『Questions That Ought To Be Answered』

"Hey... don't you feel lonely?"

"..."

"Do you want to die that badly...?"

An emerald-haired beauty glared—seemingly annoyed. yet, even after her threat, the guy had stayed calm—it seems he was serious with his question.

"I mean, if you think about it, you can read people's minds and intentions, no? In a way, it's similar to a "God"—I've always wondered if gods ever felt lonely."

"..."

"I've realized that, after my mother passed away, I've become more skeptical of other people—that not everything is as it seems. If only I knew... about mother."

"Hmm... you dreamt about your mother again, I see."

"So, do you?"

"Maybe." She dismissively replied, going forth with her lesson.

This was Leariz in her projected Soul World—along with Naoki, who was currently learning a new pill recipe. The Star Breaker Pill, it is said to be the pill that an Alchemist has to produce in order to become an expert.

"A Star Breaker Pill, in essence, synergizes the Soul Nodes to better efficiently work as a Star Node. This also means that pre-existing Star Nodes can increase their quality as well—provided that the Star Breaker Pill is of good caliber."

"I assume that you can't use them to consistently grow stronger, right?"

"Right, there's only so much strength that a Soul Rank I can produce, after all."

Naoki had gotten pretty well-versed with Alchemy, even though he had just started recently. And although he still had failures and often wasted materials—his rate of success had increased to around 20%, which is considered to be very great even by the standards of Alchemists.

"Well, if you do manage to make a Star Breaker Pill, I'll officially consider you as my apprentice—despite your annoying attitude, you really do have the makings of an Alchemist."

"...I probably would have been touched by what you said if it was any other person though." Naoki snickered.

"You...!"

Alchemists are already rare enough as it is, much less someone who learned it within weeks. And despite her hate for Naoki's haughty attitude, she still had to praise his skills in learning it so fast.

"Aren't you glad though, to have a disciple who you can't read, Leariz-sama."

"Save that talk for when you actually make a Star Breaker Pill." Leariz snapped her finger, sending him flying against a wall that she made in her Soul World.

"...Urgh! Haha, you're still as rotten as ever... Lea..." Naoki fainted, as he cursed the person that had mistreated him like so.

Making a Star Breaker Pill was no joke, it's not like any other pill that can be made through constant practice. This time, he'd actually need to learn the intricacies and essence of the pill—to understand a deeper meaning to its creation.

Even Leariz had only given him vague instructions. It seems like it was to be made and solved alone, as making a Star Breaker Pill is like forging a soul—it is different for each person.

<<----------->>

"Hey..."

"Hmm, can't sleep?"

"Ah... mhm."

It was in the middle of the night, as Naoki kept practicing his alchemy at the inn—it seems he had not needed to hide it anymore, though the two were still not aware of Leariz's identity. It appears that Dorothy couldn't fall asleep—contrary to Astria, who was knocked out cold.

"I've heard, you've fought with that duke's son, right? Everyone in the Gold campus has been talking about it."

"Yeah, that's right." Naoki said nonchalantly, seemingly in deep concentration.

"..."

From the bed, Dorothy stared at the side of Naoki's focused face—despite his dismissive reply, she can't help but be enchanted by his intense face.

"I love you, Naoki."

"Mm!?"

*Boom*

His pill exploded, and black smoke came out of his furnace—it appears like it was a disastrous failure. The sudden remark of Dorothy had immediately caught him off guard—as Naoki looked towards the person who said that.

"Ah... wait! That's not it, peasant! ahh.." Dorothy panicked, it seems her thoughts had leaked.

"So that's how it is..." Naoki sarcastically agreed.

"Urgh... wait, I... just kill me."

Naoki began to discard the now charred pill inside the furnace, it seems he has failed yet again—though he still would have anyways even without the interruption of Dorothy.

"...I was just thinking, about what the instructor had said earlier—I couldn't calm down because of it, you see."

'Hmm?"

"She said, "Do whatever it takes to be stronger, even if it means discarding others". Sure, I didn't agree with her, as there are many reasons to live other than being strong—but..."

"But...?"

"I couldn't get it out of my mind—what if one day, all three of us are separated because of that? When we no longer have the same power and have to go through different paths?"

That's right, Naoki knows this all too well—that's what he has been working hard towards for the past several days and nights, after all. It was naive to think that people will stay for the sake of others—since they each have their own ambitions and goals, or so Naoki thought.

"Well, we'll just have to cross that bridge when it happens."

"Heh... that's such a weak answer, peasant. Where did your comforting tongue go?" She wryly laughed.

"No no, What I mean is that—even if we were separated, that doesn't mean all is over. I'm not sure about you two, but I know I will do whatever it takes for our paths to align again—and find ways to keep in touch." Naoki said resolutely.

"Is that so..." Despite her response, Naoki's words resonated in her somehow.

Dorothy was scared—scared of being left all alone, again. She has been troubled by it because she fears that if the three of them will somehow diverge in different paths, she would lose the bond that she had only recently discovered and cherished.

"Though it seems that's not enough to assure you, huh?" Naoki sat beside her, his arm embracing her shoulder.

"Ah..."

"...please don't leave me, Naoki." She placed her head on his shoulder, watching the solace of the moon from the window.

"Just Naoki? Hehe, so cold—Dorothy." Astria sat beside Naoki, doing the same.

"Carol... of course, I can't just accept you leaving me, right?"

"Yeah, we're lovers, after all." Astria snickered.

"Pardon...?"

"Still, when I look back to how Dorothy admitted that she had actually loved me romantically, I can't help but be enchanted by her sincerity."

"Wait, wait wait...!?"

"Hehe, I've admired you for so long, after all."

"Why am I not aware of this!?" Naoki exclaimed, his devastatingly confused face written all over.

While Naoki knew from Dorothy's memory that she had liked Astria, he had not expected they'd actually become lovers—He couldn't help but have mixed feelings inside.

"Pft! Wait, the peasant... Haha!"

"We're not just gonna leave you, Naoki." Astria smiled while poking his cheek—as if to calm him down.

"Urgh..." Naoki grimaced.

The two snuggled closer—as if to reassure the person in the middle of what they truly felt. Their soft hair ruffled against his own—as if to tell him that everything will be alright. In the end, all of them wanted to stay together, and not a single one of them wanted to let go.