Chapter 10: The Ocean

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"Is that your business?"

"That, that…"

"I'm hungry. Let's go quickly."

Before I could say anything to Yuri, Aizel pushed me.

'I don't know what's going on, but… Should I say it's a benefit?'

Yuri and I are only friends so she should understand that much. Besides, I had no excuse anyway.

"I'll see you next time Miss Yuri."

I was gently pushed away by Aizel and waved to Yuri.

When I was almost out of the women's dormitory, I looked back slightly, but Yuri had already disappeared.

"Why did you do that?"

"…What?"

Aizel pretended that nothing happened.

As soon as we left the women's dormitory, she returned to the cold tone of yesterday like a ghost.

I had a lot to talk with her but it was kind of weird to talk here…

"…Let's move first."

I said so and took the lead. Aizel shrugged her shoulders with an indifferent look and walked along with me.

'I'll have to return the badge first.'

First, I headed to the place where the guard was.

The security guard's eyes got bigger as soon as he saw me while cleaning the surroundings, and he smiled at Aizel behind me.

"I guess you got along after all."

"…Thanks to you, I was able to solve it well. Thank you."

I thanked the guard and held out the badge, and he stuck it back in his chest.

"No, no, no. It's nothing."

The security guard waved his hand saying so and whispered to me, glancing at Aizel behind me.

"But… Are you really just friends? Or…"

"I'm just a friend."

"Hahaha! Cadet! Why are you being so serious? It's youth."

The security guard patted me on the shoulder.

"Well… have a nice day."

At this rate, I thought the atmosphere with Aizel would be strange, so I quickly left the security guard who was making a fuss.

"…"

"…"

We walked silently for a while and I broke that long silence first.

"…So why?"

"You looked in trouble."

"I didn't want to be in trouble, but…"

"That's all right then."

Aizel said and looked at me strangely.

"You don't ask me anything. Don't you wonder why I was there?"

I asked Aizel purely out of curiosity.

"…You have a secret. It's not that I don't know…You sneaked into the women's dorm. The underwear thief. It's impossible."

"Underwear thief is a bit…"

Perhaps this kind of thought passed to Yuri for a moment.

"Do you want me to ask you now?"

"No, thank you."

It was difficult to answer.

If I knew this would happen, I should have sneaked in at night.

"…Anyway, thank you."

"It's nothing."

The conversation with Aizel was plain.

'I think the conversation I had with Aizel in the game was more ambiguous and meaningful.'

The personalities of other characters except Aizel were the same as those in the game.

So were Amon, Edward, Raina, and Kaliman.

Yuri was a little different, but when I listened to others, I thought she only treated me like that.

But as for Aizel…She's not like in the game.'

As she was a regressor, she knew what happened in the previous round, but I couldn't guess what happened.

I tried to think of the number of times she could have regressed but there were too many.

In the game, each character had a set amount of lines and there were certain scenarios that could happen.

But since this is reality there would be no limit to the amount of dialog and that meant that there would be countless scenarios.

I didn't try to predict every possible outcome because I didn't have the foolish notion that the game's story was going to be straightforward.

With the information I have and the information that Aizel could have as a regressor the future could easily be twisted.

That was commonly called the Butterfly Effect.

Just looking at it now, I had to say that I was experiencing the butterfly effect.

Wasn't Edward watching the class assignment test completely contrary to my schedule due to the unintended influence of Aizel?

It was also closely related to the reason why I wanted to be strong.

Starting with the purpose of simply saving Aizel, the future was distorted and I needed enough force to cope with unexpected situations.

'I need to get stronger much faster than I expected…'

Doubts creeping up from Aizel's unexpected move amplified this "reason."

I need to advance my plans even if it means overworking my body.

"So where are we going now, you know the way?"

I answered Aizel's question, emptying my complicated head.

"From the first day I entered the city, I went from place to place and memorized the geography of the city. I don't forget the way to a place I've visited once. It's hard to call it a talent, but I'm pretty confident in my memory through my senses."

"…"

"More than anything… You said you were hungry."

Aizel nods.

She just said it, but I guess she was really hungry.

When I arrived in front of the store, I looked around casually and sniffed. It's as if I was going through a process of checking if it's the right place.

"…I think this is the right place. It's a store I stopped by before. What do you think?"

It was a store that I stopped by for a quest before the assignment test. For your information, it is a store Aizel liked very much in the game.

"Let's go in."

Aizel's permission was granted, and when I opened the shop, the owner welcomed me.

"Oh, it's Zetto, I haven't seen you around."

"Haha. Mr. Herald, I'd like to have a meal."

I and Aizel settled down at a table in a corner of the store.

"Zetto, everyone around here heard the rumors."

"Rumors?"

"You helped many people and now it's rumored that a blind saint appeared."

Herald grinned and walked over to the table we were sitting at with his arms crossed.

"Ahaha…"

I scratched the back of my head at the embarrassing compliment.

"What do you mean blind saint? There are real 'saints' out there, so I hope they don't get people arrested for blasphemy."

"Kahahahaha! If the saint comes to get us, our blind saint will save us, right?"

Herald laughs out loud at my joke. For a shaven-headed man, he was quite a boisterous character.

"Anyway, do you want what you were eating?"

"Would you like to try the same menu as me? It's curry, but it tastes pretty good."

In response to Herald's question, I recommended Aizel a curry that she would like.

"Then I'll have curry, too."

After receiving the orders Herald goes into the kitchen to cook.

In the game, I used to run into Aizel in this store, but now I'm introducing the store first so I felt queer.

"I was wondering…"

As I was drinking water, I tilted my head to say something.

"What did you do before you came to the academy?"

"What did I do?"

"I'm simply curious."

"My Master taught me how to live in the world despite being blind."

In fact, it was unknown whether Zetto existed in this world before I came.

"How to live in the world?"

"One of the things my teacher taught me was this: when you're talking to someone, it's good to make eye contact."

Aizel listened with some interest.

"But since my eyes are covered, I should make a habit of facing the other person at least. Like now, for example."

Saying so, I stared at Aizel and she looked at me.

Her doll-like appearance stands out to the point where I get goosebumps when I face her closely.

She was like that, and so were Yuri and the other girls.

Maybe it's because they're game characters but I felt like I was in a group with beautiful women.

"…Stop…"

"What?"

"…Oh, it's just that I feel pressured."

Aizel turns her head away from me.

This way and that way, close and then far away again. At this point, it's very hard to tell what she's thinking.

Nevertheless, I continued to speak.

"Master taught me the ability to use my senses like another set of eyes, to walk on my own two feet without relying on anything else, to wield my own arms and sword to protect myself."

"…"

"Now…It's been a long time since we've met, but I hope that answers your question."

Since I mentioned my teacher in the assignment test before, I have thought about him.

A former powerhouse, a mysterious man whose behavior could be explained with the strangest of reasons and it had to be someone who had already died.

Death, in particular, was essential because I was going to capture his soul in the blade.

Considering the effectiveness of the Ghost Slayer Technique, it was a no-brainer.

There was one person who was just right to be my "fake" teacher.

She died alone out of reach of people while training in seclusion. No one knew when or why she died, so she was the perfect teacher for me.

Moreover, she was an accomplished swordswoman in her lifetime. She was one of the top two swordsmen on the continent.

"…So you were with your teacher until you joined the academy?"

Aizel's question follows again.

Is it purely to continue the conversation or is it because she's really curious?

It had nothing to do with me spouting only false information.

"Teacher wanted to show me the wider world. "Show me" are funny words for me to use."

"Ah…"

"So I wandered all over the continent. North Syke, where the winter winds were bitter and Ishai in the east….I even went to the Glass Desert."

The information on numerous areas gained from my knowledge of the game was appropriate to liven up my lies.

"…What about the ocean?"

In a moment, Aizel's voice is slightly lowered.

"When it comes to the ocean…What kind of ocean? I've been on a boat before."

"Veleshanas."

"Aha… Veleshanas. I heard that it is famous for its beautiful beach, but I don't remember going there."

I cut it off moderately at that point. Even so, I can't say that I've been to all regions.

Aizel no longer spoke to me after that question.

Did she get what she wanted from my answers?

I wasn't sure, but it was clear that she was interested in me.

There was a bit of a wait, and then came the curry, which could be said to make Aizel more likable.

"You've been waiting a long time. Here's your curry."

Herald takes two curries and places them on the table.

Aizel's spoon scooped out of the curry and was soon in her mouth.

"…"

There was no exclamation, but she didn't look disgusted.

She didn't say a word, just started scooping up the curry until her cheeks were full, as if it was something she hadn't eaten in a long time.

The truth is, I don't like curry that much. Watching Aizel was enough to fill me up, but it was still rude not to pick up a spoon in front of the food.

I took a big bite and tried it.

'It's really spicy.'

To read all 355 fully translated chapters and the first 35 chapters for free, visit patreon (p(a)treon.com/Nora02)