Chapter 66

In the end, Hans retired after the napalm bomb, and the illusion was dispelled.

The world crumbled as if it were breaking, revealing the clubroom that had been buried beneath it.

I was clearly standing in the illusion, but when the illusion faded and I opened my eyes, I was lying on the floor.

Seeing that the others were in a similar state, it seemed we had all fallen asleep together.

Come to think of it, wasn’t it an illusion based on a dream?

From the outside, wouldn’t this just look like a nap club?

I feel like something was poorly designed from the start.

As I was rolling around on the floor thinking this, Sena, who had woken up first, reached out her hand to me.

“Princess? Are you feeling unwell?”

She had a slightly worried expression.

I guess I took too long to get up.

I took her hand and got up.

“No, I’m fine. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

I held my dizzy head for a moment and looked around.

Yohan, standing stiffly as usual, was the first to catch my eye.

Hans was still lying face down on the floor, pressing his temples as if his head was throbbing.

A groan escaped his lips, echoing around the room.

Unable to stand it, Sena kicked him lightly, and Hans slowly got up.

“Ugh… This is the first time I’ve used so much mana for an illusion…”

“So it costs mana every time you create one?”

“Well, yeah. Magic doesn’t just activate without a cost.”

After hearing the answer, Sena glanced at me and spoke up with an overly bright tone.

“Your ultimate move was pretty amazing, Princess… Honestly, it was a good experience. When else would we get to see such a spectacle?”

Hans, who had been tilting his head at her awkward behavior, quickly chimed in.

“Y-yeah, that’s right. It was a good experience, even if it was exhausting.”

It was obvious they were trying to read the room.

My expression turned sour.

“…Why are you trying to sugarcoat it?”

“Perhaps they’re trying to be considerate of Remia-senpai. You’ve been blushing and looking embarrassed since earlier.”

“Ugh, you don’t have to say it…!”

I covered my red face at Yohan’s whisper and sank into despair.

Sure, their consideration was a bit too obvious, but I didn’t want them to hit me with the truth either.

…What a bothersome girl. How far do you want them to cater to your whims?

Anyway, like the bothersome girl I am, I adjusted my expression and made an excuse.

“That illusion was probably too sensitive. I really only thought about it for a moment…”

“Hey, Remia.”

Hans, who had been pondering for a moment, sighed and began to argue.

“Imagination has weight too. Self-aware illusions are versatile, but to manifest things you’ve only imagined and never actually seen, you need a lot of concentration.”

I guess it wasn’t too sensitive after all.

Since I hadn’t just imagined it, it must’ve manifested without much concentration.

I slowly lowered my eyes.

Cold sweat started to form.

Sena nodded in agreement.

I was in despair.

Even you, huh?

“We didn’t just use magic casually either. We had some theoretical knowledge to make it feel real.”

“Right. So if it manifested just from a brief thought, it means you’ve accepted the existence of those magics as common sense.”

Hans paused before asking unnecessarily seriously.

“…So, let me ask. Is that Adelian’s forbidden magic? If it is, I might seriously have to leave the empire.”

That’s impossible.

If it were real, this country would’ve already fallen.

Rebels launching nukes at the capital? This isn’t the opening of a post-apocalyptic novel.

Anyway, if this keeps up, I’ll really be misunderstood.

I sighed and offered up the past princess as a sacrifice.

“…No. When I was little, I wanted to destroy the world… So I imagined it back then, that’s all…”

Hans gave me a look that said that was terrifying in its own way.

It’s not like I could tell them about my past life.

I felt unfairly wronged.

***

The second club period ended, and two more club periods passed.

After that day’s incident, we stopped with the self-aware illusions and just played chess or created simple things for fun.

It wasn’t a groundbreaking experience, but it was still enjoyable.

Because it was ordinary.

In fact, maybe it was enjoyable precisely because it was ordinary.

Even though I had been so reluctant at first.

Before I knew it, more than half of September had passed.

The weather was starting to cool down.

The trees were turning colorful, and the students’ outfits were getting thicker, giving off a strong autumn vibe.

During this time, my daily life flowed by in an almost suspiciously ordinary way.

It was as if the life I had wished for had been perfectly realized.

Thanks to the students who kept their distance, I could attend classes peacefully. Sena visited me during breaks, and I occasionally hung out with Yohan and Maid Ai. I even maintained a decent relationship with Hans, who treated me more kindly than I expected.

A life flowing smoothly without any twists, exactly as I had wished for.

But when you’re immersed in such excessive happiness, you eventually become aware of reality.

The end is approaching.

It’s time to start thinking about that day.

Not about how I’ll die.

Dying doesn’t require any grand plan.

It’s not hard to die once you’ve made up your mind.

I could hang myself in my room or slit my wrists and soak in a bathtub.

If that’s too hard…

If you want to, just jump off the roof and be done with it.

Well, personally, I’d like to show Sena the moment I die, but that depends on the circumstances of the day, so it’s not something I can prepare for.

I just have to hope luck is on my side.

Though I’m not sure which side counts as “lucky.”

Anyway, what I’ve been pondering is how to make the memories up until my death as happy as possible.

I don’t want to close my eyes while feeling gloomy.

I’d rather go out with a smile.

With my chin resting on my hand, I asked Sena, who was sitting next to me.

She had been scribbling something in her notebook since earlier.

“Sena.”

“Yes?”

“The Thanksgiving Festival is coming up soon, right?”

Sena stretched out her fingers to count the days and then answered.

“That’s right. About two weeks left.”

“Don’t we have to do something as a club for the festival?”

“Hmm.”

Sena tilted her head at my question.

“Well, it’s customary to set up a booth.

But I’m not sure if that applies to us.”

“Why not?”

“Because the Thanksgiving Festival is the only day the usually closed-off Academy opens up to the public, so a lot of high-ranking nobles visit.

Most people work hard on their booths to catch the attention of those nobles and build connections.”

Sena’s finger pointed at herself and then at me.

“Honestly, we’re not here to climb the social ladder, are we?”

“That’s true.”

“So, we can just do something simple… like a goldfish scooping booth or something.

If DiCardi does all the work, it’ll somehow manage.”

Wow, that’s devilishly efficient.

Hearing that, it felt like a light bulb went off in my head.

Honestly, I don’t want to work until the very last moment of my life, which might as well be the Thanksgiving Festival.

I was wondering how to naturally get out of it, but I didn’t expect it to be resolved so neatly.

I grabbed Sena’s hand in admiration.

She seemed a bit flustered by my sudden action.

“Sena…!”

“Ah, maybe that was a bit too much.”

“You’re a genius!”

“Huh?”

I nodded contentedly, looking at her bewildered face.

“Anyway, Hans will probably try to do something on his own again.

He’ll prepare hard and then naturally try to drag us into it.”

Still holding Sena’s hand, I stood up.

Then, with my other hand, I pointed at the classroom door.

“So, let’s go tell him in advance.

We’ll be running around having fun on the day, so he should prepare something he can handle alone.”

“Oh…”

Sena covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

“That sounds great!

Should we go tell him now?”

She interlocked her fingers with mine and stood up.

My body started being pulled toward her.

I smirked and let myself be led.

“Let’s strike while the iron is hot. Let’s go.”

We crossed over to the next class and caught Hans just as he was about to leave.

He seemed quite flustered, which I found rather satisfying.

After hearing everything, Hans, as expected, didn’t look too pleased.

“So, I’m supposed to handle the Thanksgiving Festival booth all by myself?”

“Yeah. Weren’t you planning to do something anyway?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

He made a sour face and continued.

“Honestly, I work hard because I want to be involved with you.

So, being left alone to do all the work is a bit…”

“Your honesty is kind of gross.”

“Right?

I wish I were dead.”

Hans gave us a bitter smile.

“…Well, I’ll do it if I have to.

It’s all part of the plan to change Remia, after all.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.

It’ll be tough doing it alone, won’t it?”

“Well, it’ll be tough, but.”

A different, more cheerful smile appeared on his lips.

It reminded me of how he used to be when we were younger.

Back when he used to act all sweet and caring for my sake.

Is that still an act, or is it genuine now?

“Wouldn’t the world seem a bit more livable if we spent the festival together as friends?

I declared I’d change you, so I can’t let this opportunity slip.”

Either way, it didn’t matter.

Thanks to his half-hearted consideration, I got another reprieve.

That’s all that mattered.

Still, I kept my mouth shut for a while before reluctantly answering.

Why is it so hard to admit the obvious?

“…You know me well.”

“Of course I do.

I’m always thinking about you.”

“That’s kind of gross.”

“Right?

I wish I were dead.”

Hans’ words kept echoing in my head.

Would the world really seem more livable?

I guess I’ll at least enjoy myself before I go.