CHAPTER 19 – I KNOW YOUR SECRET
LYSANDER FARADEISS
In the aftermath of the Neo Arcadia terrorist attack, the empire's army swiftly descended upon our school, apprehending every defeated extremist who had aided the terrorists' occupation. On the other hand, immediate medical care was administered by the empire's most skilled healers.
I felt a profound sense of gratitude that, unlike the previous timeline, only the terrorists had suffered casualties—thirty dead and twenty more injured. On the positive side, none of the innocent students had lost their lives. While some had been injured, I had managed to prevent several deaths.
Though the term "preventing deaths" didn't quite capture the essence of what had transpired. In the previous timeline, thirty innocent students had perished. In this altered timeline, thirty terrorist students had met their demise. My intervention had merely shifted those deaths from innocent civilians to the Neo Arcadians. In the context of a peaceful time, it might be viewed as a tragedy, but in the grim reality of war, it could be seen as a victory. And so, I found solace and a measure of contentment in the changes I had wrought in this timeline.
After the battle, I spent some quality time at the festival, wandering through the bustling stalls with my friend Arthur by my side.
"We owe you our safety. Let me treat you to a shawarma rice buffet!" my friend Arthur enthusiastically suggested.
Despite the chaos that had unfolded, nearly half of the magic festival stalls had been ransacked, but miraculously, the shawarma stand stood resilient. When we approached the cook, he graciously handed us our meals for free, a gesture of gratitude for our efforts.
I raised my plastic bowl of shawarma rice to Arthur and let out a playful groan. "This one's on the house, so it doesn't count. Pick something else to treat me with."
Arthur chuckled, scratching his head. "Hahaha, in that case, how about cucumber lemonade?"
As we approached the cucumber lemonade stall, we discovered that the owner was distributing the refreshing drink to students for free as part of a relief operation. Once again, we found ourselves enjoying a treat without any cost.
I grinned at Arthur, teasingly reminding him, "This one doesn't count either. You know I always accept cash as payment."
Arthur rolled his eyes, muttering, "Just how petty are you?"
Arthur and I continued to enjoy our time at the festival, taking advantage of the opportunity to sample as much free food as we could find. While snacking on various treats, Arthur posed an intriguing question.
"Hey, I saw the way you fought from the home economics building. That explosive magic you used to take down the dragon and knight in one shot... Where did you learn that?"
I hesitated for a moment before weaving a quick lie. "My uncle was a Dragon Knight. I read his memoirs and picked up that spell for taking down dragons. His name was... Alphonse Faradeiss."
Arthur seemed to buy into my impromptu explanation without much scrutiny. "Ooooh, that's interesting," he responded, showing his typical gullibility.
The magical festival at the magic high school had been marred by the tragic events of the day. However, our determined Vice President refused to let it end on a disappointing note. As the sun dipped below the horizon, she made her way to the school's gymnasium, ready to perform a song aimed at boosting the morale of all the students who had suffered from the psychological trauma of the terrorist assault.
Vice President Hiraya's elven voice was nothing short of divine. Her songs had a profound effect, lifting the spirits of everyone who listened. I had heard that elven voices possessed magical properties capable of cleansing negative emotions, and hearing Hiraya's voice only served to reinforce that belief.
Following the concert, I made my way home without a word to the Vice President. There was no need for a farewell, as I knew we would meet again. Plus, I enjoyed adopting the persona of an enigmatic badass who departed without any unnecessary formalities.
When I returned home, my parents and little sister bombarded me with questions about what had transpired at the Magic High School. They had heard various rumors on social media about the events following the terrorist invasion, mostly focusing on the elven Vice President and a mysterious squad of dragonoids thwarting the terrorists.
In an effort to spare my parents from excessive worry, I downplayed my actual accomplishments to the point of dilution. I recounted that during the terror event, I had sought refuge in the boys' locker room, where I essentially cowered and cried until the ordeal was over. I knew that revealing the truth of my bold actions—charging straight at the dragon and knight—would result in a lengthy lecture about safety. My parents, caring as they were, lauded my supposed timidity, but my little sister found it quite amusing.
The terrorist event triggered a comprehensive investigation by the Empire's Chevalier Unit, leading to the cancellation of classes for the next three days. It marked a long weekend for all of us, and despite being twenty-eight years old in reality, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pure joy.
However, I could never have anticipated that the following day would hold a surprise that would occupy my entire day.
I found myself alone at home as my parents went off to work, and my little sister headed to middle school for the day. Therefore, it came as a surprise when the doorbell rang early in the morning. Hurriedly, I made my way to the front door and swung it open, revealing a stunning girl with long, flowing golden hair and eyes that sparkled like gold. She was dressed in a short white summer dress, adorned with a flowery sun hat atop her head. Her elven ears twitched in recognition, and she greeted me with an innocent, wide smile.
"Good morning, Lysander~" she said, her voice filled with warmth.
My immediate reaction was to close the door and cross my arms, wondering if I had somehow committed an offense. The elven girl standing at my doorstep was undoubtedly the future Oracle of the Dragon Lords, Hiraya. I couldn't help but wonder why she was here. Had I provoked her into a confrontation? That wasn't the case. So, what could possibly be the reason for her unexpected visit to my home?
Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by the front door being forcefully kicked open by Hiraya. Her aura had taken on a foreboding quality, though her smile remained in place, albeit strained.
"Y-You're supposed to treat your guests with hospitality... and not shut them out without saying anything," she chided, clearly irritated.
"W-What are you doing here, Vice Prez!?" I feigned surprise, desperately trying to gauge the purpose of her visit.
Hiraya pointed her index finger at me, her forced smile still in place, while her aura retained its ominous edge. She leaned closer. "Let me ask you first. Why did you vanish after the concert? I was searching for you everywhere!"
My response was curt and unyielding. "Hey, I don't think I'm obligated to share my plans with you. You're not my mom. I'll do whatever the fuck I want."
Hiraya persisted, her face flushing as she leaned in even closer, her hand concealed behind her back. "Did you do whatever you wanted the last time the school was invaded by terrorists?"
My heart raced as a shiver ran down my spine. Her words felt like they were piercing through the fabric of the lies I had woven in this timeline. There had only been one terrorist invasion at the Magic High School, at least in this timeline. Unless... she was referring to something I hadn't shared, something related to my regression through time.
"Listen, Lysander," she continued, her words heavy with meaning. "I already know your secret.”
CHAPTER 19 – I KNOW YOUR SECRET
LYSANDER FARADEISS
In the aftermath of the Neo Arcadia terrorist attack, the empire's army swiftly descended upon our school, apprehending every defeated extremist who had aided the terrorists' occupation. On the other hand, immediate medical care was administered by the empire's most skilled healers.
I felt a profound sense of gratitude that, unlike the previous timeline, only the terrorists had suffered casualties—thirty dead and twenty more injured. On the positive side, none of the innocent students had lost their lives. While some had been injured, I had managed to prevent several deaths.
Though the term "preventing deaths" didn't quite capture the essence of what had transpired. In the previous timeline, thirty innocent students had perished. In this altered timeline, thirty terrorist students had met their demise. My intervention had merely shifted those deaths from innocent civilians to the Neo Arcadians. In the context of a peaceful time, it might be viewed as a tragedy, but in the grim reality of war, it could be seen as a victory. And so, I found solace and a measure of contentment in the changes I had wrought in this timeline.
After the battle, I spent some quality time at the festival, wandering through the bustling stalls with my friend Arthur by my side.
"We owe you our safety. Let me treat you to a shawarma rice buffet!" my friend Arthur enthusiastically suggested.
Despite the chaos that had unfolded, nearly half of the magic festival stalls had been ransacked, but miraculously, the shawarma stand stood resilient. When we approached the cook, he graciously handed us our meals for free, a gesture of gratitude for our efforts.
I raised my plastic bowl of shawarma rice to Arthur and let out a playful groan. "This one's on the house, so it doesn't count. Pick something else to treat me with."
Arthur chuckled, scratching his head. "Hahaha, in that case, how about cucumber lemonade?"
As we approached the cucumber lemonade stall, we discovered that the owner was distributing the refreshing drink to students for free as part of a relief operation. Once again, we found ourselves enjoying a treat without any cost.
I grinned at Arthur, teasingly reminding him, "This one doesn't count either. You know I always accept cash as payment."
Arthur rolled his eyes, muttering, "Just how petty are you?"
Arthur and I continued to enjoy our time at the festival, taking advantage of the opportunity to sample as much free food as we could find. While snacking on various treats, Arthur posed an intriguing question.
"Hey, I saw the way you fought from the home economics building. That explosive magic you used to take down the dragon and knight in one shot... Where did you learn that?"
I hesitated for a moment before weaving a quick lie. "My uncle was a Dragon Knight. I read his memoirs and picked up that spell for taking down dragons. His name was... Alphonse Faradeiss."
Arthur seemed to buy into my impromptu explanation without much scrutiny. "Ooooh, that's interesting," he responded, showing his typical gullibility.
The magical festival at the magic high school had been marred by the tragic events of the day. However, our determined Vice President refused to let it end on a disappointing note. As the sun dipped below the horizon, she made her way to the school's gymnasium, ready to perform a song aimed at boosting the morale of all the students who had suffered from the psychological trauma of the terrorist assault.
Vice President Hiraya's elven voice was nothing short of divine. Her songs had a profound effect, lifting the spirits of everyone who listened. I had heard that elven voices possessed magical properties capable of cleansing negative emotions, and hearing Hiraya's voice only served to reinforce that belief.
Following the concert, I made my way home without a word to the Vice President. There was no need for a farewell, as I knew we would meet again. Plus, I enjoyed adopting the persona of an enigmatic badass who departed without any unnecessary formalities.
When I returned home, my parents and little sister bombarded me with questions about what had transpired at the Magic High School. They had heard various rumors on social media about the events following the terrorist invasion, mostly focusing on the elven Vice President and a mysterious squad of dragonoids thwarting the terrorists.
In an effort to spare my parents from excessive worry, I downplayed my actual accomplishments to the point of dilution. I recounted that during the terror event, I had sought refuge in the boys' locker room, where I essentially cowered and cried until the ordeal was over. I knew that revealing the truth of my bold actions—charging straight at the dragon and knight—would result in a lengthy lecture about safety. My parents, caring as they were, lauded my supposed timidity, but my little sister found it quite amusing.
The terrorist event triggered a comprehensive investigation by the Empire's Chevalier Unit, leading to the cancellation of classes for the next three days. It marked a long weekend for all of us, and despite being twenty-eight years old in reality, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pure joy.
However, I could never have anticipated that the following day would hold a surprise that would occupy my entire day.
I found myself alone at home as my parents went off to work, and my little sister headed to middle school for the day. Therefore, it came as a surprise when the doorbell rang early in the morning. Hurriedly, I made my way to the front door and swung it open, revealing a stunning girl with long, flowing golden hair and eyes that sparkled like gold. She was dressed in a short white summer dress, adorned with a flowery sun hat atop her head. Her elven ears twitched in recognition, and she greeted me with an innocent, wide smile.
"Good morning, Lysander~" she said, her voice filled with warmth.
My immediate reaction was to close the door and cross my arms, wondering if I had somehow committed an offense. The elven girl standing at my doorstep was undoubtedly the future Oracle of the Dragon Lords, Hiraya. I couldn't help but wonder why she was here. Had I provoked her into a confrontation? That wasn't the case. So, what could possibly be the reason for her unexpected visit to my home?
Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by the front door being forcefully kicked open by Hiraya. Her aura had taken on a foreboding quality, though her smile remained in place, albeit strained.
"Y-You're supposed to treat your guests with hospitality... and not shut them out without saying anything," she chided, clearly irritated.
"W-What are you doing here, Vice Prez!?" I feigned surprise, desperately trying to gauge the purpose of her visit.
Hiraya pointed her index finger at me, her forced smile still in place, while her aura retained its ominous edge. She leaned closer. "Let me ask you first. Why did you vanish after the concert? I was searching for you everywhere!"
My response was curt and unyielding. "Hey, I don't think I'm obligated to share my plans with you. You're not my mom. I'll do whatever the fuck I want."
Hiraya persisted, her face flushing as she leaned in even closer, her hand concealed behind her back. "Did you do whatever you wanted the last time the school was invaded by terrorists?"
My heart raced as a shiver ran down my spine. Her words felt like they were piercing through the fabric of the lies I had woven in this timeline. There had only been one terrorist invasion at the Magic High School, at least in this timeline. Unless... she was referring to something I hadn't shared, something related to my regression through time.
"Listen, Lysander," she continued, her words heavy with meaning. "I already know your secret.”
