Refrain from Obsession - Chapter 10

‘There’s no way that could be true.’ It was a question that seemed to omit this thought.

“You don’t need to worry. When an accident occurs within the party, calling for a rescue team is not only common sense but also established as a rule.”

“Now that you mention it…”

Aer recalled the booklet handed out on the day of the entrance ceremony and remembered the content that was among the top rules.

After all, since awakened ones, healers, and ordinary students attend together, the top priority item is safety.

So if they didn’t request a rescue team, they would be punished.

“Then we just need to wait, right?”

As they conversed while escaping the cave, they saw the blue spring spread out before them.

Although it was an artificial spring created by magical items, it was beautiful with its very blue and transparent color.

And whether it was originally there or not, long tree roots and grasses made the spring look even more natural.

It was like the cenotes in Mexico that she had seen on TV in her previous life. Louis, who had been quietly looking at the spring with her, asked softly.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Fortunately, there was water, so I’m not hurt.”

It seemed better not to mention that she had survived thanks to the magical tools.

“That’s good.”

The depth must have been quite deep, as the sunlight fell only in straight lines here and there. Also, as if birds were flying above, the sound of flapping wings echoed like the sound of wind.

“I wonder if there are birds up there…”

At her muttering, Louis concentrated and mentally commanded the eagles.

“Oh, they seem to have disappeared. It’s become really quiet.”

Except for the sound of water trickling somewhere, it was quiet. Aer quietly brushed back her wet hair.

Louis turned his gaze from watching the sunlight falling on the blue spring water.

Noticing water dripping from her deep blue hair, similar to the spring water, he asked.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“I’m fine now.”

She had worked hard collecting healing stones, so her body had warmed up and she wasn’t cold. Feeling relieved, Aer looked at him at eye level and asked.

“Your eyesight must be really bad. Judging by how thick your lenses are.”

“…Probably so.”

“What kind of answer is that?”

Aer replied with a giggle. Even though they hadn’t known each other for long, she felt strangely drawn to him and comfortable.

Even though they were in an isolated place, she didn’t feel wary or scared.

At that moment, a voice was heard from above.

“Can you hear me?”

At the familiar sound of Ian’s voice, Aer’s expression subtly hardened. She hadn’t expected him to come looking in person.

“Aer! Louis! Can you hear us?”

“…We can hear you!”

Aer shouted upwards and then let out a small sigh. If only the rescue team had come, they could have been rescued more easily, why did he have to come in person?

“I’m going to lower a rope! Both of you, please grab the rope!”

After he finished speaking, a thick rope came down from above. It seemed sturdy enough for both of them to hold onto.

Aer and Louis entered the water again to grab the rope that came down along the opposite wall from where they were.

Louis was surprised at how comfortably she swam. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she moved as flexibly as a mermaid from a fairy tale.

“Why aren’t you coming? Can’t you swim?”

Louis, who had been floating and staring only at Aer, started moving his arms at her urging.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her beautiful pink eyes under eyelashes that matched her blue hair, which seemed to blend with the spring water.

So he took off his glasses. With the cumbersome glass lenses gone, he could see Aer clearly.

Thump thump-

He felt a heartbeat with a strange resonance.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Dylan, a physically awakened one, pulled the rope. Even with two people hanging on, he pulled it up smoothly and quickly.

Rescued faster than expected, Aer let out a sigh of relief after reaching the ground.

“I’m sorry!”

At that moment, Anna knelt in front of Aer and apologized loudly.

Aer was extremely flustered by the sight of her begging for forgiveness with large teardrops falling.

This isn’t like her…

Although the accident happened because of Anna, she didn’t have the personality to apologize so readily for just that.

Wondering if she had some ulterior motive, Aer narrowed her eyes and looked at Anna suspiciously.

“Because of my mistake, Aer, I put you in danger. If I hadn’t deliberately let go of your hand, this wouldn’t have happened. Ian and Dylan and Louis…”

Anna called each name while looking at the corresponding person. As she was speaking while calling Louis’s name last, she suddenly froze as if broken, then continued speaking naturally.

“Louis, I’m sorry to you too. I’ll apologize like this.”

Louis reapplied the brainwashing to Anna, who had momentarily broken free. It seemed that using an ability he didn’t often use had reached its limit.

He clicked his tongue softly while putting his glasses back on. Using his ability again consumed a lot of energy.

“I heard everything from Anna. That you fell instead of the healer who was about to fall.”

Ian found it hard to believe even after hearing Anna’s words. No matter what the rules were, he had never thought that an ordinary person would actually protect a healer.

Initially, he thought awakened ones would never put healers in danger, but that was arrogance.

When they unexpectedly encountered a mid-level magical beast, they completely forgot about the healer’s safety. Just dealing with the beast was urgent and overwhelming.

Only after barely defeating the mid-level magical beast with Dylan did they realize that no one was behind them.

If Anna hadn’t returned, they would have had to report two people missing – a healer and an ordinary person.

Of course, the Academy would have gone to rescue them instead, but that would have been a blemish on his elite life.

Ian was proud of his abilities and thought he was exceptional, so he had no intention of creating any blemishes.

That’s why he came to search in person instead of returning to the starting point to report.

Of course, he would have to properly report what happened today, but it was better than having instructors intervene.

In fact, the ones who should apologize were the awakened ones, Ian and Dylan, rather than Anna.

However, the pride typical of awakened ones didn’t allow it.

Aer didn’t want to receive unnecessary apologies from them either, and all her attention was on the healing stones packed tightly in her pocket.

So she spoke first to Ian and Dylan, who were standing stiffly for no reason.

“Lady Anna has sincerely apologized, and I think we can all make mistakes in our first class. What do you all think?”

At her words, Ian felt his troubled mind ease a little.

“If Lady Bestia says so, I suppose we should follow.”

So he readily accepted her words.

Ian went to find the professor as soon as they arrived. They reported what they had seen about the magical beast, and also reported what Aer and Louis had done.

At that time, Aer felt uncomfortable in her wet clothes and was tired, so she wanted to return to her room quickly.

And above all else, she wanted to hide the healing stones as soon as possible. A dream-like future unfolded before her, making her heart flutter.

She had memorized the path clearly today, so she would have to secretly go back and harvest more healing stones next time.

Smiling contentedly like a farmer during harvest season, Aer spotted the professor and assistant professor approaching her from afar.

The professor approached the two and patted their shoulders encouragingly.

“I heard from Young Master Raymond. You and Lady Bestia must have had a hard time.”

Aer fell into momentary contemplation. When the professor in charge came, she wanted to express her dissatisfaction with the inequality of this class.

After pondering, she politely asked the professor.

“Professor, I have one question I’d like to ask.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“Why do ordinary students have to participate in activity classes? I think it’s a class where ordinary people like me, who are new to these activities, could get seriously hurt. Do ordinary people need to take activity classes?”

Honestly, although no one dared to say it outright, ordinary people are indeed included to protect the healers.

Not protecting with strength but with their lives.

Most children from noble families were either awakened ones or healers. But not everyone was like that.

Ordinary people were born in noble families too, and conversely, awakened ones or healers sometimes emerged from commoners.

But that was extremely rare, and in the Academy, there were far more commoners among the ordinary students than nobles.

That’s why they couldn’t complain even if they were used as meat shields.

The moment when she fell into a deep hole trying to save a healer that the awakened ones failed to protect was still chilling to think about.

It was easy to imagine what would have happened if she hadn’t brought magical tools separately.

So she thought the treatment of ordinary people should change. Regardless of whether they were nobles or commoners.

The professor in charge wasn’t surprised by her question. Rather, he answered calmly with a familiar expression.

“It’s an activity class, but in reality, it’s a class to prepare for war.”

“War?”

“Yes. The Basium Empire has been invaded countless times by neighboring countries since the first emperor. Even now, small battles occur constantly on the borders.”

“…That’s true.”

Although she knew about it, she had never seen or heard it directly, so she hadn’t given it much thought.

“Of course, the ones who will be at the forefront will be the awakened ones and healers. But can the remaining people rest comfortably? And if the defense line is breached and enemy troops invade, will they helplessly give up their homes?”

She couldn’t respond to this unexpected statement.