Chapter: 379
This place, which should symbolize peace, feels more like a small battlefield to me — the Academy. Thanks to the trolling antics of those club members last year, my heart feels nothing but despair at the thought of what’s to come next year.
I mean, going back to that place all alone would be like jumping on a grenade, so I swallowed my pride and returned with backup.
“It’s been a while since everyone gathered like this, hasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it’s the first time since the semester started.”
Seeing Penelia look around the Academy filled me with relief. If she was with us, there might actually be hope.
The Academy and Penelia—normally a combination that would never happen. But since Mukgwangdae is on leave and five others are stationed at the Academy, I naturally brought her along. It’s just sad to be the only one missing when everyone else is around.
“Having more allies is never a bad thing.”
Plus, with Penelia here, it’s not just me facing five opponents, but rather two of us tackling the five together. If I had to choose, I’d definitely prefer that option.
“There’s also a chance we could bring Erichabet on board.”
In fact, with Penelia around, Erichabet might be more inclined to join our side. They’re friendly, and as a seasoned manager from the Information Department, she’d likely go easy on me for my injuries. If I can win her over with sincere persuasion and Penelia’s support, we could face four enemies instead of five.
…It feels a bit lame to strategize against my own lover, but right now, it’s unavoidable. I’ll be outmatched against five; I need to carve out a path for myself.
And it’s a noble lie. Instead of worrying our loved ones by mentioning the past, it’s better to act as if nothing happened.
That’s what I believe.
*
Upon arriving at the Pastry Club Room, I found it empty. Given that it’s class time, it’s no surprise the members are absent, but if Beatrix is missing too, it likely means she’s in lecture.
But wait—where’s Erichabet? Is she at her dorm instead of the club room today?
‘Well, that works for me.’
Thanks to Enen, the five are scattered, making it easier to reach out to them separately. If they were all together, I wouldn’t have even been able to try to persuade anyone.
“Penelia, do you want to head to the supervisor’s dorm? Erichabet should be there, so you can take a break for a bit.”
“Are you saying I’ll be alone…?”
“The others are in class, so I’ll catch up with them later. I just want to see Mar briefly.”
Given that, Penelia quickly agreed. Whether her compliance was out of concern for the first lady or because she felt slightly sidelined by my previous focuses, who knows?
Either way, her overly obedient response feels a bit too sweet. I wish she’d show a hint of selfishness.
“Well then, I’ll see you later.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I kissed her cheek. It felt a bit sad to suppress her desires, but what can one do about Penelia’s disposition? All I can do is leave it to time rather than forcibly correcting her.
When I turned away, there was no response. Again, that’s something to leave to time.
*
Beatrix opened her communication device and softly spoke, “The baby is here.”
Though it was a short and simple statement, my body involuntarily reacted with excitement. Since it was from the mage tower’s lady, it must be true. If Carl is at the Academy, we’ll need a mage’s teleportation, so it’s only natural this news reached her.
‘Finally.’
I suppressed a grin and nodded. Carl has finally returned. After ending the war, he’s back with us.
I’d prepared myself after receiving a message saying he’d be back today or tomorrow, but hearing it confirmed made my heart race. No amount of preparation can brace you for the return of a lover who’s been away for so long.
“They say Penelia is with him too. Well, if not now, it’ll be winter break before we get to see each other.”
More good news followed good news. With Carl coming to the Academy, it seems Penelia made it back safely too.
“Are they both alright?”
“You’ll be happy to hear they both are uninjured.”
Relieved at her answer, I couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. Carl also assured me he wouldn’t need to fight because he was a supervisor before he left. And yet, he’d fought somewhere without telling us.
‘I get it, but…’
I understand Carl’s feelings. After all, he was personally appointed by the Emperor, and avoiding war wasn’t an option. It’s natural that he’d want to ease our worries. I was confused when I found out he was going to fight, but now I understand.
Furthermore, my father has said that a warrior getting injured in battle is unavoidable. It’s best not to get hurt, but living as a warrior means you can’t always count on the best situation.
So, I let it slide that Carl went to war and got hurt. It’s unreasonable for me, waiting in a safe place, to question him about why he was injured.
But Carl kept quiet. As if nothing had happened, he was silent.
‘What would he say if I asked him to be honest?’
I sighed softly. If I were to guess, he probably held back because he didn’t want us to worry. Since he had healed completely, he might have thought it was unnecessary to mention his injury.
…But surely, Beatrix must know what happened in the war. The leader of all mages, her ear would surely catch any reports about Carl’s wounds.
Why didn’t I think of that? It’s just unfortunate.
“Regardless, when you see the baby, make sure to greet him with a smile. It would be upsetting to receive scolding from a lover after so long apart.”
I pretended not to hear Beatrix add that it was the baby’s fault for being the first to upset things.
– Knock, knock
As I resumed my casual conversation with her, a familiar voice called out, “Mar, it’s me.”
Hearing that familiar and missed voice made me bite my lip. Earlier, my heart raced, but now I felt tears welling up. I cannot control my emotions.
It looked like Beatrix felt the same, as I caught a glimpse of a tear forming in her eye. In this moment, both of us had let go of all resentment toward Carl.
“P-please, come in, Carl.”
After gathering my emotions, I managed to speak, and the door opened. His familiar black hair and eyes came into view.
As soon as Carl, with a smile that melted my heart, stepped in and saw that I was with my sister, his expression faltered.
*
Oh no. Everything went sideways from the start.
I intended to meet them one by one, but there they both stood—the two people I feared the most.
“It’s been a while. Though I saw you through the communication device, seeing you in person is much better.”
I shook my head, trying to restart my frozen brain. Even if my plans have gone awry, I’ve had more failures in my plans than successes. It’s not something to despair over.
“I’ve missed you both so much.”
Besides, now is the time to celebrate my reunion with my lovers instead of worrying about my escape route. It’s one thing to spin sweet lies, but it’s another to imagine other thoughts in front of my lovers.
As I said this, I pulled them both into an embrace. Thankfully, I have two arms, so I can hug them simultaneously. Just four more, and I’d be golden.
“I’m sorry for being late. I wanted to come back yesterday, but something came up.”
“No, no! I’m happy you’re back safely, Carl.”
As he apologized for being late, Mar hurriedly shook her head. If she felt no guilt saying “safely,” then she must be quite the beast.
“I’m okay! I’m just happy to be here. What does a little lateness matter when I can be here with the baby?”
The “here” made me glance warily at my arms, lest I be called a beast again.
…
‘Ah.’
After biting the bullet and hearing multiple guilt-riddled remarks, I finally came to an alarming realization. Or perhaps I faced a truth I had been avoiding until now.
‘Busted.’
Whether it was my grand plans or persuasive tactics, the whole truth was completely exposed.
There’s no such thing as a perfect crime; I was mentally prepared for some of it to come to light. Quite a few people witnessed me diving straight into battle or charging to the frontline during the last conflict. Naturally, trying to hide my participation in the war itself was going to be tough.
The final goal was to only have them suspect my involvement in battle while avoiding mention of any injuries. That was my plan—to sacrifice my flesh while preserving the bones.
But before I even got started, I was done for.
‘Beatrix can’t be unaware.’
It seems my mana wasn’t the only resource I used while unleashing that Holy Slash. Logically, there’s no way around Beatrix’s watchful eye. All mages on this continent are pretty much extensions of her senses.
Of course, despite a period of blindly stumbling, I must’ve retained some brain function, as I had a contingency plan. I had asked the mages who came with the Northern front commander to keep my injuries quiet. Perhaps due to Beatrix’s influence, they tended to heed my requests.
But when those orders from the Tower Master and my partner collide, who’s gonna listen to me?
‘Crap.’
My arms, still holding them close, began to tremble.
“I’m so, so grateful that you came back like this, Carl.”
At this point, Mar was already on the verge of tears, and my trembling intensified.
“Baby, it’s still not club time, so… could you stick around for just a moment?”
That was odd. It sounded somewhat affectionate, but I took it as “you’re staying close by to be my pillow” kind of connotation.
Does the offer still stand if I bang my head against the wall right now…?
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