TL/Editor: raei
Status: 5/week mon-fri
Illustrations: none
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Maronius's soul watched Ian and Kira as if entranced.
Everyone makes mistakes.
Like speaking carelessly in front of seniors when first entering university, caught up in excitent.
Or trembling nervously at a boss's casual question on your first day at work, only to think of the perfect answer later.
That's just human nature.
How could anyone be perfect all the ti? Even exceptional people make mistakes when coincidences pile up. Being imperfect is what makes us human.
Thanks to invincible superhumans dominating movies, comics, and web novels, such verbal mistakes look like pure stupidity.
But reality isn't fiction.
Everyone makes mistakes.
And everyone lives with regrets about those mistakes.
'Ah...'
Watching that long-ago argunt replay before his eyes.
Maronius felt like he couldn't breathe.
'Why did I...'
Young Maronius.
That youth currently being played by Ian...
Even to Maronius himself, looked incredibly foolish.
'Push Liria so hard...'
His foolish, lacking, insufficient younger self.
Maronius just wanted to close his eyes.
Watching soone else act out your part felt completely different from rely rembering painful mories.
"Whether I leave or not, what's it to you?"
"De-Demius, that's not... I an..."
"Whatever I do, it's my business right? Huh? Do I need your permission for everything!"
"That's not what I'm saying!"
'Stop it, you stupid idiot...!'
Maronius genuinely cursed at his younger self.
Pushing Liria like that. What did he hope to gain?
His pitiful pride?
A desperate ssage begging her to notice his suffering?
'Stop... just stop!'
His younger self was going off the rails.
Charging straight toward the cliff of destruction.
Finally, young Maronius started 'that statent'.
"You! You go around playing with army officers without saying a word to !"
"...!"
And just like he'd seen thousands, tens of thousands of tis before.
Once again, Liria was wounded by that fool's sharp words.
Eyes wide open, tears falling steadily.
'I'm sorry.'
Maronius's soul swallowed his apology.
It would be a lie to say he didn't regret it.
But what could he do?
She was already gone from this world.
'I'm truly sorry.'
He didn't want to watch their reenactnt anymore.
Maronius was about to say that was enough.
But right then.
"If you've got sothing to say, say it."
'...!'
Maronius was shocked.
In his mories, he hadn't backed down but kept pushing Liria.
But...
This 'Ian' person playing Maronius...
Was taking a step back, trying to have a conversation!
'Ah...'
In that mont, Maronius couldn't stop his body from trembling.
Yes.
That was it.
What I should have done then.
In front of her.
Instead of hurting his beloved Liria, that's what he should have done.
'They're... doing well...!'
He knew this was fake.
He knew this scene recreated by the wizards' acting had nothing to do with the past.
But...
Even knowing it was all fake, Maronius couldn't take his eyes off Ian.
Because this.
This one line was the beginning of what he'd wished for so desperately.
'Yes! Act rationally! Have a calm conversation!'
Maronius's soul forgot even to breathe (though he didn't actually need to), focusing completely on Ian's performance.
"...You saw?"
Liria asked sarcastically.
For a mont, Maronius's soul almost forgot about the acting and nearly rushed onto the stage(?).
[Why would you say 'You saw?' here! You crazy woman!]
"[No, Maronius! Don't lose it!]"
Ian pushed back Maronius's soul and continued acting.
The real Maronius would have found it hard to avoid fighting with Liria, as you can see.
But the man facing Liria now was Ian.
"Yes. I saw you drinking with so man in an alley, walking hand in hand."
"Demius... you followed ?"
[Arghhhh! Not following! I just happened to see it!!!]
"[Shut up.] I never followed you. More importantly Liria, shouldn't you apologize to first?"
"Apologize..."
Young Maronius - Ian looked straight into Liria's eyes and said:
"What matters isn't that I found out. What matters is that you hid the truth from , isn't it?"
"..."
"Tell . I'll listen."
"De-Demius..."
"If you've got nothing to say to , tell now. Like I said, I'm leaving to enlist."
Though he'd simply suppressed his anger and tried to have a calm conversation.
The situation was completely different from the real Maronius's ti.
'Dialogue begins with listening to the other person.'
Ian thought.
Such a simple fact, yet one so many people easily forget.
Just as hearing the mystery's voice starts magic.
Hearing the other person's voice starts dialogue.
"..."
After silently looking up at Maronius for a while, Liria-
"Hic... sob... sniff...!"
Started crying out loud.
'Her acting is really good.'
Ian admired Kira's performance.
Actually, this 'play' had many advantages for Ian.
If Ian had been the protagonist of a girlfriend-NTR situation, could he have acted this calmly? Well, who knows.
Because it was soone else's story, Maronius's past mories, he could act confidently.
Thanks to that, Ian could easily pick out all the 'right answers'.
"Don't cry. Tell slowly."
"Demius...! I, I really...! I just t a friend!"
Had the 'real' Liria really just t a simple friend?
That too was unknown.
However, Kira believed Liria had such circumstances, and acted accordingly.
Ian spoke impassively.
"Okay. I understand."
"..."
"I've been too busy lately. I should have paid more attention to you. I'm sorry."
"Demius...!"
"Just like you didn't an to deceive , I didn't an to get angry at you."
Ian.
No, Maronius spoke in a calm voice.
"I like you. I don't want to hurt you."
At that mont.
Liria suddenly hugged Maronius tight.
She sobbed and spoke in an anguished voice.
"I like you too! Demius! Really! But I didn't know my actions would hurt you!"
"Liria..."
"The man I t was from my mother's holand. A native, what they call a foreigner."
The Empire had waged many conquest wars, mixing countless peoples together.
Red hair like Liria's was originally unseen in the imperial capital.
Having foreign blood, she was treated as half an outsider.
"Far away on so island, they say there are people with red hair and blue eyes living together. Demius, I just... wanted to hear about those people. Stories about my mother's holand... that's why I went drinking."
"I see."
"But you've been looking so tired lately... and I thought if I told you about going to such places, you wouldn't let go..."
Still hugging Maronius with all her might, Liria cried out:
"I'm sorry! Demius! And I love you! I'll never hurt you again!"
Ian gently stroked Kira's hair and said:
"I love you too, Liria."
Right then, the surrounding scenery started lting like paint.
Maronius's soul had stopped playing the mory.
"[How was it, Maronius.]"
[...]
"[Maronius?]"
Maronius's soul couldn't answer right away.
He was crying.
[...Lies.]
After sobbing for a while, Maronius's soul shouted.
[Don't lie...!]
"[...]"
[If it could be solved so easily...!]
He couldn't continue speaking.
Ian gently asked:
"[Then. Do you think it was more complicated?]"
[...]
"[I suppose my preparation was lacking. I should have found more active ways to convince Liria...]"
Maronius's soul sighed and said:
[...No, rookie.]
Watching Ian and Kira's 'play', he'd deeply reflected.
And realized.
...Maronius and Liria.
Their relationship could have resolved its misunderstandings this easily.
Yet they'd worsened things because they were young, foolish, and proud.
"[Hmm. Then you think Liria was really cheating? Not just a simple misunderstanding?]"
[That's... not it either...]
Maronius's soul hung his head.
He just hadn't wanted to admit it.
The fact that if he'd had an honest conversation with Liria then, things wouldn't have ended up like this.
[I got angry... because the answer was ridiculously simple...]
Maronius's soul couldn't continue speaking.
Ian gently addressed the Archwizard's mory fragnt:
"[That's right. The mistake you made was simple enough for anyone to fix.]"
[...]
"[Maronius. Don't you want to fix other mories too?]"
[Other... mories?]
"[They don't have to be minor mistakes. For example, we could imagine a future where you and Liria beca a married couple.]"
If he accepted Ian's proposal, he would beco a 'key' to viewing Maronius's other mories.
Ian thought he would accept the proposal.
[I'll... think about it.]
"[Take all the ti you need.]"
Ian stepped aside to let the Archwizard's soul consider thoroughly.
[Ending mory playback.]
[The novice necromancer calls your soul.]
"Are you awake?"
Ian opened his eyes.
And imdiately t Kira's gaze.
"..."
"..."
After a mont of silence.
Ian spoke first.
"You really are good at acting, Kira."
"Ah, yes... thanks... you too, Ian."
Ian and Kira couldn't quite look each other in the eye.
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