What’s gotten into her all of a sudden?
Glancing sideways, I saw Kiana with her face flushed red.
Whatever daydream she had gotten lost in this time, she was squealing in excitement like a giddy young girl.
…It had nothing to do with me, so I ignored her and focused on the lesson.
Amidst it all, I began to feel a rather uncomfortable gaze piercing into me.
Isn’t that a bit too obvious, Your Highness?
I couldn’t bring myself to turn my head, afraid that our eyes might meet.
Even so, the weight of her gaze was almost suffocating.
It wasn’t quite the look one would give to an Archenemy. Something about it felt ambiguous.
Of course, I could understand her feelings perfectly.
Compared to the others, my relationship with her had ended on a rather unclear note.
There were probably still unresolved questions, and running into me again in such an unexpected place made her curiosity only natural.
Unfortunately, the only response I could give was to ignore her.
…At least until next week.
I forced myself to look away from her gaze and turned my attention back to the front.
“—And that is how the magical tool before you came into existence.”
Professor Hallen’s lecture had moved on to an intriguing topic.
I examined the object placed before the three of us. It was a magical tool distributed to each group by the professor.
It was a cube; its surface was densely etched with countless magical circuits, visible even from a distance.
It looked strikingly similar to the restraints I had been wearing just a few days ago.
No matter how I look at it, things have improved a lot since back then.
Back in the days of the First Hero, magical tools were still a foreign concept on the continent of Albracia.
They were merely tools designed for the convenience of magic users; nothing more, nothing less.
But now, they had become so widespread that even ordinary people could use them.
Through remarkable advancements, these magical tools had significantly improved the quality of our lives.
Even just looking at the gates imbued with spatial magic, one could see how convenient magical tools were.
“Some believe that before long, someone will invent a magical tool capable of interfering with the concept of ‘time’ itself….”
“But to be honest, that’s little more than a far-fetched tale. Time is far beyond what a mere human could ever hope to control.”
“There’s a reason why spatial magic exists, but time magic does not.”
“Even spatial magic itself is something we’ve barely begun to grasp.”
Professor Hallen continued her explanation in a gentle voice.
Although it was only a partial explanation, nothing she said was incorrect.
In this world, there were virtually no beings capable of interfering with the concept of time.
Not even the Sun Goddess or the Moon Goddess could accomplish such a feat.
That was why turning back time, regressing to the past, or traveling to the future was nothing more than a mere fantasy.
Time was a concept far beyond the reach of any magical tool.
…Well, except for one.
There had been exactly one being capable of manipulating time.
Lyell, the Star God.
In the past, he had been revered alongside the Sun and Moon as one of the three highest deities.
Few still remembered him now, but originally, the concepts of space and time had been under his domain.
However, in the present era, he had vanished without a trace.
And with his disappearance, the concepts he once governed had grown unstable.
Fortunately, someone had managed to inherit the concept of space by sheer luck, but time had not been so fortunate.
As a result, without a proper successor, time had become nothing more than a name. An abandoned concept beyond anyone’s control.
Oh, right. There is that one person.
The Sage of the Stars.
A MacGuffin-like existence who always appeared in the game. A lingering remnant of the Star God.
Perhaps he was the one who had inherited the power of the Star God, granting him the ability to manipulate the concept of time.
That very power was one of the reasons I had been searching for him.
Haah… If only I had been given an ability like that.
If I had, I could have gone back to the past and fixed the days I regretted.
In this life… and in that time a thousand years ago as well.
***
And so, the afternoon classes drew to a close.
“Alright, that’s it for today’s lesson. Good work, everyone.”
“””Thank you, Professor!”””
Professor Hallen’s teaching style was both engaging and informative.
Perhaps experience really did come with age.
As I listened to the students’ enthusiastic cheers, I rose from my seat.
Glance—
When I subtly looked to my side, the princess was still fumbling with the magic tool, completely absorbed in it once again.
Seeing her so unchanged from the past made me smile in relief.
I had worried that she might have changed after what happened back then, but thankfully, it seemed my concerns had been unnecessary.
“…Hey, Kiana.”
“……”
“Kiana?”
I turned away from the princess and looked at Kiana.
…Her expression was still the same.
“Hey, I’m heading out first. See you tomorrow?”
“…Mm.”
She barely managed to squeeze out a response before slipping back into a daze.
I had no idea what kind of daydream she was lost in, but I saw no reason to ask.
Leaving Kiana to her thoughts, I quietly watched the princess for a moment before sneaking out of the classroom.
.
.
.
“Haah… I’m exhausted.”
The moment I arrived at the dormitory, I let out a weary groan.
After an energy-draining day filled with exhausting encounters, both my body and mind were completely worn out.
Before washing up, I headed toward my bed to rest for a moment.
“…..…?”
But something about the size of the blanket seemed off.
It looked as if someone was lying underneath it.
Rustle.
When I lifted the blanket, I found a familiar face sprawled out on my bed.
“…Headmistress?”
“Mm? Oh, you’re finally here.”
With the same drowsy expression as always, the girl lazily licked a lollipop.
Her striking blue hair stood out as she devoured the candy without restraint.
…So, why was she here?
“What brings you to my room?”
“You were looking for me, weren’t you?”
“Huh? …Ah.”
Now that I thought about it, I had gone to the headmistress’s office to inquire about the Sage of the Stars.
– I’ll let her know as soon as I’m able to reach her. If it’s her, she’ll most likely come find you directly.
So this is what she meant.
Recalling Vice headmistress Sharine’s words, I turned my gaze back to the girl.
By then, she had already finished another lollipop. Suddenly, with a pop— a new one appeared in her hand as if it was conjured from thin air.
…Where in the world were all those candies even coming from?
“Isn’t eating that many bad for your teeth?”
“You know what I really am, don’t you? This body is just polymorphed. Do you think something like this would even affect me?”
“Well… that’s true.”
If she were to reveal her true form, it would be at least twice the size of this entire dormitory.
Of course, even so, watching her constantly eat sweets was hardly a pleasant sight.
It wasn’t because she liked them.
“Yawn… So, you have something to ask me?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, then how about we change locations?”
“…Sorry?”
Without moving from her reclined position, she simply raised a hand.
Then, with a familiar motion, she snapped her fingers.
Snap!
Unlike the previous teleportation magic, a brilliant white light filled my vision.
.
.
.
.
.
When the swirling light before my eyes faded…
The familiar sight of the dormitory I had been in just moments ago had vanished without a trace, replaced by an entirely unfamiliar space.
An endless, vast expanse dyed entirely in shades of gray.
It was so empty, so devoid of anything, that it felt less like mere emptiness and more like a void.
And in the middle of it all, a single sofa sat alone.
As soon as she arrived, she immediately threw herself onto it.
“Headmistress, don’t tell me… this place is—”
“A subspace I created.”
“……….”
A subspace.
That meant this place was a separate dimension, completely detached from reality.
Normally, subspace was used through magical tools designed to serve as inventories.
But that applied only to objects.
Living beings cannot enter a subspace.
A law established by the one who governed the very concept of “space”.
A law laid down by the being who had inherited the authority of Lyell, the Star God.
Under normal circumstances, neither she nor I would have been able to exist inside a subspace.
…Unless one of us was the very person who had created that law.
“You said your name was Ain?”
“Yes.”
“You have something you’re curious about, don’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“Hmm.”
She adjusted her posture and sat up straight.
Then, with another snap of her fingers—
Thud!
A table appeared between us.
Hearing a sound from behind, I turned my head, only to see that a sofa, identical to the one she was sitting on, had suddenly popped into existence.
“How about we make a bet?”
“…A bet?”
“Yeah. I don’t know what exactly you’re trying to ask, but wouldn’t it be boring if I just gave you the answer?”
“……..”
I knew it…
I had expected this much. There was no way she would just do something for me so easily.
She had a habit of teasing anything that piqued her interest.
And more than anything, she had a particular fondness for games and bets.
“Do you know how to play chess?”
“Yeah, well… I’ve played quite a lot.”
“Hmm… is that so? That’s unexpected. Weren’t you a commoner?”
“What about it?”
“Chess isn’t something commoners usually play.”
Like she said, board games were a pastime enjoyed primarily among the nobility within the empire.
Chess, in particular, was a game with a history spanning thousands of years. It was known to have existed even before the empire was founded.
Of course, with the advancement of illusion magic, simulation games had emerged in recent years, causing chess to lose some of its former popularity.
Still, it had its own charm; it was a game that required strategic thinking, which made it all the more enjoyable.
“Alright, let’s do this. We’ll play a match of chess, and if you manage to beat me even once, I’ll answer whatever question you want.”
“And if I lose?”
“Hmm, let’s see… Maybe I’ll just devour you whole?”
She said something so chilling with a completely nonchalant expression.
“…I’m kidding. Well then, if I win, you’ll have to answer my question instead.”
“…Understood.”
And with that, our match began.
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