Chapter 309. Praying (12)
He had a dream. It was a perfectly scary dream.
In another life, he endured all of the pain and even hypocrisy necessary to save the world. He killed a colleague who once held the same ideal, and killed countless enemies who blocked him.
And he lost his precious friends in the process.
It was a terrible, terrible dream. He longed to forget all of it.
But Desir knew, it was not just a nightmare, it was an undeniable reality. One day, he would have to wake up from his dream and return to reality.
Broken free from his restless sleep by an alarm from his communication bracelet, Desir checked the incoming message.
[Sorry for contacting you in the early hours. Can you spare me some time this evening? I’d like to talk to you about what we went over last time.]
He had received a message from one of his friends, Zod Exarion. Though in this world they were just coworkers, Zod had been a cornerstone of Desir’s real life: someone who had worried about him until the very last moment.
“… … … ” *Squeeze*
Desir grasped the pad firmly. He had been enjoying a debate with Zod every day lately. It was a perfectly joyful time.
But all he could do was be sad. The present time was nothing but a lie that would disappear when the Shadow World was cleared. And once he returned, there would be no more Zod Exarion.
“Really, it’s a dream world.”
As Desir spent his time here, he was able to see with his own eyes how many people enjoyed this fake happiness. This was a world where each person lived his or her own ideals. Desir’s purpose was to destroy this world, and destroying this world was like depriving countless people of their entitled happiness.
‘Do I have a right to do it? Is that really my choice to make?’
It was hard to even breathe under such pressure. It was literally the weight of the world. When Desir was in such agony, a mechanical voice came in.
[-Special condition, ‘The Weight of the World’ has been cleared.]
This was what Priscilla strived for. Desir Arman was allowed to see her ideal with his own eyes. She hoped he would understand her intention in the truest sense.
[-Starting the main quest. You must either ‘deny this world’, or ‘recognize this world’. Once you have done so, the future of the world will be decided.]
Priscilla wanted a battle of pure ideology without any preconceptions. That was the last gamble she threw.
* * *
At a low hill near the training area of Hebrion Academy, Desir and Romantica were spending their time lounging on the wooden benches there. Romantica was designing a new uniform for the hard-working students.
“They’ve been training really hard recently.”
“They remind me of the old days. Something about that is really inspiring.”
Desir looked at the side of her passionately sketching, then took a moment to pause before opening his mouth.
“Romantica… are you happy right now?”
Romantica’s furious scribbling came to a sudden halt. She turned and looked at Desir, concern hidden within her expression.
“Asking something like that out of the blue. Is everything okay?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Just curious, that’s all.”
“… Hold on. I’ll finish this and answer you.”
Romantica, having given a temporary answer, began to move her pen again. Lines began to form over the sketchbook one after another, and quickly took the detailed form of clothing. Desir looked at Romantica without saying anything. She seemed to be having a hard time during her training, but now she looked happier than ever.
Soon after, the picture was completed, and Romantica handed it to Desir.
“This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Now that I’m doing it, there’s no way I’m not happy.”
“I’m sure you are.”
It was obvious. In this place, everyone reached their ideals. They were able to do whatever they wanted to do. It was a world made like that after all, so there was no one could ever not be happy.
“One last thing.”
“If you ask me another useless question, I’ll hit you with the wind.” Fortunately, this question was very ordinary.
“The dress you designed last time, when will it be released?” Romantica shrugged.
“Well… I don’t know. All I can do is design, so I’ve never thought about anything else.”
“… Is that so… ”
Desir stared at the sketch Romantica handed over for a long time.
It was a training suit. Not only did it take advantage of the practicality of the existing training suit, but it was also a design that added oddly aesthetic charm by adding various additions and embroidering.
“I hope it comes out soon.”
* * *
That afternoon, Desir went to a mansion in downtown Dresden without going to the academy. It was a rare, large-scale building in Dresden that stood out amongst the many other mansions. As he slowly passed the iron gate, a garden of roses and other flowers was revealed.
Someone was waiting for Desir in the garden. He was a first-class beauty with sky-blue hair, an individual who stood out even amongst the many flowers. He was like a silver drop in the middle of the garden.
Pram Schneider. It was the name of a friend he could never forget. Pram looked up and smiled.
“You’re here, Professor Desir!”
There was no name in this world that he remembered with as much clarity. Desir answered with a smile.
“Long time no see, Pram Germia.”
The House of Germia. Distinguished by its noble history, it was a family that was destroyed after Dresden was occupied by their commoner revolution.
That was why Pram was never able to find his father, despite having received a very specific and ornate weapon from him and rising to national popularity as a member of the Starling Party. He had no family capable of recognizing him, and he could not find a family that did not exist.
But it was different in this world. Because the revolution itself did not take place, the family existed, and in the first place Pram was born and raised there from the beginning. In other words, Pram had a family in this world. It was a dream and an ideal that Pram had always wished for.
“I was surprised to hear that you suddenly wanted to have a meal with my family.”
Pram led Desir into the dining room of the mansion. The hall was as long as the size of the mansion, and the two could have quite a few conversations on their way.
“I’m sorry. I have to check something.”
Pram tilted his head at what Desir was saying.
“Well, anyway my family and I have all been anticipating your visit. You’re a celebrity.”
Soon the two reached the dining room at the end of the corridor. When Pram opened the door, he saw people who had arrived early and taken a seat in advance.
“Nice to meet you. Professor Desir Arman.”
The man sitting at the top of the table rose up and approached Desir. A middle-aged man with sky-blue hair that resembled Pram.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t meet you the last time you stopped by, but I’m glad to be able to share a meal like this.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, Sir Germia.”
“Haha, you don’t need to use Sir with me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been knighted.”
With a good smile, he urged Desir to shake hands. Their hands were strong and firm. Desir recalled that he likely would have been a commander of the Hebrion army. “Sit this way.”
The moment Desir sat down at the recommendation of Germia, the two sisters, who were flashing their eyes, poured out questions like a waterfall.
“Professor! Is the entrance exam for the Hebrion Academy really a Shadow World?”
“Yes, you seem to know quite a lot.”
“It’s true! But what if there’s an accident?”
“What’s used for entrance exams is a virtual Shadow World, and it’s under the complete control of the academy.”
“Then… !”
“And… !”
As questions seemed endless, Mrs. Germia, who had not been able to stand it, tried to stop the sisters.
“Carina, Abe. You guys are troubling the professor.”
“But I have a lot more to ask about the academy!”
“One more question! No, just two things! No, wait, three!”
“You two, really… ”
Mrs. Germia sighed as if she could not stop it. Desir waved his hands. “I’m fine, ma’am. It’s a question from my prospective students.”
“You are the best, Mr. Desir!”
“Can I call you brother?”
The Hebrion Academy maintained its reputation as the best institution in the world. It was the most prestigious place for everyone that craved to learn. So Desir, who became the youngest professor there, was literally the man who received all admiration. ‘That’s why everyone said they didn’t mind me visiting.’
Desir smiled gingerly and kindly answered the sister’s successive questions with no sign of displeasure. Since the atmosphere was so welcoming, even the couple asked questions one by one. Since the sisters were about to enter the academy, the parents seemed to have a lot of questions too.
“It’s my turn to ask questions!”
“No, it’s my turn! You just asked a question!”
“You’ve asked twice!”
The two sisters made a lot of noise, but the meal was very pleasant and they could not stop laughing. It was easy to see that the everyday life of this family would normally be this joyous.
As Desir turned his head slightly, Pram was looking at his sisters in front of him with a very friendly look. His eyes showed just how much he valued and loved his family.
“Are you happy, Pram?” Desir asked.
“Of course, I'm really happy.”
Pram answered with his eyes firmly fixed on his family. Even though it was an embarrassing question, it was an immediate answer without hesitation.
“Why?”
“Because, as you can see, I’m with my family.”
He was with his family. Pram had desperately wanted this, and it had happened. “… … ”
It would have been a perfect ending if it had been just that, and if it had really happened.
But the question had intrigued Pram, and so he suddenly turned his head towards Desir. In that following moment, Pram Germain became extremely perplexed.
“Professor Desir?”
He felt sadness emanating from Desir.
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