I Possessed The Villain’s Childhood Friend

97 – Moving On – 1

“Sorry. I should have come right away.”

“It’s okay. It must have been difficult for you too.”

Senior Andrew, who was lying on the bed, was smiling.

Of course, the senior’s right arm couldn’t be treated, so the right sleeve of his hospital gown was drooping.

“Andrew senior.”

“Huh?”

“I’m really sorry.”

“What do you mean, Mr. Ike?”

When I bowed my back at a right angle and apologized, senior Andrew frowned as if he was absurd.

“If I had been stronger, the senior would have finished unscathed.”

“… A strange apology.”

“This is not a strange apology. Because I can’t perfectly follow the movements of my seniors….”

“Ike. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be me who should apologize? As a senior, I had a duty to protect you. However, everyone, including you, was seriously injured because of my lack of skill.”

Of course, the injuries we received back then were not light at all.

But.

“I was a wound that could all be repaired, and my senior had a right arm….”

“That’s not what’s important. So it’s okay if you don’t apologize. Did I tell you last time? The reason I wanted to become a knight was because I wanted to protect something precious. So I don’t regret my choice at all. The same goes for Dean Ender.”

“… Thank you.”

“Yes. Let’s not make strange apologies to lighten the mood. Dean Ender wouldn’t want that either. I’m sure you’d rather say thanks than an apology.”

“… You certainly would.”

Senior Andrew smiled while waving his right sleeve, and I also quietly nodded to him.

Yes.

Didn’t Charlotte say that too?

I don’t want to disgrace my decision.

Then I must be even more so.

“… Mr. Ike.”

“Yes.”

“You will definitely become stronger.”

Senior Andrew’s words that came out of nowhere were definitely not empty words, but encouragement.

No, even if it was just empty words, it was okay.

I will make it a reality no matter what.

“You will be much stronger than me. It’s unfortunate that I won’t be able to fight with you from now on, but I’ll still support you. So please work harder for me. Then, not only me, but also Dean Ender will surely laugh.”

Senior Andrew said that and smiled as he put his left hand on my head.

Seniors are strong.

A senpai who can laugh even after losing his right arm and unable to reach his dream of becoming a knight is surely much stronger than me.

“No matter how hard I try, I don’t think I can surpass my seniors.”

“… Yes? Well, because I was very strong! Not to mention senior knights, I would have been able to join the Central Knights, but what a pity!”

Really, there are so many good people around me.

“Ah, that’s right. This time, my father heard the news and came to visit me, and he scolded me tremendously. What if the guy who would become a knight loses his arm? Isn’t that too much? My son is so injured.”

“I will.”

“But what should we really do next? The knight passed the water, and what I wanted to do at least was a merchant, but my father didn’t like it.”

“I think the senior would do well as a merchant.”

“Isn’t it? Well, since he’s the eldest son of the family, I understand, but I didn’t expect him to reject me with a single stroke. Ike, please help me when you convince me later.”

“Okay.”

In this way, another precious relationship has increased.

★

“You came later than expected?”

“Is that so?”

“Well, I thought it would come in a day or two since I scraped it that much.”

Charlotte said, raising the corner of his mouth slightly.

Did you do it on purpose to provoke me?

“No matter what, I didn’t expect it to come because it was the last day. If it’s done on purpose, it’s a bad taste. He even worried about what to do if he really didn’t come.”

“Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay because I came.”

After exchanging light greetings, we took our seats facing each other.

“Okay. So, let’s talk a little bit about something else before we get to the point.”

“Yes.”

“Ike. Like you, I will never forgive an organization called Avatar.”

As she said that, Charlotte’s eyes didn’t move the slightest.

But it was natural for her to think that way.

In the setting of the original work, the former saintess Selene was Charlotte’s savior.

Dean Ender was his lifelong mentor.

The last thing I learned this time was that Elin was also like her sister.

And all three of them were killed by Avatar.

In a way, Charlotte is now the biggest victim of Avatar.

“Avatar is evil. Even if there were circumstances, this fact would not change to me. Those guys killed my benefactor, master, and sister.”

But, Charlotte continued.

“But you shouldn’t move with anger and resentment as the driving force. Losing reason means showing loopholes. So, step by step, I plan to thoroughly and accurately grasp the situation and hit them.”

“Do you have any plans?”

“I don’t have any plans right now. Our biggest weakness is information. I can’t move easily until it’s all filled up. That’s why I spoke to you.”

“What I need is the information I know, is it?”

“Yes. Won’t you say that you can’t pass it? If you want to hide the information you provided, I will hide it, so don’t worry about that.”

“… I am not worried about that.”

How much will the information I know work in this world?

Now that was the biggest question.

Right now, I couldn’t even predict that these events would happen.

I didn’t even know that Avatar’s executive, Ed Cruell, had the ability to control demons.

I wanted to avoid getting into trouble by giving unclear information.

“Are your worries related to the thing you said about knowing the future?”

“Yes. If everything is different from what I knew, I’m sure there will be problems.”

“… You really need to start worrying about unnecessary things.”

Charlotte let out a sigh.

She was staring at me with a genuinely bored expression on her face.

“Just because I get information from you, do I look stupid enough to trust everything and not prepare for the next one?”

“That’s not it.”

“The important thing for us right now is not the accuracy of information. Literally, the information itself is the most important. To judge authenticity, a situation must be created in which it can be distinguished. I understand?”

“… Then, I will prioritize the information that I may not have changed and then send it to you.”

“That’s enough.”

Charlotte continued her speech while eating the macarons on the table.

“Shall we move on to the main topic now?”

Charlotte’s eyes were infinitely serious.

Those were definitely the eyes that judged me.

“The fact that you came to see me like this changed my mind about going back to my parents’ house. Would it be okay if I knew that?”

A feeling of pressure that made her nod involuntarily.

But I shook my head, maintaining a calm expression.

“No. I intend to return to my hometown.”

And Charlotte.

“Why?”

“Because I want to become stronger.”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

He covered his mouth and giggled at my answer.

It was a light laugh that made the serious atmosphere disappear in an instant.

“If I had told you that I would become stronger and stay in Arcana, I would have scolded you. I’m sorry.”

“I’m glad you answered correctly.”

“Okay. The story ends here. Then, prepare to go back as quickly as possible.”

“Okay.”

I gently bowed my head and stood up quietly.

“Ike. I will tell you one last thing.”

“I will listen.”

“You are strong. As a sage, I can guarantee this. It doesn’t mean you can become a strong knight. Do you know what that means?”

“… Isn’t that too overrated?”

“My eye for seeing people is accurate…. Anyway, it’s okay to regret. But don’t give up and sit down. Use sadness as food to look forward and move on. Master will surely want that too.”

“Even if you didn’t tell me, I will.”

At my knife-like answer, Charlotte smiled again.

“As expected, it’s much better now than the expression that looked like it was going to suck like last time.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes. See you next time.”

“Yes.”

The past does not change.

No matter how hard you go through, the things that happened in the past don’t go away.

But the future changes.

Whether to overcome the past and move forward, or to stop and sit down.

Depending on which one you choose, the future will definitely change.

And now, I move forward to change the future.

Because everyone believes in me.

Everyone who believes in me, because I also believe.

★

“Dean Charlotte. Is it okay if I come in?”

“Ah, yes. Come in.”

It was Reina who opened the door to the dean’s office.

Charlotte was taken aback by the unexpected visit, but he did not show it.

Because he knew that his teacher, Ender, would welcome a student with a smile under any circumstances.

“What happened?”

“I came because I had a request.”

There was a firm determination in Reina’s purple eyes when she said that.

Like Ike, who visited Charlotte a few hours ago.

“Teach me magic.”

“… You want me to teach you magic?”

“Please make me your disciple.”

Charlotte couldn’t hide her embarrassment at Reina’s request as she deeply bowed her head.

Charlotte passed through Selene and Ender to obtain the title of sage, but he had never received a disciple.

The reason was simple.

Charlotte was basically a sensory genius, so he was bad at teaching someone, and usually the other person couldn’t follow Charlotte’s way.

When Reina and Sophia came to the Mage Tower, didn’t they give up on theory classes and move on to actual combat?

‘But.’

A girl standing in front of her now herself.

I thought Reina Rogelia would be different.

No, she had confidence in Charlotte.

A girl named Reina Rozelia said that she would grow just by following her.

“… It doesn’t matter, but let’s hear the reason first. As far as I know, Reina, you’ve decided to stay in Arcana. Is that not enough?”

Remaining in Arcana now means that she will train with the goal of becoming at least able to protect her own body when Avatar attacks again.

But Reina’s request now is to aim for the next one.

In other words, it meant that I would fight against them, not just to defend myself.

“If you become my disciple, perhaps. No, you will definitely be fighting on the front line. Tell me why I have to send a kid like you into battle.”

“… I want to become stronger.”

“What?”

“I am weak. When it comes to fighting, I am so weak that I cannot play my part without protection.”

“That’s normal for a wizard.”

On the contrary, Ender and Charlotte who can fight on the front lines are abnormal.

I’m sure Reina knew that, but that wasn’t what was important to her now.

“My precious person said he would become stronger to protect everyone. Then I can’t stand still. We must become stronger than we are now. Because I swore to be with that person, to support him by his side.”

It was easy to see that the person Rayna was talking about was Ike.

“So please, accept me as your disciple… !”

Charlotte laughed involuntarily at Reina’s request as she lowered her head.

“… They say that the people you like resemble each other.”

“Yes?”

“When I asked him to explain why he had to be sent to the battlefield, he said something strange.”

“Oh, that is.”

“Okay. I will accept you as a disciple. I’m sorry, but it’s an irresistible request? Follow me with the determination to die.”

“Oh, I see!”

“I don’t know if I am good at it.”

After sending Reina back to her dorm, Charlotte sighed.

Originally, no matter how talented and determined she was, Charlotte, who knew Ender’s will, had no intention of accepting Reina as a disciple.

But.

‘I don’t only know information about Avatar. I’m not a prophet, but I know the future of this world. He knows everything from the reason why the war with them started to the end.’

‘And in that future, there is no Reina.’

‘I didn’t like that. Why must he die? Her personality is cold, inflexible, and strict, but she works harder than anyone else and is actually more kind than anyone else.

The words Ike spat out while screaming the other day.

I thought it was a ridiculous story, but I couldn’t miss the one-in-a-million possibility.

Because of that, he accepted Reina as her apprentice.

Because Reina thought that if she was really destined to die, at least she would be easier to protect by her side.

“… Then, how should she roll?”

As she said that, Charlotte was clearly smiling.