Promise (1)

Promise.

The word carried a different weight, a different tension compared to other words.

Perhaps it was due to the weight Elodie herself felt behind the word.

'A promise, huh.'

A promise between Frondier and Elodie from their childhood, one that I couldn't recall.

"Come on! Just follow me and don't worry!"

Elodie spoke confidently. Holding her small hand, the girl and boy walked side by side.

Despite having no memory of it, a sense of dj vu washed over me. Under the blue sky, with the endless Milky Way flowing above, I felt a nostalgia for a world that didn't exist.

At the same time, hostility and disgust towards Elodie slowly rose within me.

'It was like this when I first came to the cabin.'

When I arrived at the cabin, was stabbed, and passed out, Frondier's memories flooded into me.

Along with them, I tasted the emotions Frondier originally held.

Now, I still retain some of Frondier's past memories, mostly knowledge of the ancient language.

Since Frondier's time studying the ancient language couldn't be completely separated from Elodie, I also had some of Elodie's memories along with the knowledge.

...However, among those memories, there was nothing like the 'promise' Elodie mentioned.

Perhaps it was a memory from a different time than when Frondier learned the ancient language, or maybe it was a promise Frondier himself had completely forgotten.

'You're still bothering me, Frondier.'

There was no reason for me to reject Elodie now. In fact, I believed we had built some trust in each other.

That's why the hostility and disgust I was feeling now were unpleasant. It felt like my emotions were being manipulated against my will.

"Here we are."

As Elodie said, we had arrived in front of the cabin. It truly felt like we had arrived 'in no time'.

It wasn't so much that we walked a certain distance towards the cabin, but rather that we had arrived at the cabin because we had walked a certain distance. That's how it felt.

"It's safe here."

Elodie said so and let go of my hand. I looked around. As expected, there was nothing but the cabin.

In the first place, there was no way this cabin, which belonged to Roach's villa, could be in such a strange location. Thinking about the geography of the original world wouldn't make any sense.

Ultimately, leaving this dream would require going through Elodie, and she would also know the way out.

"Elodie."

"Yes?"

I called out to Elodie. Even now, she must be getting smaller and smaller.

There was a science fiction-like setting where reality flows slower than dream time, but I didn't know if it was the same here.

Therefore, the priority was to get Elodie to come to her senses and get out of here as soon as possible.

But.

"..."

"What? You called me."

I was hesitating.

I felt a strong sense of danger in telling Elodie, "This is a dream, let's get out," right now. I didn't know the exact reason, but somehow it felt like something I shouldn't say.

"...No, just... I was wondering how you found me so quickly."

So I took a different approach. I wanted to make Elodie realize the inconsistencies of this dream herself.

The fact that I was here, that Elodie had found me without any help. If she questioned those things, she might realize that this was a dream.

"Ahaha. I can find you wherever you are."

"...How?"

"Just because. I can definitely find you."

It was a nonsensical answer, but Elodie's eyes were clear, as if she had no doubts about her own words.

It seemed like this wasn't the way to wake Elodie up.

"Now, sit down, Fron."

"Sit down, here?"

"Yes, on that chair."

As soon as Elodie said the word "chair," a chair appeared.

To my eyes, it looked like it had just been created, but from Elodie's perspective, did it feel like the chair had been there all along?

...Let's not dwell on these things one by one. It would be endless.

I sat down on the chair as Elodie instructed.

"So, what are we going to do?"

"Hehe. Fron, watch carefully from there."

Elodie took a few steps back from me, who was sitting on the chair. She raised one hand, closed her eyes, and muttered something.

It was probably an incantation. Soon, a flame was born on her hand.

Judging by Elodie's current appearance, it was a level of magic that was hard to believe for an ordinary girl of this age, but Elodie was no ordinary girl.

Maintaining the flame in that hand, she raised her other hand, chanted another spell, and then,

"Look! Fron! What do you think? Amazing, right!"

With a flame in one hand and ice in the other, she showed them to me with an excited face.

'...That's right.'

It was also written in Frondier's diary. Elodie would show off her magic and divine power to Frondier whenever she had the chance.

And that triggered Frondier's inferiority complex and jealousy. To Frondier, who had nothing, the abilities Elodie showed him were nothing but mockery.

"Huhu, amazing, right? Of course, I got a little help from Indra, but if I grow up a little more, I'll be able to control it with my own will without relying on him,"

"It's amazing."

I spoke honestly.

The technique Elodie just showed, dual chanting. Even among the second-year students at Constel, there were few mages who could do it.

It was natural for her to be amazing, having achieved it at this age. This was a dream, but it was probably the same in the past.

"...Huh?"

But Elodie was surprised by my answer and her expression froze.

I answered "amazing" to the question "amazing, right?", and she was surprised by that.

"...Oh, ahaha. Yeah! Ehem, it's amazing."

But soon, she smiled again and shrugged her shoulders with a proud look.

"Look, look? This time it's something different. I heard about these spells called Storm Poetry and Flame Poetry from Dad"

Elodie was excitedly chattering about another magic.

It didn't seem like it would end anytime soon. I came here to take Elodie out of this dream.

The stories Elodie was telling now didn't seem like they would be a clue to escape.

"...So, even though I'm loved by the five gods, only three of them answer me when I talk to them, and the remaining two... Ah."

After talking for a while, Elodie suddenly glanced at me.

"Ah, this is boring, right? Ahaha. It was a boring story after all."

"No."

I said.

"It's fun."

A story that wouldn't help Elodie get out at all.

A story that a young Elodie told a young Frondier.

Elodie's words that might just be a waste of time.

"So, what happened to the remaining two? Tell me more."

I decided to listen.

Looking at Elodie's sparkling eyes and blooming smile.

Thinking that this might be the first and last time I see that smile.

"Yes!"

To Elodie's brightly blooming reply, I smiled back.