At that moment, I was plagued by two dilemmas.
Firstly, the vivid memory lingering in my mind. Going a bit back in time to when Marika personally apologized to me... Suddenly, Marika vanished, and a surge of memories arose — scenes unfamiliar yet strangely familiar. They were vivid, so much so that they seemed etched into my mind. These sudden, unexpected memories caused confusion every time they were recalled. Initially, the weird sensation was off-putting, but it allowed me to rescue Marika safely, so I wasn't too bothered. In fact, aside from the favor to Marika, these glimpses gave me a vague sense of events that might occur in the future, which could be seen as a boon. It was as if I could see the future... or perhaps gain insight into upcoming events. It was a vague feeling, but these insights clarified my path forward.
Returning to the main issue, there was a problem due to this memory. The events vividly appearing in my mind showed a girl I was currently observing, Aris, at the center of an incident.
"Aris! I didn't quite understand the magic theory we learned last time. Can you explain it simply?!"
"Of course! Bring your textbook, and I'll explain!"
Aris was the top student in the school, fitting her position as the class president. I couldn't take my eyes off Aris, not because I had feelings for her, but because she was currently in danger. In the memory I recalled, she was kidnapped by heretics. While the exact time was unknown, she was walking alone on a deserted street during the day and was ambushed by several cloaked figures. Aris, unaware of their heretic nature, was alarmed by their menacing aura. Her pure and kind nature prevented her from causing harm, and her naivety made her an easy target. The scene of her being knocked unconscious and abducted was vividly playing in my mind.
Knowing this, I couldn't ignore it. Although the events in my memory took place at night, I kept an eye on her just in case. The main reason I came here was to apprehend the heretics, and if Aris got abducted, a challenging journey awaited. Rescuing her would mean identifying the heretics, extracting information, and finding her location. Even then, there might be false leads and wasted efforts.
"Ugh..."
The thought of such a tiresome future made me nauseous. While it was hard to believe this would become reality, given my experience with Marika, it seemed plausible. Although it might raise suspicions, I felt I needed to keep an eye on Aris.
"Harold? Who have you been staring at since just now?"
And the second problem...
"Why aren't you answering when I'm talking to you?"
The princess, whose attitude had changed rapidly after receiving my help...
Even at first, she slapped me in public, creating a hostile atmosphere. Anyone could guess our relationship based on that strong first impression...
But in just a few hours, everything changed...
"Look at me."
Now, she was not only friendly but also revealing some complex emotions.
"Weren't you and the princess literally at odds from the start?"
"Now you two seem too close..."
"Earlier, during the power test, the princess lost the bet but forgave you. Did that incident spark some new feelings?!"
Thanks to that, I had to endure the buzzing gossip of half the students... "So, are you two dating?!"
"Earlier, the princess calling the freshman was..."
"Isn't this matching up a bit too well?!"
I couldn't stand the direction the conversation was taking any longer.
"Ahem!"
My sudden cough indicated that I had heard everything, silencing the whispering crowd around.
"That's kind of scary..."
"Did you see his damage score earlier? That's beyond human..."
"What's his true identity? After seeing that, he seems... otherworldly. I get a weird vibe from him."
"What's the matter, Princess?"
Unable to hold back, I responded to Marika and looked her in the eye.
"Uh..."
However, after beckoning me to look at her, she reacted strangely, avoiding eye contact and blushing.
"No... it's nothing."
I wondered why she called me over in the first place. It didn't make sense.
On top of that, I shouldn't have been distracted from watching Aris. As I muttered this to myself, the scene unfolding before me made my heart race.
Thump!
"Harold?"
Ignoring Marika's concerned voice, I quickly got up and began following someone.
Earlier...
"Hey, do you know where Aris went?!"
A student, seemingly taken aback by my urgency, tried to answer. They were the ones chatting with Aris earlier.
"Uh... uh...?"
They were flustered, but finally managed to respond.
"Aris said she had something to do and left on her own."
Hearing this, I felt as though my world was crashing down.
"Wha... Where are you going all of a sudden?"
Ignoring the students calling after me, I rushed out of the classroom.
She went somewhere alone? Isn't she wandering around alone during the day?!
I wanted to brush off the rising anxiety as needless worry, but the more I tried to calm down, the more tense I became.
Suddenly leaving the classroom... Was he watching Aris earlier? And then following her now? Was he really keeping an eye on her? My heart felt heavy.
I had always been a bit grumpy, but I never truly harbored any ill feelings towards Aris... Why does it feel real this time? "Sigh..."
Luckily, I was able to follow her. Although I did my best to keep up, it felt like I had been running for a while. I finally managed to get close to her, and now I had to be discreet to avoid being noticed.
It felt weird, like I was stalking her... but I had no choice if I wanted to protect her.
As she walked into a deserted crossroad, a scene unfolded that felt eerily familiar.
"What do you want?!"
Hearing her guarded voice, I focused and saw a group of unidentified people standing before her. If my memory served me right...
Despite Aris's warning, the heretics continued to approach her.
"If you come any closer, I might have to harm you. Stay back!"
With that, she began to draw a magic circle with her hand. However, she seemed hesitant.
Ignoring her warnings, they continued to press forward.
"This won't do! Now...!"
She prepared to cast a spell, but before she could...
"O mighty ancient deity, hear my prayer. Bind the one who rebels before me. Paralyze."
While Aris hesitated, the opponent already cast their spell, paralyzing her with a binding magic.
"Uh.. choke...!!"
It seemed the spell affected even her breathing. With a strangled gasp, she signaled her defenselessness, and then... Clank! Clank!
Seizing the opportunity, another individual bound Aris with a magical chain.
The situation concluded in an instant. Even if she was the student council president, a moment's hesitation resulted in total vulnerability.
"Phew, even if she was top of the school, she was quite easy to subdue... Simpler than I thought, almost disappointing."
"Exactly, we did great! Haha!"
A coarse male voice started the conversation, and the others joined in, seemingly enjoying the situation.
"Uh! Uh!!"
On the other hand, Aris struggled as if pleading to be released, but they paid her no heed.
"Good, let's quickly apply a sleep spell and take her... We missed the princess, but it's fortunate we still have a valuable vessel here."
From their conversation, it seemed they planned to kidnap Aris after rendering her unconscious.
"Dark Arrow!"
I couldn't just stand by and watch their misdeeds, so I quickly launched a surprise attack on their seemingly defenseless state.
"What-?! Choke?!"
A familiar scenario, I took one down to start.
"What?! There's someone else?!"
The heretic holding Aris fell unconscious. The others looked at their fallen comrade, clearly taken aback.
Now's my chance, while they're still unaware...
"Great Shockwave!"
A broader shockwave, I pushed them away ensuring it didn't harm Aris.
The dark group was repelled by my magic and fell to the ground, not moving. It seemed the ones who kidnapped Aris weren't that strong. Even with defensive magic, they all fainted from the aftermath.
"Aris, are you okay?"
Knowing the situation was over, I helped her out of her bindings.
"Harold...?!"
It seems the paralyzing spell naturally wore off when the caster fell unconscious. She moved freely once the shackles were off.
"Can you stand?"
I asked, extending my hand to help her up. But Aris just stared at me, seemingly unable to grasp the situation.
Then...
"He... Harold?! Did you... save me?!"
She suddenly realized and blushed furiously.
"Yeah, I happened to see you getting kidnapped, so I helped."
Unable to say I had been watching her all along, I quickly thought of a plausible excuse.
Holding her hand gently, I smiled. In response, Aris's face turned even redder.
For some reason, I didn't want to let go of her hand.
"Th... thank you, Harold! I was really scared for a moment..."
Though she expressed gratitude, I felt indifferent, having acted for my convenience.
"It's okay. I'm just glad you're safe."
Yet again, she smiled faintly, mumbling something.
"Harold is kind, very manly..."
I didn't hear it all, but from her expression, it seemed positive...
"Do you have time this weekend?"
Suddenly, Aris made such a proposal.
"This weekend?"
She seemed nervous, her face turning crimson, avoiding eye contact.
"To thank you for today, I want to treat you. How about we tour the royal road and visit several stores I know? Of course, I'll cover all the expenses!"
It felt like an excessive reward, and a bit burdensome...
But I already had plans for the weekend.
An appointment with the princess of this kingdom...
"How about the day after school starts?"
The dates overlapped.
What should I do? Should I decline? But if she gets kidnapped again, it'll be even more troublesome... Still, my decision was...
"Alright, I'll make time for it."
I accepted her proposal.
"Really?! I'm so happy you accepted! I'll dress up nicely, so look forward to it!"
The tense expression was gone, replaced with pure joy. Leaving just those words, Aris hurriedly left the place.
In a rush, she ran off, and soon, I was left alone in this deserted spot.
The reason I accepted her request was simple.
Neither of them had a special relationship with me, and both shared the mutual goal of repaying a favor...
So, I thought, why not meet both?
Such was my rationale.
But why did I feel this way?
"Ugh... maybe I should have thought about it more?"
Immediately, I felt regret about my decision.
I don't know what's going to happen, but an inexplicable sense of unease creeps in.
"I'm a bit worried... but it shouldn't be a big deal, right?"
Reassuring myself with those words, I too began to walk, following in Aris's footsteps.