"Here's so tea— Be careful, it's hot."
This was the "Library" managed by "Myriad Leaves Gold." the largest magic guild in Oz Kingdom.
As the manager of this place, the passing small instructor brought the bewildered young lady back,
"I never expected our great magician to be sitting in the middle of the road crying non-stop. It really gave a fright."
After handing over a cup of hot tea, Brin sat down in front of Elsa and said with a hint of emotion.
Just like a little girl who had beco helpless due to a broken heart.
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed it.
"...Thank you."
Although she could feel the heat from the teacup in her palm, her body still felt incredibly heavy.
Without her knowledge, this world had quietly changed.
But when exactly did this change occur?
Or was everything she had experienced up until now just a dream?
Was everything she had experienced fabricated?
No one could confirm that these mories were correct.
Only she still carried these mories, and she only existed in her mind. It was almost no different from a fantasy.
The real Yvonne didn't exist, everything was just her imagination,
And now, the dream had ended, leaving only herself—
—This possibility couldn't be ruled out either.
It was just because she was too afraid of this possibility that she was unwilling to admit it.
If she couldn't find proof of her existence, Elsa wasn't confident she could calm down.
"Teacher..."
Elsa held the teacup and slowly spoke.
She needed more information about the current situation.
"What kind of person is the '' you know?"
What kind of question is this...
Brin blinked in confusion, holding the steaming hot tea,
"Of course— the youngest Grand Magician in Oz Kingdom's history, a genius magician who saved the world— You must have heard such praises countless tis, right? What, do you want to hear it from again? You shouldn't be such a boring person, should you?"
But after saying this joke that sounded like reciting a nu, her heavy expression didn't change at all.
Brin could only sigh and stand up,
"Excelling in everything, making the quickest and most accurate judgnts in critical monts..."
"A reliable and excellent student I'm proud of... Is this answer satisfactory?"
Coming in front of Elsa, Brin placed her hand on top of her head.
"It must be really tough, isn't it?"
Bearing such a mission, having no ti to date like an ordinary girl, to have her own life and small happiness, having to work twice as hard under everyone's expectations.
But feeling scared, feeling lost, this is normal,
Up until now, the calmness she had shown that was inconsistent with her age was what was abnormal.
"If you're troubled enough to cry, before that, I hope you could rely more on us adults."
"—"
Her dried tear glands began to flow again because of these words.
People change constantly, but life is not eternal.
However, the connections between people continue to extend,
Even across worlds, they still exist.
What could be more precious than this bond?
The bond between herself and her must also be—
"Hey, wait? Don't suddenly hug — Are you such an enthusiastic person?! Don't wipe your snot on too!!"
Due to the height difference, after being hugged, Brin couldn't move at all and could only pat her back comfortingly.
No matter how amazing she was, she was still her student.
It was natural for a teacher to take care of her student.
She seed different from usual today.
But perhaps this was good too.
For so reason, witnessing this child cry her heart out made Brin feel relieved.
Even a genius like her was a human with emotions, not an emotionless chanical doll.
"How are you feeling? Have you cald down a bit?"
"Thanks to you, I feel much better."
This small teacher was like a sheep, fluffy when hugged, really soothing.
Realizing that there were people who cared for her in this world too, she felt a sense of salvation.
Growl...
Once she relaxed, her stomach started rumbling.
"Ahaha... I guess I'm a bit hungry."
Elsa stuck out her tongue, embarrassed.
After all, she hadn't eaten anything since waking up this morning. Without realizing it, her stomach had already beco completely empty.
"No wonder, being hungry naturally affects your mood. I do have so snacks to go with the tea, but they're certainly not comparable to royal provisions. Just don't complain if they're not tasty."
"How could I..."
After wiping away her tears, she broke into a smile,
"I'm grateful just to have sothing to eat."
She really has changed...
This change secretly surprised Brin.
Now, she could feel genuine emotions in her eyes,
But... perhaps this was how this child should have been all along.
"Wait a mont, it's quite ssy here."
With a magical doll carrying a tray behind her, Brin cleared the cluttered table full of books,
This scene made Elsa think of Yvonne,
She was also soone who loved books so much.
"This is..."
Elsa noticed a whole leather map spread out on the table.
Within the national borders, there were red marks indicating battles everywhere, a scene of devastation.
Seeing this, Elsa's feelings were complex.
When Evie was around, it wasn't like this at all...
What exactly happened to lead to the current situation?
"What's wrong? Is there sothing that concerns you?"
Brin asked, holding books in her arms,
"Were the things that the '' of the past did... really all correct?"
Perhaps there were other ways to prevent the war, but the self in this world hadn't been able to achieve that.
"Don't think too much, eat first."
"Mmph!!"
Brin stuffed a piece of preserved fruit into Elsa's mouth.
"Just because you do the right thing doesn't an you'll get a good result."
Blindly pursuing 'correctness' isn't necessarily a good thing either.
As long as we're human, we're bound to make mistakes.
All they could do was live without regrets.
"Ellie."
Sitting down again in front of her student, Brin crossed her small arms, looking serious.
"Do you have a wish that you want to fulfill no matter what?"
"...I do."
Looking at her now empty ring finger, she made up her mind.
No matter what thod, she had to find proof of her loved one's existence.
"Then try doing 'wrong' things occasionally."
"...Eh?"
Elsa couldn't understand the aning of these words.
"Before getting the result, who can know whether it's right or wrong?"
Saying this, Brin pulled out a book from the pile beside her.
"Oh right, this is for you."
"This is—"
Recognizing the book at a glance, Elsa reached out with trembling hands.
As if she had finally grasped a thread of that vanished world, her whole body shuddered.
"When I found it, I thought you might be interested in it."
This was a blank grimoire.
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