#402. Return (3)
Can you go with me?
Hearing Kaisel’s words, Barnia doubted her ears.
Because I never imagined I would hear such words from this man.
“What the hell are you talking about… … .”
“Barnia.”
Kaisel looked straight at Barnia and said.
“I am no longer human.”
As I said before, Kaisel became a vampire.
That is why I have no choice but to leave the academy.
“So now I can live in the same time as you.”
“… … !”
Vampires have long lifespans.
Just like the homunculus Varnia.
“Now you don’t have to worry about being left alone after I die. So, you can ask me to stay with you.”
“Wh, why are you worried about that… … .”
“It was an important part for me.”
“… … .”
The moment she heard those words, Barnia felt her heart ache.
Because I have imagined it countless times until now.
After Kaisel died, he lived alone without anyone understanding him.
“There was another thing I was worried about. That you were the rooftop master.”
Kaisel looked straight at Barnia and said.
“I’ve always thought that the Obsidian Tower itself was binding you. Ever since I first met you.”
“… … .”
“But you are a responsible person. I thought you wouldn’t abandon your responsibilities no matter what I said.”
Earlier this year.
Kaisel brought Varnia, who had lost her power after being defeated by Vladimir’s men, to the Academy.
At that time, Kaisel seemed to be active for some reason. He even seemed excited.
I thought it was because I had captured Matapju… … but was it because I had hopes that I might be able to free Barnia?
“But this time, you came down from the top of the tower yourself.”
“That’s because I also thought that the Magic Tower needed a change… … .”
The last time the radicals of the Magic Tower rebelled, Barnia also had her own thoughts.
Because he had been the ruler of the Tower for so long, he felt that the Tower had fallen into mannerism.
If we entrust the Magic Tower to Calucion, who is good at coordinating the opinions of many people, wouldn’t the Magic Tower also be able to move forward into a new future?
“The reason I accepted Julia and Alexander was because I expected them to change the Tower… … .”
“I don’t care about that.”
“… … !”
“You have escaped your duties as the Tower Master, and that is the only thing that matters to me.”
Kaisel said, looking at Barnia with serious eyes.
“Barnia, if you were free from the duties of the Tower Master and could live your life freely from now on… … .”
“… … .”
Kaisel walked forward.
As she watched the distance between them narrow, Barnia felt like taking a step back.
I was out of breath.
“I wish you could live that life with me.”
“… … .”
Barnia was silent for a while.
I couldn’t look at Kaisel’s face properly.
He looked at the sky, then the ground, then his surroundings… … and then looked at Kaisel’s face again, then immediately looked down.
“This is weird.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why all of a sudden… … You, you’re not the type of person to say things like that.”
I listened to him, stammering.
“Always keeping a cold expression, not revealing your true feelings, being cold to me, always… … .”
“… … .”
“If you did that, if you did that, why now… … .”
As they were talking like that, Kaisel took a step closer.
And then he reached out and touched Barnia’s face.
“Don’t cry, Varnia.”
“Oh, I didn’t cry!”
He denied it hastily.
Kaisel’s cold fingertips were wiping away the tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes, but he just pretended not to notice.
“When I see you crying, it becomes difficult for me to control my emotions.”
“Oh, what happens?”
“I don’t know that either.”
“Ugh… … !”
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Seeing Kaisel’s face getting closer, Barnia hastily pushed Kaisel away.
“This stupid idiot… … !”
“Why are you swearing all of a sudden?”
“Anyway, really, you really… … !”
“Rather, it seems like you’ve become an idiot.”
Kaisel spoke in a cold voice to Barnia, who was unable to continue speaking properly.
“Barnia, I am free as you are free. Eriol has returned, and now I can leave everything to Eriol with peace of mind.”
“Kaiser… … .”
“Until now, I’ve been doing what I thought I had to do. So now I want to do what I want to do.”
“… … .”
Suddenly, this thought occurred to Barnia.
Kaisel said that he was bound to his position as the Lord of the Towers, but wasn’t Kaisel also bound to his position as an Academy professor?
That is why… … Kaisel can now finally pursue human happiness.
“… … .”
It was a sad story.
It’s only after becoming a vampire that I can pursue human happiness.
“Okay, Kaisel.”
Barnia said with a sigh.
“What is it that you want to do?”
“With you… … .”
“Besides that, what are you doing after leaving the Academy?”
Now even the Golden Cross has been destroyed.
There are no enemies left for Kaisel to defeat.
“You’re going to wander the world quietly without anyone knowing? Are you just going to wander around doing nothing?”
“Umm… … .”
Kaisel thought for a moment.
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
“I knew it.”
He’s a man with no hobbies.
There must have been a lack of thoughts about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do.
“He’s a man who knows nothing else than living as an academy professor. In that sense, he’s worse than Eriol.”
“hmm…….”
“Okay. Then let’s think about it slowly.”
As she said that, Barnia turned her head sharply.
“The two of us together.”
“Barnia, then… … .”
“anyway!”
Barnia cut Kaisel off.
Hiding one’s facial expression.
“When are you leaving?”
“If you allow me, right now.”
“Right now? Don’t you want to say goodbye to anyone else? Like Eriol?”
“There is no need for it.”
“You really are… … .”
Could there be such a cold-hearted person?
“And, I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“what?”
“I’m a man who feels ashamed too.”
“… … .”
Hearing those words, Barnia imagined.
He and Kaisel went to Eriol together and told her that they had decided to live together from now on.
“Ah, I don’t think I can stand it… … .”
I felt the heat rising to my face.
Seriously, this is not it.
“Okay, Kaisel.”
Barnia fanned her face with her hand.
“Let’s leave quietly, without anyone knowing. And very quickly.”
“Let’s do that.”
“Anyway, if it’s Eriol, he’ll see through everything that happened. He’ll take care of the cleanup, so let’s just leave.”
“I agree, Barnia.”
As Barnia walked forward, Kaisel stood next to her.
As our fingertips briefly brushed against each other, we looked at each other’s faces.
“… … .”
“… … .”
After confirming each other’s opinions with just a glance, the two simply put their hands away.
What if someone sees you walking hand in hand inside the academy?
“There will be plenty of opportunities anyway.”
“yes.”
There is still a lot of time left to walk hand in hand.
There is no need to rush here and do something embarrassing in front of others.
“Let’s go, Barnia.”
“Yes, Kaisel.”
So the two walked together.
With light steps, shoulder to shoulder.
The two of them began walking their own path.
* * *
“Umm… … .”
I opened my eyes with a groan.
It seemed like I was lying in a hospital room.
“Let’s just stay still, now… … .”
I recalled the memories.
I returned to this world, defeated the Immortals, and explained to the people what had happened.
After that, I think I lost consciousness and collapsed.
‘Edelweiss.’
‘Yes, Master.’
I closed my eyes and called out to Edelweiss, and a reply came.
‘Nothing happened while I was sleeping, right?’
‘Yes, nothing happened.’
I was a little worried because of my experience so far.
Because there were often times when something happened while I was unconscious and I had to rush to the scene.
‘Let’s stay still. Where is Uncle Kaisel?’
‘He left the master to the students and left.’
‘okay?’
‘Why are you doing that?’
‘No, there’s something bothering me.’
Before I lost consciousness, Kaisel told me that I didn’t have to tell him what had happened.
Instead, he told me to organize it into a paper and present it later.
That strangely bothered me.
‘Is it my fault?’
I remembered Kaisel’s face smiling gently at me.
Will I ever see that face again?
‘Why am I like this… … .’
Strange thoughts kept coming to my mind.
I wonder if my health is not good.
‘Master, please pay more attention to the people around you.’
‘what?’
‘Bedside, sir.’
I looked around.
Then I could see that Senia was sitting on the chair next to the bed.
However, Senia was asleep with the book on her lap.
‘The students discussed it among themselves and decided to take turns caring for her. Now it’s Senia’s turn.’
‘Oh, I see… … .’
Senia was fast asleep.
I wonder if you were tired from being by my side.
‘No, that’s not it.’
I’ve been missing for 100 days, so you must have been very distressed.
Not only Senia, but others too.
You must have been physically and mentally exhausted… … so it was inevitable that you would fall asleep in a quiet hospital room.
‘I really caused trouble to many people.’
‘Everyone was happy and relieved that the Master had returned. There is no need to think like that.’
‘okay…….’
Edelweiss noticed my feelings and said some warm words.
He is a truly human guy.
‘Come to think of it, Edelweiss.’
‘yes?’
‘I never thanked you.’
I closed my eyes and spoke to Edelweiss.
‘Thank you for your hard work. I was able to return safely because of your help.’
‘… … .’
Without Edelweiss, neither Ars Magna nor the Red Moon would have been able to win.
It would have been difficult to get here by passing through several parallel worlds in the Astral Plane.
‘Thank you, Edelweiss.’
‘Somehow… I feel embarrassed. I never thought I would feel this way.’
‘You will be able to feel all the emotions.’
‘Haha. That would be great.’
Edelweiss smiled inside me.
‘But Edelweiss… … I destroyed the Red Moon System, so what are you going to do now?’
‘The Immortals still remain, Master.’
‘Oh, I see.’
After the Red Moon was defeated, the remaining Immortals fled.
It was impossible to find and subdue those guys in the vast Astral Plane.
‘It could appear in our world like this, or it could invade other worlds.’
‘Then we’ll have to get rid of them too.’
Because the Red Moon System was destroyed, the Immortals also lost their immortality.
So it won’t be difficult to get rid of it.
‘If I wipe out the Immortals… … my mission will be over.’
‘Edelweiss… … .’
Edelweiss has been on a mission to combat the Red Moon System and the Immortals for over ten thousand years.
When that mission is complete, what should Edelweiss do?
‘From then on, I will spend the rest of my life working as a maid by the Master’s side.’
‘Yeah, that sounds good.’
A smile came to my face without me knowing it.
Because I wanted Edelweiss to live her own life even after completing her mission.
… …human life, not artificial intelligence that is part of the system’s magic.
‘But, Master.’
‘why?’
‘Senia was talking to herself earlier.’
Senia talking to herself?
‘Wake up quickly and read the new book.’
‘New book?’
I opened my eyes and looked at Senia again.
And then I checked the book on my lap.
‘That’s… … !’
A new edition of my favorite full-length novel, The Youngest Son of a Political Family!
So it was published in the meantime… …!
“… … !”
I unconsciously reached out my hand reflexively toward the book on Senia’s lap.
