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# 30

Chapter 4: Other Peoples Stories (3)

#5 Their Circ.u.mstances: Sia Nell Karans Circ.u.mstances.

Are you awake?

Ah

As the sound of a familiar subordinates voice reached her ears, s.h.i.+a Nell Karans eyes slowly opened, revealing the expanse of a black ceiling.

Yes, shes gone. Left without a trace That thought persisted, circling in her mind

When I wake up, Ill find my way home.

Still, hes a bad person, saying such words to an orphan with nowhere to return

Theres only one place I want to return to.

By any chance, did you get caught by the princess?

Yes. The personnel who defeated the Black Star were identified as Astral Knights, or rather eventually revealed to be Rain, the leaders comrade, and were chased away.

What? Rain defeated the Black Star? He was the weakest among us, right?

According to eyewitness accounts, that seems to be the case.

Judging by what Ive gathered, it seems the master must have defeated the Black Star. Rain must have been unconscious if he needed to be carried. Probably not in perfect condition, but still, its the Black Star.

Its unlikely for Rain to defeat an awakened Black Star.

Perhaps

You surpa.s.sed Iron Bat.

Iron Bat?

Yes, the ultimate weapon of humanity.

If thats the case, it makes sense.

With the help of the shadows directly under the emperor, the creatures I secretly raised, and even the princess, the total number is 200.

Intentionally reducing the number of torches to underestimate in the darkness.

But my master is always one step ahead of me. Sadly, even in the most crucial moments, he was one step ahead.

Truthfully, I was uneasy.

My master, who is not superior to anyone, became superior to everyone, and my master, who was not sophisticated, became more sophisticated.

Eliminating weaknesses at any cost, constantly developing strengths.

It sounds easy, but realistically, my master always did the difficult tasks.

Honestly, I was anxious about this operation, and, in a way, it turned out as expected.

Any casualties?

Surprisingly, none. Even the personnel attacked in the chaos have been treated. Honestly we still dont know what we faced.

Well, thats true.

Once youre hit, it hurts.

Even I, who trained and developed resistance, couldnt avoid the pain. But ironically, thats the treatment.

Once, when Maren suffered a serious injury during training, the master arrived with Iron Bat.

Ah, looking back, that was also the first moment I saw Iron Bat.

P-Professor! Even if you say that, its too much!

Im trying to give pain to those who havent finished training Huh?

We all had to watch that scene with wide eyes.

The man who, while laughing, declared hed go first, even as he cried out in pain and begged for death with entrails spilling out from a torn side, was experiencing a phenomenon beyond a miraclewhere the wounded area gradually healed.

K-Kill me Please, kill me

Well, disciples. Its okay to get hurt. Theres a way to heal. So rest a.s.sured.

At that time, the smile on Masters face was a smile that made even me, who loved Master more than anything else, take a step back, and the impact of the iron bat I received later was enough to deepen my affection for Master in an instant.

And at that moment, as Maren lay on the ground, receiving treatment from the iron bat, he came back to life. Perfectly fine.

The next day, he woke up more refreshed than us. Incidentally, due to the trauma of this incident, Maren declined numerous offers from various military organizations and strongly desired an administrative position, eventually joining the finance department. It was because he feared getting hurt.

Heh hehe hehehe Yeah, I dont know.

s.h.i.+a, are you okay?

I looked at the ceiling, letting the laughter flow.

It might seem a bit unattractive for a woman to laugh like this, but for some reason, I just want to keep laughing like this.

Yes, Master is an enigma.

Enigma?

Yes. Master is the unknown itself! An unknowable person.

It cannot be known by any common sense. Even after looking for a long time, its still unknown.

Honestly. Whether the Masters name is Naran, Ast, Herman, or Esedna.

Or maybe its something I dont know, I really dont know anything.

The territory where Master lived, which I diligently searched for, has already been engulfed in flames by the empire, leaving no records. The movements of the Master, which I secretly pursued, were ever elusive. Even when I stole and checked records of others investigating Master, the information never matched.

Sometimes, I feared that I might mean nothing to Master

Sometimes, I felt afraid that I might be nothing to Master.

Sometimes, I felt emptiness, questioning if the Master I love actually exists.

So, despite feeling embarra.s.sed, I went to Master and asked.

Master, Master!

Professor.

Yes, Professor. I came because theres something I want to ask.

Although youve completed your education, well, what is it?

What is love? Is love something that exists? If so, why does love change?

Heh you come to me with a sudden question.

Master seemed tired or, in a way, almost helpless. However, he answered my question seriously.

Most people fall in love with something unusual when they first fall in love. Something mysterious. Something interesting. Something different. They fall in love with such things. But they dont really care whether its real or fake. Why is that?

Answering a question with a question. Its frustrating.

Wisdom acquired without depth is easily forgotten.

I pondered deeply.

What made me like Master?

Yes, at first. I cursed him.

Crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Why did that b.a.s.t.a.r.d have to die in the Great War and survive to do this nonsense?!

A veteran among veterans who partic.i.p.ated in the mission in the Great War, the best of Professor. But when hit by the recently developed imperial magical bombardment, you couldnt help but curse. And then. What was it next?

Yeah. Still curses.

Kuaak! Whats this! Seriously! Is that guy even human?!

But theres nothing you can do. Getting hit by the bat for the first time just happens. Oh, come to think of it, why did I end up liking Master?

Do you know? What? What does Professor know about me! Even I dont know who I am! What do you know about me! Do you have any evidence that you know about me?

Ah, it was then. Looking back now, it was extremely embarra.s.sing and probably just adolescence.

Just a day when I could only think that way.

On that day, when my already foul mood clashed with me coming to terms as a woman, it was embarra.s.sing and humiliating. It even made me kick the blanket in my dreams.

I dont know.

Genuinely indifferent, to the point of appearing so. However, that answer penetrated deeply into my heart.

I cant claim to know you even when you dont know yourself. No, from the beginning, there is no need for mutual understanding between an Professor and a disciple who met as enemies in an evil organization. Only, I teach you, and you grow. And originally, the truth itself is not something visible. So, I cannot show you true evidence.

Oh, come to think of it. I cant understand my own existence. Where did I fall for Master exactly? Ah, I remembered.

So, you also dont know yourself, and I dont know you either. We are the same.

Funny.

Its not really saying anything, but its funny.

The word same. That word was salvation to me.

Later, by chance, I stumbled upon the secret of my birth, which was not even funny, and learned about the nonexistent father when I was born.

The events that followed were a series of unimaginable events, but even so, I thought I had somewhat figured myself out. However, I still dont understand Master.

Dont you know?

The awakening voice was the leisurely voice of Professor.

I answered in a hurry.

Th-thats because its unfamiliar?

Honestly, now I dont resist saying such things.

Honestly, my love for Master remains the same, but I couldnt understand it back then. But Master nodded.

Yes, its because its unfamiliar. I want a love that is splendid and cunning. So, I yearn to claim a young and beautiful soul or find a way to make an extraordinary person mine, keeping them within my sphere of influence. Believing that elevating ones worth const.i.tutes genuine love. This is why people often grow weary of it swiftly and, naturally, move on when it no longer aligns with their preferences or when they find someone even better.

Then does love undergo a transformation as one becomes more accustomed to it?

Surprisingly, Professor smiled gently and patted my head in response to my question.

Yes. More precisely, love matures rather than merely getting used to it. As a person matures, they willingly embrace the profound truth that they might have initially overlooked as simple or trivial. Regardless of beauty or craftiness, truth holds the greatest value for an individual.

Its a challenge.

Huh, who is the one posing this difficult question?

I-its me, Master?

Im your Professor.

Master, who messed up my hair recklessly, was completely different from the usual demeanor of the Master.

Later, during my investigation with individuals who collaborated with Master in the organization, I discovered that Masters typical demeanor vastly differed from their mission persona. And the Master I knew was charming, but the Master at that time was also charming.

So I heard various stories from the Master, but at that time, I couldnt fully understand those words.

Just conversing like this intensifies my fondness for this person.

Thats all I could realize.

Oh, one thing. I kept only this saying in my heart.

Love permits. Love allows, even the embrace of desire.

Its urgent! It seems that Professor Narans purpose is to live a farming life in the lands end village on the continent. And it seems that the princess herself is moving on behalf of the imperial family.

Ah, its been a while. Nostalgic memories crossed my mind. However, that princess has set her plans in motion

Despite leading vastly different lives, our paths converged toward the same person.

It seems like shes decided to move on her own now.

By the way, Professor, farming? What is this peculiar yet fitting sensation?

How will you proceed?

I will move independently, excluding the princesss side. The princesss team members will withdraw. Kindly inform His Majesty that Ill be taking a break.

We dont get vacations.

Huh? I have a lot of acc.u.mulated vacations. The empire is a place with pretty good welfare.

We are irregular workers.

Well, I see. You guys arent officially organized. Okay, then Ill tell you the story.

As it turns out, serving as a shadow to the imperial family is an irregular position.

As I contemplated it, a bright laugh escaped me.

The first vacation is a continental trip. The goal is the village at the end of that land.

It seems more difficult than a mission.

Thats not my part-time job.

If youre going to make fun of it, you should.

Thats why Her Majesty a.s.signed you to me, as my beloved Master mentioned.

Love permits. Love allows, even the embrace of desire.

Therefore, allow me to be greedy according to my desires.

If you can escape, try to escape.

I will capture Master according to my desires.