In a daze, I vaguely heard the crisp ringing of a bell.
I looked up and saw a sky filled with an otherworldly glow.
When I lowered my gaze, I found an endless expanse of clear water reflecting my image.
As my thoughts gradually became clearer, I finally realized that I was dreaming.
"By the way, Sensei."
At that moment, a gentle female voice, one that sounded oddly familiar but that I couldn't remember ever hearing before, spoke beside me.
"Do you regret it now?"
I immediately turned my head.
Standing beside me was a young girl with her hands behind her back, watching me with a gentle gaze.
I tried to get a better look at her, only to discover, to my surprise, that I couldn't clearly make out, or even remember, her appearance or clothing.
The only impression that remained was that she wore white, was young and beautiful, and had a soft, pleasant voice.
So... who is this woman? Why is she acting like we're already so close?
While I was still hesitating, the girl tilted her chin toward me, then began walking forward at an unhurried pace.
Without thinking, I caught up and walked beside her across the surface of the water. After a few steps, I finally asked,
"...Is it really okay to open with a question like that?"
"Hehe, it can't be helped."
The girl chuckled softly.
"Only the strongest emotions can give birth to something sublime. That's also a necessary part of the ritual."
The ritual... What ritual was she talking about?
Suppressing my curiosity, I found myself letting down my guard because of the inexplicable sense of familiarity she gave off. After thinking for a moment, I answered honestly.
"If you're asking whether I have... then yes, I suppose I do."
Even though I'd been too busy to dwell on such things, whenever I had a moment to breathe, I would be overcome with deep guilt over everything that had happened recently.
If I had made better decisions earlier...
Could I have changed anything?
The girl gave a small nod and smiled.
"That's what responsibility looks like. You're gradually growing into your role as Sensei. Hehe, Mom is very proud."
So who exactly are you?
After thinking it over, I decided not to blurt that question out. Instead, I said,
"It's just... 'the strongest emotions'..."
I did regret certain things.
But not to the point where I'd lose myself to extremes because of them.
"Mhm, I thought so too."
Looking ahead, the girl murmured,
"After all, what you're experiencing now is this kind of gentle story. There won't be any irreversible tragedies. It's a coming-of-age tale where friendship and hard work can lead to a happy ending. To become part of it, you have to accept that declaration. What a hassle... Ah, though I do quite like those words myself."
As she spoke, she raised a fist in encouragement.
"But I think this is enough for now. When the time comes later, just do your best to convince yourself."
Why did she seem more and more like someone I should recognize?
I hesitated.
"Uh... I'll do my best...?"
"Mhm. Good luck."
The girl suddenly stopped walking.
"We've talked long enough. It's time for you to go back now. So go."
Sensing something strange, I couldn't help asking,
"Where are you talking about?"
"Fate has already laid out the path for you to become a king. Every variable has already been gathered into my hands. So go."
The girl gave me a faint smile.
"Go to the red apple tree."
"Wait!"
I reached out toward the girl, who seemed both close enough to touch and impossibly far away.
"You... who exactly are..."
Before I could finish speaking, everything before my eyes suddenly went black.
Then, amid the sound of quiet rustling, I abruptly opened my eyes and sat upright, only to clutch my side again after moving too suddenly.
At the same time, the surroundings fell silent.
Hiyori and Misaki had stopped talking.
"Se... Sensei...?"
"...Sorry. Did we wake you?"
Misaki asked,
"Were you dreaming? Well, it's hard to sleep soundly in a place like this. We've gotten used to it."
We were still at the old Arius Satellite School, in the training grounds where the Arius Squad had spent part of their childhood.
Only a few dozen minutes had passed since I'd fed Saori the Holy Blood and decided we should rest here for a while.
Once I had fully grasped the situation, I didn't answer them immediately. Instead, I frowned and tried to recall the dream I'd just had.
But the memories slipped away like water through my fingers.
In the end, only one faint fragment remained.
"The red apple tree..."
Repeating those words, I asked the two Arius students who were still awake,
"Is there anywhere in the Arius Satellite School that's called the Red Apple Tree?"
The two exchanged glances before giving an answer that disappointed me, though it was hardly unexpected.
"The Arius Satellite School is underground. There's no sunlight, so a lot of crops can't be grown. I'm not completely sure, but... apple trees probably need plenty of sunlight too."
"S-so... food rations are also very scarce... We often went hungry... E-especially when we were little... back in the slums..."
I fell silent for a moment before changing the subject.
"Where did Azusa go? And how is Saori?"
"A-Azusa-chan... she's patrolling nearby..."
"The leader's fever has gone down."
Misaki paused.
"But we can't keep resting like this forever. Assuming no pursuers show up, we'll leave in about another thirty minutes."
"Thirty minutes..."
It was an oddly delicate amount of time.
The brief nap had restored the mental energy I'd spent, though the wound in my abdomen wasn't something that would heal overnight. Since I couldn't fall back asleep anyway, I asked,
"Could you tell me a little about the civil war... and what your childhood was like?"
"Uh... w-well..."
Hiyori fidgeted awkwardly.
Misaki frowned slightly, her voice low.
"Why would you want to hear about that...? It's not exactly something anyone would find entertaining."
"I don't mean to treat your suffering as entertainment."
I spoke as sincerely as I could.
"I just think it's necessary to understand you all a little better. That's all. If you don't want to talk about it, then you don't have to."
A brief silence followed.
After studying me carefully for a while, Misaki looked away.
"...Fine. Even if I don't tell you, Azusa probably will. Besides, we still have time, so I'll tell you what I know."
And so, in a calm tone that made her sound almost like an outsider recounting someone else's story, she began to tell me about the past.