Chapter 520

Episode 520. It’s not easy… (5)

Alon stopped his steps subconsciously and turned his gaze to look at Rine. She was still there, standing, observing him.

‘Did I hear wrong…?’, was the thought that crossed Alon‘s mind for an instant.

—… What?

Alon threw a question to Rine once more. No, more than a question, it was a confirmation process. And then, Rine opened her mouth again.

—It is just as I said, Alon.

When he looked at her for the first time, her face showed a very slight and strange hesitation. However, the Rine of now, with a firm gaze that denoted absolute resolution and without a trace of doubt, said:

—… Because the Alon from the previous turn always greeted me that way.

After those words, Alon prolonged his response without realizing it.

—Ah…

His thoughts became instantly tangled at that sudden confession.

‘I already suspected it a little, but…’

Certainly, Alon also had his suspicions. He didn’t know how it was before, but the Rine of recent times had many strange points. She had taught him how to strengthen the Sins as if she had been waiting for him, even though Alon had not explained it to her, and she was the one responsible for telling him to create the Divine Land. As if she had foreseen that it would be necessary in the future.

However, the reason why Alon kept it only as a “suspicion” was because of Rine‘s ability: the Library. Even if he wondered how she knew such things, it wasn’t strange to think that she simply searched for the information necessary for him in her Library.

That’s why:

—Rine, you…

The moment Alon called her, an isolation spell activated between them. Realizing easily that Rine had created it:

—Do you wish to hear a more detailed story? —Rine continued.

Her pupils maintained the same determination. The only thing that had changed was the corner of her lips, which now sketched a minuscule smile.

—… I wish to hear it.

When Alon nodded after thinking about it for a bit, Rine brought her index finger to her lips. A “shhh” sound echoed and she stepped closer to Alon.

—Then, do it —she whispered.

—… Do it?

—Yes. I told you, didn’t I? The Alon of the previous turn always greeted me like that.

—So that means…

Alon tried to speak, but Rine didn’t seem to have the intention of listening to him.

—You don’t need to ask again. You already understand, right?

She smiled radiantly. Alon fixed his gaze on the void. Suddenly, he remembered her behavior from the last time. Of course, Alon didn’t see her action directly, as it happened before he could turn his head. He only felt it. But, despite that, he knew what it was that Rine wanted him to do. No, he couldn’t help but know.

However…

—Of course, you don’t have to do it right now.

A voice filtered through Alon‘s anguish. As he regained his composure, Rine‘s eyes entered his field of vision.

—… You say I don’t have to do it now?

—Yes, do it when Alon wants to. When you feel like it.

“When I feel like it…?”, while he savored her words internally, she kept smiling with an air of satisfaction.

—Because I will be waiting.

It was a somewhat playful smile. Alon stared fixedly at Rine. Certainly, Rine hadn’t changed physically, but he felt her in a different way, so he couldn’t look away easily. After a moment:

—Ah —Rine let out an exclamation as if remembering something—. I think I can tell you at least one more thing first.

—… What is it?

—The appellative.

She leaned a bit closer to Alon and whispered to him:

—You know, Alon, the me of the previous turn didn’t call the Master “Godfather.”

—… Then?

Faced with the counter-question, Rine said:

—I called you “Ronia.”

—… Ronia?

—Yes. And Alon also called me “Ronia.”

In the distance, the sound of a bell was heard. The bell that announced the end of the time allowed for students to transit through the academy and that they had to return to the dorms.

—Ah, we’ve reached the end here.

Rine‘s voice, steeped in regret, vibrated in the air. Before Alon could say anything:

—Then Alon, I’m leaving first.

—Eh?

—The female dormitory is far from here. I must hurry.

“See you tomorrow,” with those words, Rine walked ahead. Alon, looking at her back as she moved away, rolled that name in his mouth. Finally, he set out on the path toward the male dormitory. In the silence without echoes, only the sound of his footsteps resonated slowly.

Bizantana Baron set out immediately after finishing his tasks. The reason was to continue the surveillance he left incomplete. Last time he didn’t find proof, but the suspicions were evident. This time, Baron planned to watch the members of the temporary club one by one, not just Penia.

Although he arrived a bit late because of work, Baron managed to witness the moment when Rine and Alon walked together and entered surveillance mode. He even had the luck of seeing them use isolation magic to converse.

‘I knew it, my suspicions were correct!’.

Baron smiled smugly. There was no reason at all to use isolation magic in the old school building at those hours of the night. Although he felt pity for not being able to hear what they were talking about, Baron shook his head. It was impossible at that distance and he couldn’t risk using mana and being discovered.

However, at the sound of the bell, Baron smiled seeing Rine move ahead leaving Alon behind. He had no certainties, but he had obtained a hunch. To get more information, he decided to follow Rine, who had moved first, since she was the one who used the isolation magic.

And then:

—?

He couldn’t help but put on a face of confusion. She, who was walking with a light step a moment ago, adopted a strange posture as soon as she reached an alley where Alon could no longer see her. She crouched down and covered her face with both hands.

For a moment, Baron thought she was crying. But soon he realized his mistake. She wasn’t crying. If she were, her face wouldn’t be so completely red. Upon discovering the blush, Baron understood he had been wrong again.

At the same time, curiosity invaded him. What on earth could Alon have said to her inside the magic barrier for her to end up in that state?

‘… Are they really not spies…?’, his suspicion wavered again. It was a strange night.

Two days later, a day before the weekend.

Alon, after ignoring the usual provocations in class, arrived at the training center, today’s patrol location.

—Will there be something in the training center?

—Hum, who knows. But we’ll have to look.

This time, his patrol partner was Evan.

—Well, let’s go.

—Alright.

Alon nodded at Evan‘s words and they started to move. But in the training center, there wasn’t much to see in detail. Even if it was called that, apart from a few buildings or magic duel rooms, most of it was simply an open field. While looking around, Alon suddenly remembered Rine‘s words. What she told him two days ago when they met.

—Hum…

Two days had passed since then, but he hadn’t had a proper conversation with Rine again. The situation of being alone hadn’t arisen and Rine had already made her intentions clear.

‘Doing it like the Alon of the first turn did…’.

Rine said that the self from the first turn always greeted her like that. Giving her a kiss on the cheek. … Naturally, curiosity arose.

About the first turn… about what kind of relationship he had with Rine in that past he didn’t remember.

—Ronia… eh?

—Mmm? What did you say? —asked Evan, who was looking at the surroundings.

Alon, addressing him with the informal language he had already grown accustomed to, asked:

—Evan, do you know what the appellative “Ronia” means?

—… Ronia?

—Yes.

—Ronia? What is that?

Evan tilted his head. But it was only for a moment.

—Mmm…?

Alon did not miss that Evan froze for an instant.

—Do you know something?

—No, it’s just that it sounds familiar, like I’ve heard it, but I don’t remember exactly.

—… Oh, really?

—Yes, I’m sure I’ve heard it somewhere.

“Where was it? I’m sure I heard it as a child… No, did I hear it when I was a mercenary? Or when I was a noble?”, Evan muttered to himself. Alon suddenly thought:

‘Could it be that this same thing happened in the first turn?’.

If exactly the same thing had happened, Rine would have helped him in some way even without revealing that she had her memories. Alon didn’t doubt that, because Rine would never choose to sacrifice her companions for any reason. He fully trusted her.

—Ah!

How much time had passed lost in his thoughts? Evan let out a small exclamation.

—What’s wrong?

—The thing from a moment ago, the “Ronia” thing.

—… Ronia?

—I couldn’t remember it, but having heard it before somewhere, I kept turning it over.

—And have you remembered it?

—Yes. Thinking about where I heard it… —Evan cleared his throat with a subtle expression—. I think I heard it when I was a noble.

Evan was always somewhat reluctant to talk about his past. Alon asked immediately:

—When you were a noble?

—Yes. But Alon, where did you get that “Ronia” from?

Alon thought for a moment about explaining the situation related to Rine, but preferred not to.

—I just heard it somewhere and was curious.

—Ah, was that it? A lot of effort for nothing then.

—So, what does “Ronia” mean?

—Ah, it’s not a big deal. It’s just… —Evan searched for the words and clapped his hands upon finding the right expression. From his mouth came the answer—: … it’s an affectionate appellative to call a loved one.

The lost words finally flowed.