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"Frondier, I have a rough idea," Lunia Fricell spoke first, her face etched with discontent.

"You gathered us here because of Selena\'s sudden disappearance, right?"

Everyone in the classroom nodded in agreement with her statement.

I had summoned a few people to the classroom after school: Aster Evans, the current third-year Ellen Evans, Edwin von Behetorio, my self-proclaimed disciples Dier Aigar and Pielott von Ribanche, and Aten, whom I had informed of the situation beforehand as he needed to be present for this discussion—all prominent figures within the academy.

In the original game, these would have been the companions joining the protagonist, Aster, to overcome trials and tribulations together.

"My father\'s workload has also suddenly increased. An unprecedented number of orders have come in," Sybil Forte mentioned.

"Same here. Even our old geezer, who usually makes a fuss over nothing, has been unusually quiet. Or rather, busy. He doesn\'t answer when I ask what\'s going on," Robald Lieff added.

"All the security installations I was commissioned for are undergoing re-inspection. Not because any problems were found, but simply for \'routine checks,\'" Edwin von Behetorio stated.

They had already sensed the unusual atmosphere within Constel.

"Frondier."

And lastly, Aster Evans looked at me with an incredibly serious expression.

He briefly glanced at Ellen before speaking, "My sister told me."

"Right."

Ellen would have naturally informed Aster. That was what I had hoped for.

"The Manggot are coming, right?"

"Yes."

"And you\'re gathering the Empire\'s forces by informing people to prevent it."

"...Yes."

At Aster\'s words, the others exchanged surprised glances. For those who were unaware, this information must have been quite shocking.

Aster sighed. "Come to think of it, I know nothing about you."

I chuckled at his words.

It couldn\'t be helped.

"Neither do I."

Because those were my words to say.

Aster Evans.

The protagonist of the game, Etius.

The one I had directly controlled, played countless times, and believed I knew better than anyone else.

Ironically, Aster Evans, outside the context of the game, was a complete stranger to me.

The Aster Evans who knew the future and avoided wrong choices due to being a game character didn\'t exist.

The Aster who followed the optimized route built upon countless retries and information sharing from numerous players was no more.

Even with dozens of miracles, Aster wouldn\'t follow that path.

Because Aster was now solely Aster Evans.

\'That\'s why I\'ve been unconsciously avoiding Aster.\'

The day I first met him.

When I watched from the fork in the road to see which direction he would choose.

The moment I saw him walk to the right instead of the left, where he was supposed to go.

It was despair for me back then, but it was also the moment I realized that Aster wasn\'t just a character who moved according to commands.

Aster\'s strength was absolutely necessary. Therefore, I couldn\'t allow his power to diminish or fall short. I would build my strength and gather allies away from his path.

I followed the trajectory of the main quest, but it always remained a story behind the main stage.

To avoid hindering his growth, I kept my distance unless absolutely necessary. However, a sense of unease always lingered within me.

Could Aster truly become strong without following the optimal route that players had established?

My initial concern of whether I could keep up with him had transformed into anxiety about whether he could achieve such power on his own.

Yet, now...

"Frondier, ever since I arrived at the sanctuary..."

Aster drew his sword.

His aura immediately enveloped the blade, emitting a vibrant blue light.

The brilliance of its color and intensity, the fierce momentum—it undoubtedly surpassed the Aster I had nurtured through the optimal route at this stage.

Aten, who had been silent until now, rose from his seat, but I stopped him with a gesture.

Aster continued, "Baldur kept whispering to me."

"What?"

"To be wary of you."

The tip of Aster\'s sword pointed towards me, his aura flowing throughout his entire body.

Yet, it didn\'t leak out; instead, all his mana seemed to be condensed, swirling around him.

Unlike the many powerhouses who exuded their aura outwards, Aster\'s strength lay in the perfectly contained waves of his aura.

"Since then, I\'ve been cautious of you. And now, you\'re casually saying things that could shake the very foundation of the Empire."

I smiled at his words.

Aster seemed displeased by my reaction.

"What\'s so funny? You should be angry."

"Because you\'ve become stronger thanks to that. Because you considered me a threat."

Aster was unaware of my exact strength.

In such situations, it would be normal for people to underestimate based on their own assumptions, but Aster, due to his nature, would inflate the perceived threat to an unparalleled degree.

He would then set his sights on that exaggerated obstacle, worrying that it might one day become a real danger, and strive to surpass it. That was the kind of person he was.

Aster, would you ever know?

Freed from the constraints of the game, you became the protagonist I had always dreamed of.

You were far stronger and more radiant than the character Aster Evans who moved according to my commands and pursued perfect efficiency.

Would you ever know how deeply relieved I was to witness that?

"...Are you saying you anticipated Baldur telling me that back then?"

"No, I only started to speculate much later. Back then, I was too preoccupied with saving Sybil."

However, while the gods were trying to kill me, perceiving me as a threat, I couldn\'t help but wonder.

What about Baldur, one of the strongest gods in Etius? Was he also hostile towards me?

If so, he would have definitely done something at the sanctuary where he could contact Aster.

"Aster, you are strong and righteous, but you lack cunning. It shows on your face. I could see that you were trying to distance yourself from me after that."

"..."

Aster averted his gaze, seemingly speechless

"So, I granted your wish. Because the you who saw me as an enemy would become that much stronger."

"...Did you use not only me but Baldur as well?"

"Well, if you put it that way, then yes."

"Aren\'t you afraid of the gods?"

I paused for a moment at his genuine question.

It had been a long time since I had heard that question. Yet, for the people of this world, it was always a natural inquiry.

Let\'s see, how did I answer this question before?

"Those things..."

Then, a sweet voice, mimicking my own yet entirely different, flowed through the air.

Elodie, with playful eyes like a young girl and a hint of a smile, raised a finger and declared,

"have never been something to fear."