Chapter 57: Night Before The Storm (3)

Of course, I didn’t just blurt it out without thinking.

Elissa was not a girl who would ignore my request. Even if Elissa talked about the fake Stigmata, no one would take it seriously.

How many people would believe a conspiracy theory without clear evidence? It’s just going to be consumed as one of the children’s gossip.

It wouldn’t matter even if Elissa was a spy for the Dark Cult.

From the moment Marcus caused the terror, the Dark Cult would have expected that we would notice the fake Stigmata.

So, I dealt the final blow to Elissa, who was hesitating.

“It’s a replica of the Stigmata used by the Dark Cult guys. It’s a kind of black magic that uses a person’s life force as fuel instead of mana.”

“…Ugh.”

I deliberately didn’t look at Elissa. I thought Elissa would be too burdened if I talked while looking at her eyes.

It was a kind of consideration. I won’t put pressure on you as much as possible, so please tell me about the fake Stigmata yourself. A small consideration.

In the game, the Dark Cult was trying to artificially create people with mana excess. In the end, they failed, but thanks to the existence of the ‘seed’, it seemed to have succeeded here.

Then was Elissa an experimental subject? Or is she just a girl who made the wrong choice and touched the conspiracy of the Dark Cult?

This was something I wouldn’t know until Elissa opened her mouth. So I put my heart and soul into choosing words as much as possible.

If I treated Elissa like the other fake Stigmata holders, and Elissa was actually just a victim of the Dark Cult’s experiment. Then it would be like stabbing a dagger into Elissa’s heart.

A brief silence flowed between the two.

“As such, the fake Stigmata is dangerous. If you can’t control it properly, you might go berserk like Marcus we saw last time and eventually self-destruct.”

“…”

I held Elissa’s hand tightly and continued to speak calmly. Avoiding words that Elissa might misunderstand as much as possible, in a kind voice.

Although I initially approached only to find out about the ‘seed’… as the time spent with Elissa accumulated, the intimacy between us deepened.

In my previous life and in this life, I was weak to girls like Elissa because I grew up without receiving proper affection.

When I was an adventurer. Even after being caught by the trash who approached me with a kind mask and tried to kidnap me several times, this point did not change.

So, I didn’t want to let go of Elissa. I hoped she would take the hand I held out. I didn’t want to lose precious people anymore.

“…Sian”

What woke me up from my thoughts was a calm girl’s voice. Elissa asked in a voice without emotion.

“Where did you hear about the fake Stigmata?”

[Activate Special Magic ‘Token of the World Tree’]

I answered Elissa’s question by showing my right hand. A green leaf full of vitality shines with a soft light.

Mana with the opposite nature to the dark mana I possess. Elissa, who knows well that one person cannot have two kinds of mana, recognized at a glance that the ‘Token of the World Tree’ was real.

“While adventuring, I got in touch with Elvenheim. So I got a lot of help from their informants. Things like what the fake Stigmata is and how it works.”

“So, that’s why you knew so well.”

“After all, elves are more knowledgeable in magic than we are.”

Awkward silence followed again.

Elissa looked at the setting sun without saying a word. Elissa’s clasped left hand, her transparent sapphire eyes, and her cherry-colored lips tremble, as if representing the complicated heart of the girl.

I didn’t rush Elissa. Because a person’s heart cannot be cut like a knife, I understood to some extent Elissa’s appearance of not being able to tell the truth because she was afraid of losing me.

I felt Elissa’s affection for me and her anxiety of being abandoned in her clasped hands. I wish Elissa knew that I like Elissa as much as Elissa likes me.

“Elissa.”

“…Yes?”

“You don’t have to be afraid. The reason I hated that Marcus guy was not simply because he had a fake Stigmata. I never abandon my friends.”

“Ah…”

Elissa, after hearing my words, finally made up her mind. Focus returns to her wandering eyes, and Elissa’s characteristic neat smile spreads on her lips.

“That’s right. Sian was such a person. Always a kind person.”

“…”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“And humble too.”

“Ugh…”

I was hit with an additional blow because I was humble, and I lowered my head, blushing. I’m weak to praise, so I can’t stand this…!

Whether she knows my heart or not, Elissa gently stroked the back of my hand and continued.

“Can you wait just one day? I want to organize my thoughts. Tomorrow at this time, I will tell you everything here.”

“Of course. I trust Elissa.”

Anyway, I just need to find out whether Elissa is a fake Stigmata holder or not before the midterm exam.

If she is a fake Stigmata holder, I have to remove the fake Stigmata just before the midterm exam begins. I don’t want Elissa to die.

“Haha, thank you. Sian.”

“No. I’m more grateful.”

I answered with a lighter heart and got up. The scarlet sunset that dyed the sky became a layer darker, and the noise that had been heard from the academy gradually decreased.

As the birds that were chirping happily returned to their nests one by one, a slight chill is felt. The evening of March, felt through the thin uniform, is cold.

“It’s starting to get chilly, shall we go in? It’s almost the midterm exam, it would be a big deal if you get a cold.”

“Okay.”

Elissa and I got up together. When I released the hand that I had been holding for nearly an hour, the cool evening breeze swept through my sweaty hand pleasantly. A pleasant moan reflexively came out.

“Heee… it’s refreshing.”

Muttering small, I briefly removed the branches that covered the hideout. As I was about to go outside the hideout, Elissa’s cautious hand grabbed my collar.

“…Sian.”

“Why?”

“Are you, really not going to abandon me…?”

“Yes. Even if you reached out to the Dark Cult first, I won’t abandon you. You’re not beyond redemption like Marcus. Everyone can make mistakes.”

“Thank you so much. Tomorrow, I’ll really tell you everything tomorrow. I’m still a little confused… I think I’ll ramble.”

“Yes. It’s okay. Because I don’t want to force you to do something difficult. We’re, friends.”

I smiled and spread my arms wide. Grape-colored eyes draw a soft curve and create a cute smile.

The gentle breeze that blew at the right time tickled my ears, making a pleasant sound of grass.

Her hair fluttered in the wind, revealing her pure white neck. The shirt, which had two buttons undone because it was stuffy, opens slightly, revealing her collarbone.

Somehow, Elissa’s gaze is a little lower than my eyes. Elissa, blushing slightly and swallowing, carefully followed my words.

“Friends… yes, we’re friends.”

“Yes. So, I’m always on your side. Keep that in mind?”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

It was already 8 p.m. when we came down the back mountain. The cafeteria was already closed. So, we bought simple dinner at the store together and returned to our respective rooms.

I put the drinks and sandwiches on the table on the terrace, and I sat on the railing of the terrace, sighing.

“Huu…”

In many ways, my heart was complicated.

The fact that Elissa said that means that Elissa is definitely a fake Stigmata holder.

I wish the situation would always go my way, but life doesn’t go as easily as I want. You always have to assume the worst.

I’ve always lived like that.

“But, this time, I really don’t want to assume the worst.”

In the worst case, I might have to kill Elissa myself. If the situation gets out of control and the fake Stigmata is about to go berserk.

Then I will have to draw my sword to stop Elissa.

Even Marcus burned down a building, but if a girl with a huge amount of mana like Elissa goes berserk. Then can I stop it without killing it?

“…”

I jumped off the railing and took a big bite of the sandwich, continuing my thoughts.

First of all, I’m going to tell the teacher about Elissa in two days. Judging from Elissa’s behavior so far, it’s semi-confirmed that Elissa is a fake Stigmata holder, but I still want to hear it directly from Elissa before I tell the teacher.

Anyway, there are still about 4 days left until the midterm exam, so it’ll be okay. It won’t be a big deal if one student is added urgently.

I thought so and organized my thoughts about what happened today.