ushernet Chapter 73
Chapter 73
“Whew...”
Freya sat down weakly right beneath the World Tree. Due to the aftermath of unleashing all the ‘golden weapons’ stored within the [Wheel of Eternity] at once, a wave of fatigue quickly washed over her.
Drip—
Suddenly, she felt warmth under her nose.
It seemed like she was experiencing the backlash from extracting all her ether at once.
‘If that rascal finds out about this, she’ll definitely tease me about it...’
After advising Clara not to overextend herself over [Destiny], the fact that she had pushed herself to transcend [Destiny] would surely lead to teasing for quite some time.
If that happens,
She’ll counter by subtly mentioning Brynhild to Clara.
Twitch
Freya’s purple cat ears playfully twitched. She thought of the pair who seemed to have shared countless intimate moments in one night. It was enough to make anyone watching feel annoyed.
‘Anyone can see that those two have feelings for each other... What exactly are they hesitating about? Especially that rascal, being so blatant about it... Hmph. They’re such fools.’
Well...
‘...That’s something for those yuri maniacs to figure out themselves.’@@@@
Anyone who intrudes on yuri is unforgivable.
It’s a universal truth recognized even by the beast gods and the World Tree.
...Probably.
Rustle, rustle—
With that thought,
Freya wiped her nosebleed with her dusty sleeve.
Her once pristine white uniform sleeves were now a mess, covered in dust and blood. The beautifully crafted fabric was torn and tattered, losing its elegance.
"..."
It was as if she had almost ruined everything with unbefitting vanity... much like her alma mater, the
‘The beginning of the beast folk was not as golden aristocrats, but as curious dwellers in caves. Perhaps this is the right direction.’
Freya muttered with a frustrated heart.
“Whew... All the research data and books have burned... The school buildings are ruined... The aristocratic faction has collapsed... Everything has become a mess...”
Even as she said this,
Ultimately, she could no longer turn a blind eye.
That’s why she let go of all regrets.
"..."
Research would start anew based on new magic.
The school would be restructured to fit the new circumstances of this city.
After all... the Exploration Faction, including herself, would be at the center of it.
"..."
Freya leaned completely against the trunk of the World Tree, considering the cleanup.
The trunk of the World Tree was filled with a soft white light.
A sacred place that should originally be protected by several layers of barriers. Now, the only remaining barrier was the building of the
In truth, it wasn’t a place where she could leisurely rest.
‘Who cares... I’m so damn tired that I can’t even lift a finger...’
But due to her exhaustion, none of that mattered anymore. She simply leaned against the giant trunk of the World Tree that still stood majestically, feeling its subtle warmth against her back.
A momentary rest.
...
"...?"
But why aren’t they coming down?
Could it be they’re up there doing something crazy, like a yuri act?
Do they seriously intend to set the World Tree on fire?
‘Surely not...’
Freya raised her head slightly.
“...Surely, they’re not really up there messing around... No, they wouldn’t. That’s truly insane. Doing it on the corpse of a defeated enemy... seriously...”
When she looked up,
She saw the form of the [Serpent of Wisdom and Cycle] gradually disappearing from the top down. The giant serpent that seemed like it would swallow even the World Tree was fading into the twilight.
Crackle, crackle—
A nightmare of a single night vanishing.
The remains of the massive ancient god, which could have destroyed the academy city, were turning to ash and scattering. The sunlight streamed through. The clouds that had lifted simultaneously with the powerful lightning were allowing the evening glow to pour down.
The warm glow of dusk tickled Freya’s face.
"..."
But a new presence entered this place.
Rustle—!
"...!"
Freya turned her head towards the sound.
There stood Frau, looking as much of a mess as she was.
“...Frau.”
“...Freya.”
The fox-eared girl, Frau, was also bleeding from her nose. Along with the slowly fading serpent tattoo, she wobbled, losing strength. The ether on her slender shoulders was gradually dispersing.
Ssshhh...
Our joined hands.
A realm beyond limits.
The moment when souls resonated.
The emotions that flashed through our hearts.
"..."
"..."
I cautiously opened my mouth.
As I did, the joined hand seemed to tremble, as if in response... surely, it wasn’t just my imagination.
“...Back then.”
"..."
“You said there was something you wanted to say─☆”
“Yes, that is...”
Hilde nodded and tried to speak without hesitation. The warmth felt in her eyes proved that it was the content I was anticipating.
But.
I stopped Hilde from speaking.
“...Wait a moment.”
“...Lara?”
Hilde looked at me with puzzled eyes.
She probably thought there was nothing to hold her back, having vaguely realized the emotions felt at the moment we were connected.
However... even so.
Just knowing each other's hearts was not enough for me to want to lean on her recklessly. I didn’t want to decide precious feelings so rashly.
A girl’s affectionate consideration for a friend.
A man’s final pride in loving a woman.
A complex mix of emotions.
So...
“I’ll tell you all of my stories, to you, who has loved me.”
“...Lara?”
“My wavering emotions, the things I’ve witnessed, and the secrets I haven’t shared with others... I’ll tell you everything.”
"..."
“After hearing all of it... if you still have the courage to say it, will you tell me─☆”
“...Yes.”
Hilde spoke with a radiant smile. Somehow... it seemed that the smile contained nothing but a single certainty.
“Of course. I will... always.”
I’ll wait for you.
"..."
...
Where does this certainty come from?
In my previous life and this life, have I ever been loved like this?
Is it right to make this girl wait even longer?
Countless thoughts passed by.
"..."
The only thing I could do was... promise.
I grasped Hilde’s hand and spoke.
“I will definitely... definitely... love you.”
“Yes. I’ll wait.”
“I’ll surely become someone who can reach where you are.”
“You already... have.”
I shook my head.
“Not yet... not yet.”
"..."
And I gave the most familiar expression of gratitude to the one who waited for me.
Towards the girl who was a bit taller than me, now that I had become a woman, I lifted my heels slightly and kissed her cheek.
Smooch─
“...Hehe, 10 points for waiting for me... loving Hilde...☆”
"..."
Rumble──
For some reason, the sound of thunder felt faintly lingering.
I turned to look forward again...
“No.”
“Hm?”
“Not enough.”
Hilde cupped my cheeks and leaned in.
"...!"
What I saw was a silver wave.
What I felt was the softness of lips.
Hilde became a silver wave and seeped into me.
"..."
"..."
Clumsy gestures.
The hardness of teeth.
The warmth of touching cheeks...
"..."
"..."
I quietly wrapped my arms around Hilde’s back.
And so, amidst the silver waves bathed in the sunset...
『You two are quite close.』
A golden cat was watching us.
We hurriedly pulled away, screaming.
“Whaaa?!”
“Aaaaah─☆”