Chapter 23: Let’s Hang Out

“So, what should we do now?”

Finally out of Yelena’s embrace, I asked, stroking Regina, who seemed a little sulky for some reason.

“Um, originally…what were you planning to do…?”

“Well, maybe spar a bit…or go out to the academy’s autonomous district.”

“The academy’s autonomous district? The city next door?”

“Yeah.”

The Arcana Academy, the best educational institution in the empire, was not just made up of academy buildings.

Within the grounds, which were as large as the capital of a small kingdom, there was a small city with various shops, entertainment facilities, restaurants, inns, banks, and so on.

Both Regina and Yelena were girls far removed from ordinary life. I wanted to enjoy the city with them and relax, but…

“Originally, I was thinking of going out and having fun with the three of us, but Yelena has to train, and Regina isn’t fully recovered yet, right?”

“I, I’m…I’m all better now! You know my recovery ability is outstanding…”

“I can skip training for a day, too.”

“Oh, really?”

I could understand Regina because she had a fast recovery rate, but it was really surprising that Yelena suggested skipping training and going out to play together.

The original Yelena Frost was a girl who only knew the sword. A truly icy girl who thought that nothing was necessary other than becoming stronger.

“Yelena skipping training. That’s a bit surprising.”

“Well, it’s not like I swing my sword all day, every day, you know?”

Hearing those words from her made me feel a little suspicious.

No matter how much different Yelena will be +two years later, and the one in front of me now was seventeen-year-old Yelena.

Even considering the gap of two years, it seemed like something had changed a lot.

Maybe there was something I didn’t know. While guessing, I held Yelena and Regina’s hands. Anyway, there was no point in just worrying about it.

No matter how Yelena changed three years later, it wasn’t something I could do anything about now. If that was the case, wouldn’t it be right to enjoy this moment?

“In that case, shall we go out?”

So, I asked in a lively voice, putting my arms around the two girls. The two girls were pulled towards me without resistance when I pulled them slightly.

“Eh…?”

“Ugh, Sian?!”

As if embarrassed, yet not disliking this distance, the two girls leaned on my shoulders. I tightened my arms around them and continued.

“Anyway, neither of you have any ideas, right? Does anyone have something they want to do?”

“Ah…um, no…”

“…Me neither.”

The answers were as expected.

Neither Yelena nor Regina were girls who had ever had fun properly. They had lived their whole lives broken.

And people who have never played before don’t know how to play properly.

In fact, I was an outsider in my previous life, too. But still, I was probably the most outgoing among us, so it would be best if I led.

I chuckled and looked at the two of them in turn, and said confidently.

“Then, just follow me today! Anyway, the entrance exam is over, and there’s still some time left until the midterm exam period, so let’s have some fun today.”

They were girls who had never experienced a normal life. Girls who had lived lonely lives, without friends, lovers, or anyone who understood them.

I wanted to give those girls a taste of everyday life.

So that Yelena and Regina, who had lost their smiles, could laugh happily like ordinary seventeen-year-old girls. So that they could put down the burdens in their hearts, at least for a moment, and enjoy this moment.

“Play…?”

“Yeah. We can just wander around the autonomous district without thinking, or we can sit in a cafe and pass the time. Or we can sit in the city library and read books.”

“Hmm…”

“First of all, is there anything you want to do? If you do, we’ll follow you. If not, just follow me.”

Yelena and Regina fell into deep thought after hearing my words. The girls closed their eyes for a while, leaning on me.

Yelena and Regina moved only after I shook them and called them.

“It’s already three o’clock, you know? You both know that curfew is at nine o’clock, right?”

“Ah, right…”

“I forgot for a moment.”

I gave them a little more time, but the two girls still couldn’t think of anything. I let out a light sigh and muttered.

“Then, let’s just go out into the city. If you can’t think of anything, it’s not a bad choice to see it in person and decide.”

“Yes. That would be better.”

“I…agree too.”

Regina’s discharge process didn’t take long.

The academy infirmary was quiet at the beginning of the semester. Besides, the nurse was good at healing magic in addition to Stigmata.

After a simple check of her body condition, Regina quickly changed from her patient gown to her uniform and followed me.

“Ah, you’re here?”

Sitting on the steps in front of the main gate, I stood up, holding Yelena’s hand, and started walking.

Neither Yelena nor Regina would know much about the autonomous district.

Yelena, who had lived her whole life looking only at the sword, would not have had the time to care about such places. She was a girl who would swing her sword even more at that time.

Regina had never come out to play in the autonomous district in the [Arcana Academy] story. Assuming that the ‘fate’ Regina was talking about was the original [Arcana Academy].

She would have heard about the autonomous district during her 999 regressions, but she would have forgotten all about it during the countless regressions. Human memory is finite.

So, naturally, I became the guide to the autonomous district.

“Um, but…Sian, do you know…much about the autonomous district…?”

“Yeah.”

To a veteran of [Arcana Academy], the autonomous district was almost like the front yard of his house. I had already memorized even the map.

However, I couldn’t say that this place was in a game and that I knew it because I had played the game for a long time. So, I chose to beat around the bush.

“I wandered around a bit after the entrance ceremony. It’s kind of an adventurer’s instinct, I guess.”

“Sian…was an adventurer?”

“Ah, I didn’t tell you? I told you last time. I had to earn money to enter the academy. So I worked as an adventurer for about five years.”

Answering that, I took out the golden rank badge from my pocket. The gold badge, said to be received only by the best among veteran adventurers.

“Sian, you were quite amazing. A gold badge adventurer at your age.”

“Th-that’s right…”

“Ahaha…”

I laughed awkwardly and walked. It was quite awkward to be praised by others.

In the first place, I was almost never around children my age. The age range of adventurers was from early 20s to mid-40s.

Hearing the sounds I had only heard from adults from my friends, it felt a bit new.

“It was originally a job I did to make a living, but it suited my aptitude surprisingly well. I received a Stigmata, found talent in swordsmanship, and met many good people.”

“Sian…were you, wandering around the world?”

“Yeah. From the Erelim Mountains in the north to the Great Desert of Ninhursag in the south. I’ve been to most places.”

“I’m…envious…”

[Arcana Academy] was not just a dating sim game. If it were just a typical mass-produced dating sim, I wouldn’t have played this game for so long.

What I found attractive in this game was its high degree of freedom. Although the story was mainly centered around the academy, during vacation periods, you could explore various parts of the continent and explore dungeons.

Following the memories of that time, I picked up various hidden pieces. Thanks to that, I was able to grow as much as a gold badge adventurer at a young age.

After Regina’s question, this time Yelena’s question came.

“The Alberich Mountains where the dwarves live, or Elvenheim, the city of the world tree of the elves?”

“I couldn’t go to the Alberich Mountains, but I went to Elvenheim once.”

“…I heard that the elves are a fairly closed-off group.”

Murmuring that, Yelena looked at me as if curious. I fumbled through the memories of two years ago and answered.

“I once saved an elf girl who was kidnapped by human traffickers. As a reward, I was invited there and lived there for a few months.”

“Oh, elves…don’t usually let people stay that long…”

“Ah. That girl was the daughter of a pretty high-ranking family. Thanks to that, I became something like a benefactor of the elves?”

I murmured that and added a word.

I had made a promise with that girl before.

A promise to come back and visit sometime when I had time. I had also gladly accepted that proposal. It had already been two and a half years since then.

“I’m planning to visit Elvenheim this vacation. Do you want to come along?”

“Is that okay?”

“Y-yes. We’re…just outsiders, so wouldn’t they not accept us…?”

“It’s okay. I can bring a few friends. Well, to explain the exact situation, it’s a bit of a long story, so I’ll tell you that story later.”

I muttered that and pointed to the clock tower in front of us.

“It seems like we’ve already arrived at the autonomous district.”