She grabbed the collar of her clothes and gave it a good shake.
The outfit, crumpled from a night’s rest, fluttered around as it straightened out.
It was the pure white garment received on the first day at the Tower of Knowledge.
Thanks to its wide fit and flowy design, it was quite comfortable and still well-suited for movement.
With a swoosh, she draped a separate white cloak received earlier over her shoulders.
It felt as if the two pieces were designed to be worn together, filling in any gaps in her ensemble.
She took off her arm sleeves.
There was no one here to hide her prosthetic arm from, and given how it was popping out, those sleeves wouldn’t have done much good anyway.
“You look great in that.”
As she flapped her arms for a moment, Ariel said that while standing right in front of her.
[Is it too white or anything?]
“No, I don’t feel any sense of discomfort at all.”
[Hmm…]
With a peculiar expression, she waved her sleeves in response.
Fashion sense? She wouldn’t know a thing about it.
Having switched from her previously preferred black to this was a complete 180.
Her formerly black hair was now white, her eyes, though currently closed, had turned gray.
Her top and bottom were also white, and even the cloak she wore was white. Her magical energy was also white unless she specifically changed its color…
‘…I guess it doesn’t matter now.’
She had never really been in love with black. She just liked it because it didn’t show dirt and blended in when she stepped outside.
But now, she had grown fond of several colors.
Red, yellow, green, blue, and white, among others…
There was no longer any reason to stubbornly cling to black.
“I’m relieved to see you’ve let go of your emotions.”
While she examined her outfit, Ariel spoke with a gentle smile.
Suddenly, last night’s scene popped back into her head, and her cheeks flushed.
Even now, it was a happy yet embarrassing memory…
[It’s all thanks to you, Ariel.]
[Your stories were really enjoyable too.]
“I’m so glad to hear that. I was quite worried when you were shedding tears…”
[I wasn’t crying!]
Click! The Confession Necklace bounced.
A rather high voice echoed around.
[I wasn’t crying!]
“Really? The Lee Ha-yul I saw yesterday seems like a completely different person. Those marks under your eyes tell a different story…”
Ariel’s words trailed off.
Her pure white eyes blinked in surprise.
The area she was staring at was obscured by the wing feathers of the Sky.
“…Not to mention, there’s evidence of yesterday on my heart as well…”
[Kyah…!]
She quickly snatched Ariel’s hand, which was attempting to unveil the feather-covered area.
Ariel tilted her head in confusion.
“You blush now, but didn’t you throw a fit about not wanting to part ways and cried? That’s nothing to be ashamed of, Lee Ha-yul.”
[I get it.]
[Let’s move on to the next topic…]
“Yes, understood.”
Ariel, who had been teasingly pressing her, easily backed down from the subject.
She puffed her cheeks in a show of displeasure.
She recognized that this teasing was meant to alleviate her gloomy emotions, but…
[Anyway, thank you so much.]
All that sulkiness faded away with the numerous thoughts arising in her mind.
Having received so much from the Tower of Knowledge, recalling everything became a daunting task.
She approached Ariel and wrapped her arms around her waist tightly.
Sadly, since Ariel had closed her wings, she buried her face in the warm embrace.
[I’m really grateful.]
It was around lunchtime now.
Although she had stayed up late sharing stories the night before, she still woke up early.
Then, she spent a significant amount of time receiving various gifts from Ariel.
Just a little while ago, she was almost tired of the constant stream of packages being delivered by the golems.
Looking at the heaps of items piled up in her spatial pocket filled her with satisfaction.
“I’m truly sorry for not being of more help.”
Ariel also held her closely and gently stroked her hair.
Ariel’s expression, as she looked down at her with a face full of regret, seemed to say she had done far too little.
[Uh, no! You’ve helped me a lot, really!]
“…If that’s the case, I feel somewhat relieved.”
As Lee Ha-yul shook her head, denying she hadn’t been helped, a faint smile appeared on Ariel’s face.
“Have you joined any clubs?”
Suddenly, she asked about clubs out of the blue.
Lee Ha-yul tilted her head in confusion.
[What?]
[Uh… no…?]
“The clubs at Shio-ram are primarily focused on mental health rather than skill improvement. Most are leisure activity clubs for relaxation, so if you have a little free time, I recommend joining one to unwind.”
[Ah… got it.]
[If I have some time, I’ll look for one.]
The Shio-ram clubs.
One of the initiatives that started around the second semester.
Some were directly opened and recruited by Shio-ram’s main office, while others were set up and operated by students themselves.
She had considered joining one, but she didn’t have the bandwidth for it.
‘…Shio-ram was created because of me, right?’
Knowing the backstory gave her a mixed feeling about it.
Was the reason the clubs focused on mental health because they recognized how fragile her mental state was…?
“There are various facilities spread across the outer void area. Most areas are restricted to entry, but as a special enrollment student, you have access to all…”
Afterward, Ariel continued her recommendations.
Having designed Shio-ram together with the Head of the Tower of Growth, she was well-informed about it.
Her advice and cautions were extremely helpful.
‘……’
As the time went by, inching closer to her heart, she let her head rest against Ariel’s shoulder and listened to her gentle reminders.
“…I really have nothing more to say. I sometimes wonder if I’m overstepping since you’ve been managing well despite your anxieties.”
[Not at all.]
“Ah, good.”
With the warnings ending, silence settled between them.
In the quiet where even the sound of the golems could not be heard, only the soft rustling of her hair-stroking hand echoed.
– …Phew…
After enjoying that soothing sensation for a while, she took a deep breath, resolving her thoughts.
She couldn’t stay embraced in this warmth forever.
No, in order to live happily embraced like this in the future, she needed to step back now.
She released her hold around Ariel’s waist and took two or three steps back.
The warmth, comfort, and the sound of a heartbeat began to distance themselves.
It was a sensation she wouldn’t feel for a while.
Suddenly feeling a tickle in her throat, she tightly shut her mouth.
[Later.]
Usually, one couldn’t speak while keeping their mouth closed.
But thankfully, thanks to the Confession Necklace, she could communicate without opening her mouth.
For a moment, she organized the words she wanted to say with the Confession Necklace.
‘……’
But it was hard to get them out.
[Later…]
She had spent so long wondering what to say last night.
But when the moment came, her mind went blank, and her thoughts fumbled, like it had all gone black.
[Later, let’s meet outside.]
So, she ended up summing it up in brief, straightforward words.
The tower held the rights and duties.
Here, the duties were what the tower head was supposed to do, while the rights consisted of the authority wielded by the tower head.
In theory, the rights and duties should be balanced at a 5:5 ratio.
But in this world, the five tower heads mostly held more duties than rights.
This imbalance led to absurd situations where tower heads couldn’t even venture outside.
The reason for bearing such burdens ultimately boiled down to external invasions.
If they could manage to extinguish those, the tower heads could eventually regain some freedom.
“…Outside.”
As Ariel waited for her response, her face went blank as if she had heard an unexpected remark.
Seeing her bewildered reaction, Lee Ha-yul waved her arms defensively.
[Yes, outside… Ah, but before that, I might enter the Tower of Knowledge again, but if not… I’ll see you next time outside.]
Would she be able to enter the Tower of Knowledge again next time? She had no idea.
Ariel also couldn’t predict when the next restriction would be lifted.
Even if it were relaxed, she wouldn’t know if she’d be in a situation to enter then.
She thought she didn’t even know what she was saying.
Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, and she felt warmth surge to her cheeks as she blurted out her rattling words.
Using the feathers of the Sky to shyly cover her face, she turned away.
“…Ahaha, yes, I humbly await your benevolence, Lee Ha-yul.”
Then she inadvertently gasped as a soft laugh brushed against her ear.
It was so faint that it was barely audible to her ears.
Yet, it wasn’t her laugh.
There were only two people here, her and Ariel.
[You just laughed, didn’t you?]
“Laugh? No, I didn’t laugh.”
[No, there was a sound of laughter just now!]
“I wouldn’t know.”
[Hey! I heard it clearly…!]
When she turned her head sharply, Ariel jestingly shrugged her shoulders.
It was evident she heard it too, yet she was pretending otherwise, puffing her cheeks out in a show of displeasure.
“Oh dear, have you pouted?”
[I’m not pouting!]
“That’s hard to believe when you’re puffing your cheeks like that.”
This time it was clear Ariel let out a soft giggle.
When she lifted her eyebrows, Ariel confidently stepped closer.
She recoiled a bit, feeling her shoulders tremble.
[Why, why are you coming closer?]
“I have one last gift prepared. I was supposed to give it to you earlier, but it took some time to match the harmony. Here, take this.”
[Oh?]
Ariel’s shoulders rose as she came up right in front of her.
She then held out a staff she had been holding in her hand.
“This is the staff I used during my active days, the Purification Flower. Its performance is still top-notch even in this era, so please feel free to use it as you like.”
[You used this yourself…? Are you sure it’s okay to give me something like this?]
“It’s perfectly fine. I would prefer it to be used out here rather than just gathering dust in the tower. If you find it troublesome, you can even sell it.”
[I absolutely won’t sell it! Don’t say that… I’ll treasure it!]
She received the staff in shock.
Its body was tinted with a silver hue, and one could find a blue crystal at the end.
Aside from that, it was a very simple design without any embellishments.
It might be rude to say, but the simplicity made her tilt her head slightly.
– Vroom…!
The moment she grasped the staff firmly.
It began to quiver, and she understood through the information implanted in it why it looked this way.
‘…Is this a staff or a spear?’
In a flash, such a question whirled in her mind as she blinked.
– Vroom vroom!
‘Why are you vibrating?’
As she fiddled with the staff, pondering for a moment, suddenly the Proof of Guardian vibrated as well.
With some discontent behind its vibrations, she cocked her head instinctively.
“While your words are quite sweet, I still hope you’ll use it appropriately. And, in addition…”
Suddenly, Ariel reached out.
Her delicate hand lifted her bangs, revealing her forehead.
“I hope this offers even a little assistance in your journey ahead.”
– Pech!
[Huh?]
As she lowered her head, she felt a soft, moist touch on her forehead.
For a moment, she froze from the contact that felt wet and soft against her skin.
And then…
Everything started to align again.
Not quite the same as before.
The tangled thoughts began to fall into place properly.
It felt like gathering all the books sprawled out on the floor and organizing them neatly into a newly acquired bookshelf, leaving her body shivering in tremors.
[What? Ugh, huh?]
“This is the power of Knowledge. Referring back to the previous incident, I adjusted it beforehand to suit you. Simply use it to appropriately remove the restraints as you go along.”
Amidst the sparkling consciousness, Ariel’s whisper reached her ears.
Despite the previous tense farewell, she found herself back in Ariel’s embrace, shivering for a moment.
*
[Player Modification System: Affinity]
Lee Ha-yul → Ariel Segnis Ternovia
●●●●●●●○○○(72/100)
“Head of the Tower of Knowledge” “Leader of the Magic Association” “Um? You” “Complexity” “Confusion” “Questions” “Doubt” “Gratitude”
▽Change▽
Lee Ha-yul → Ariel Segnis Ternovia
●●●●●●●○○○(72▷75/100)
“Head of the Tower of Knowledge” “Leader of the Magic Association” “Um? You” “Protector” “Gratitude” “Assistance”
…
[System Adjusting…]
[Seeker Modification System: Exploration]
[Quest “Ariel Segnis Ternovia” Created]
…
[Received Partial Power “Knowledge”]
[Designated as the Owner of the Supreme Artifact “Purification Flower”]
…
[The Head of the Tower of Harmony reprimands for what the scholar did to ‘her.’]
[The Head of the Tower of Knowledge merely shrugs.]
…
[Artifact “Proof of Guardian” displays a frown.]
[Outdated…]
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
