marriage was whether it was beneficial or not.

Alon deduced in his own way what Rine wanted to say and spoke:

“…So you did that because you found out about that fact?”

However, he soon realized that the question was a bit silly.

Certainly, Rine could act that way.

But that was only information Rine had discovered personally; the external perception had not changed.

…That is to say, there was no need to act to that extent in something where only the gaze of others mattered.

“No, it’s not for that.”

Rine spoke as if confirming what Alon was thinking.

The moment Alon looked at her:

“…The reason I did that is…”

Alon heard from Rine…

“…because the Alon from the previous turn (the Alon of the past) always greeted me that way.”

…those words.