Endless Silver Machine

Walking alone with senior Lilith on the way back to the girls' dormitory, Aika didn't know what to talk about.

Aika proposed to send Senior Lilith back to bed just because of the principle that girls should not be allowed to walk alone at night. It was not because there was anything that needed to be said to her alone.

As a result, there was no conversation between the two during the first part of the road, only the footsteps in the middle of the night could be heard clearly.

On the way, Senior Sister Lilith suddenly asked a question without any premise.

"Aika-san, have you made a choice between them?"

"Eh?"

Aika didn't realize for a moment what "choice" Senior Sister Lilith meant.

"Because I just made a casual observation and it seems that there isn't that kind of atmosphere between you yet."

"Ah, so that's what you were talking about..."

Aika once discussed emotional issues with Senior Sister Lilith, but she didn't expect that she still takes it to heart now.

"Although now is not the time to talk about such things, it shouldn't matter, right?"

"Well, it doesn't matter..."

In contrast, the problem that should be solved most urgently should be the ambiguous relationship between family members.

Compared with national events and the atmosphere of getting along with family members, the latter is of course more important.

"So, any progress after that?"

Even for Aika himself, it is extremely difficult to answer this question.

In what ways does taking a step forward in family relationships manifest?

Wei Xi confessed to herself in the ruins and brought Luo Luo and Ling out together. Her feelings were also understood through two contracts.

The night I returned home, that is, tonight, I concluded the "third contract" in my room...

There was no doubt about Luoluo's mood. The balance that had been maintained for many years was easily broken in just a week.

Although after recovering his memory, Luoluo did not force Aika to go further with her, but such a half-hearted relationship could not last long.

From the time they met until the incident at Tebiri Wangli Academy, Ling was struggling with the identity of his family, and Aika thought there was no need to worry about this now.

Ling's feelings for her were conveyed through the mouth of the Light Flame Sword, but she herself never showed that meaning.

But after knowing the mask Ling is wearing, Aika will inevitably be a little concerned about her every move.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Sorry, I don't know what the situation is now..."

"A man who says such things is the worst kind of man."

"I know, I'm also thinking about how to deal with such a problem."

"Well……"

Senior Lilith walked beside Aika with her hands behind her back and did not continue what he said.

There was a feeling of being teased by senior Lilith, and Aika really didn't want to face such a problem.

"In that case, let me tell you about my past."

"Senior Lilith's...past?"

Aika doesn't understand what the necessary relationship between "that's the case" and "Lilith-senpai's past" is.

"Aika-kun, do you remember when I told you that I wanted to become a national magician?"

"Remember, Lilith-senpai was saved by the 'Justice Magician', so she wanted to follow the same path as him, right?"

"That's right. I was only eleven or twelve years old at that time. I ran away from home because I was angry with my father and mother."

"Hey, running away from home...is really not something that Senior Lilith would do."

Senior Lilith's words mentioned her deceased father, who was still alive at that time.

"Right," Senior Sister Lilith shook her finger proudly for some reason, "But now I am very grateful for that adventure, because it allowed me to find a goal that I can strive for."

"Um."

Reminiscing about her childhood, Senior Lilith was like a child excitedly telling about her big adventure.

Unexpectedly, the mature and steady senior Lilith had such a side. Aika was attracted by the profile of her face illuminated by the streetlight and moonlight.

"Where was it at that time? It seemed to be near the Wallen Mountains on the border of the empire, but it was actually a place without a name."

Aika almost blurted out, "My hometown is near the Wallen Mountains."

Below the Wallen Mountains is the first stop of Aika and Lolo's trip away from home - Pfa Town.

Because of her family's secrets, Aika didn't say anything, and just continued to listen to Senior Sister Lilith talk about her past naughtiness and stubbornness.

"My impression was that there were only mountains and forests around. The investigation team commanded by my father and mother did not agree to take me with them on the field investigation. As a result, I was unhappy at that time."

Senior Lilith's father is a national magician. The head of the family is Senior Lilith's mother, Ms. Elise. The family business is based on the architectural design industry.

"Why did they bring you to the scene and not let you go with them?"

"To be honest, I still don't know the reason, but now I can understand my family's intention of not letting me go with them." Senior Sister Lilith smiled with a red cheek, "If it were me now, I would never do it again. Such a childish behavior."

"Then Senior Lilith will not meet the 'just magician'."

"Yes, that's what the saying goes, there must be losses. After I ran out of the camp, I didn't even know the direction, so I just followed the mountain road that seemed like someone was walking up the mountain."

Aika, who grew up in a mountain village since childhood, knows how difficult it is to walk on a mountain road that has not been opened by humans.

An image of an urban girl, much smaller than the senior Lilith in front of him, appeared in his mind, staggering on the mountain road.

A smile appeared on Aika's face unconsciously.

"Well...you imagined it in your mind, right?"

"Sorry, just listening to what you said..."

"Don't imagine what I looked like when I was a child!"

Aika originally thought that Senior Lilith was immersed in memories, but she didn't expect that she was also paying attention to the changes in her expression.

It seems that in Senior Lilith's perception, childhood ignorance is a shameful thing.

"Don't think that I'm not good at climbing mountains. I climbed to the top at that time."

"oh oh."

"Aika-san doesn't seem to believe it..."

"Because I can't climb to the top alone, so I can't experience that state."

"Really, hehe..."

Aika knew that the peak in Senior Lilith's understanding should only be the rock wall extending from the mountainside.

After all, Lilith-senpai's mobility in the wild was evident when we went to the forest outside Shigetsutsu Academy with her in the first grade.

However, when she was a child, Senior Lilith might be in a completely opposite state to the eldest lady she is now, and she might even be more capable than a boy.

This time, Aika paid attention to controlling her facial expression.

After feeling satisfied with her small sense of pride, Senior Lilith gradually slowed down her pace.

"However, at that time, I must have been frightened by the monster that suddenly ran out from behind. When I retreated to the edge of the cliff, I accidentally stepped on the air..."

It was obviously a life-threatening situation, but Senior Lilith did not tremble all over because of the memory of the horror. Instead, she recounted the critical scene in front of Aika.

"When I was about to fall off the cliff, I grabbed the stone on the cliff without thinking. As a result, both hands and arms were scratched by the stone. The blood flowed along the arms and into the sleeves. It was so painful. The feeling can still be felt until now..."

Senior Lilith held down her left arm with her right hand. Maybe she just couldn't see the trembling under the sleeves of her spring uniform in this light.

"At that time, I was so stubborn that I didn't want to call for help. I just cried loudly. Thinking about it now, I still did things that wasted my energy at that moment. It's a miracle that I can still stand here like this..."

The unfolding picture of Senior Lilith gradually overlapped with the memory shrouded in fog in Aika's mind.

Even though it was just a hazy picture, with every word that Senior Sister Lilith said, the lines in the picture gradually became clearer.

"However, crying loudly is also a way to ask for help. The 'Justice Magician' was probably attracted by my crying and saved me when I was about to let go..."

When they were children, Aika and Luoluo searched for a long time on the mountain road in order to find the source of the crying, and finally thought that it might be on the edge of the cliff.

"Now I don't remember the method he used to save me. I only know that when he grabbed my arm, he happened to grab it on the bleeding wound. Maybe the 'just magician' is not so gentle..."

The palms of her hands were slippery because of the blood that had not yet dried up. The girl's arms could not be grasped without strength. The tension of holding her breath to pull her up had already made me breathless.

"After I was rescued, my consciousness has been blurry. I probably lost too much blood. When I woke up again, all the injuries on my hands were healed. Although they were not bandaged, there were no scars left at all..."

The person who treated the lost girl was Luoluo. At that time, he didn't know magic at all, but he could only do what any strong person could do.

The real magician is Luo Luo, who can use healing magic since birth.

"There are two 'just magicians', and they are a brother and sister who are about the same age as me. They are a bit strange. After they sent me to the foot of the mountain, they were unwilling to go to the camp with me no matter what they said. It seemed that they were not used to interacting with outsiders. comminicate?"

"Well, because our family has repeatedly told us to avoid contact with the outside world."

"Because it's the 'Qianze' family?"

"Um."

Apart from "Yeah", Aika had nothing to explain to Senior Lilith.

Without even knowing it, she had connected a few years ago with the present.

During the year that Aika spent with Senior Sister Lilith, she did not recognize that the first senior she met after entering Frost Moon Academy was the girl that he and Lolo had saved.

From the beginning, she knew everything about him and he knew nothing about her.

"Senior Lilith, I'm sorry...I didn't remember it at all..."

The picture scroll that unfolded between the two people suddenly closed, and a breeze slowly flowed through the gap where time stood still.

"If I didn't think of my savior, then I should apologize."

Senior Lilith raised her hand to hold her hair blown by the breeze. Her slender wrists exposed from her sleeves shone brightly in the moonlight.

The shocking wound on her wrist was no longer visible, but instead, the eternal memory was engraved in Senior Lilith's mind.

Their picture scroll ends at the end of the academy path, which is the center of the garden that leads to all directions, where stone sculptures cast slender shadows in the moonlight.

The academy path extending from the administrator's cabin leads to the circular garden center, and eight academy paths in different directions extend from the garden center.

"Aika, maybe it's inappropriate to talk about this kind of thing now, or I'm talking to myself, but I want to rely on the courage temporarily borrowed from this memory to tell you."

Senior Lilith, who was gracefully bathing in the moonlight, raised her hand to Aika, who was standing in the shadow of the sculpture, but did not extend her hand.

A ring-shaped magic tool worn on the ring finger. The edged diamonds on it break down the bright moonlight into different primary colors.

"You have occupied most of my life. Before I met you again at Shigetsuki Academy, I just admired you. I asked myself several times, 'Is this love?' But it was not enough to be attributed to that kind of love." emotion."

Senior Lilith just showed him the ring that Aika accidentally put on the wrong finger, but she didn't expect him to hold her hand.

"After I met you again a year ago and found that you didn't remember me, I originally wanted to keep the past hidden and interact as ordinary friends... But when I noticed, I had relied too much on your help. I am completely attracted to you. That verbal engagement was also a product of this mood."

Aika knew that Senior Lilith did not make the engagement with the intention of dealing with Ms. Elise casually, but she never imagined that there was such a heavy mood behind the agreement.

"Even so..." Her confession, or talking to herself, was not over yet, "I still don't have the confidence to compete with them. The things they and I carry are completely different."

He knew who the "they" that Senior Lilith was talking about didn't even have to think about it. Aika once wondered why Senior Lilith was so interested in them who had no contact with them.

"So, when I know that they already feel the same as me..."

If he continued speaking, his choked tone would make it difficult to maintain the status quo, so there was no follow-up to Lilith-senpai's words.

The raised hand was quietly lowered, without waiting for Aika to even take a step.

She turned sideways, and she could still see the twinkling tears from the side of her face, so this action was meaningless.

"So, what I want to say is..." Reorganize the interrupted words, that is, readjust the state of mind, "Aika, I liked you."

Her tone no longer had the choked tone it had a few seconds ago, but instead she took on a playful tone.

This is the kind of playful tone that will never make you laugh after hearing it.

"And...thank you, Aika-san."

At this point, Senior Lilith's first love that quietly sprouted but has not yet blossomed has come to an end.

…………