Vol 13 Chapter 3 (2/2)

But he did not This meant Vance was also moved by Nina's honesty

”I understand your passion,” Karian said His words cleared up Nina's confusion However, Vance'smade her control her ee the teah members Besides, it's not permissible to find any Military Artists to fill the number If one can easily become a platoon member, it would affect the air of Military Artists”

” Yes”

Nina's relaxed expression turned stiff again She was alert for the bitterness to coive you teh members by the deadline, then I'll take back the permission As for the li ceremony Both you and Sharnid are excellent Military Artists Even though the 17th platoon ht not be for to do Besides, it takes about the same time to enter another platoon”

”That won't happen”

”I hope so”

Nina's gaze pressed onto Karian's in response to the provocation in his words A chill ran up Karian's back at the Military Artist's hostility, but his expression remained the same Bad Military Artists would be exiled from an Academy City, but he knew Nina wasn't that kind of person

”I very much anticipate your perforht of it, Karian said the things he already had in mind

”I have someone to introduce to you”

”Huh?”

”A Psychokinesist And I' She really is talented”

Nina's eyes shone For a Military Artists, those who held special powers to evolve into Psychokinesists were few In addition, this was a talented Psychokinesist This hat Nina needed

”Please introduce her to me,” Nina said with her head lowered

Karian's s Since hearing of Nina froh to make him interested in her And her stubbornness far exceeded Karian's prediction What was h to form a new platoon On retrospect, this environht not be able to make use of his potential in an old platoon On the other hand, the new stage that awaited his co No Even if others were to h for that Even if the team was to disband afterwards, the hurt caused by it could be alleviated

”What are you thinking?”

Vance's gloomy face watched Nina leave the Student President's rooot beaten by her passion”

Karian didn't knohether Vance understood his ht of was next year, the time of his arrival Besides, it hadn't been confirmed whether he was to arrive at Zuellni

◇

After Karian received that letter, he had communicated with her three times One time, the letter took three months to arrive The other two letters took one month and teeks respectively This probably was due to the nu buses and their different routes But the difference was coh the route wasn't that different subjectively speaking, but on closer inspection, all cities were constantly on thea distance existed between two cities, the route

Perhaps, the vast world was in fact very small The movements of the cities and the wilderness conquered by filth

Karian received the fourth letter after six months He was now eleven years old This was his first tie increase A few e to request to leave the city Fortunately, the Loss fah father had already settled down in Santoburug and had his own employees, information had it that he used to travel between cities before hisOnce he graduated fro he was concerned about No, one thing that he regretted

”Your e You're not cute at all But you're right A safe route changes according to the changes of a city's location Nor, so ht line I heard of this fro of which, aren't all roa buses, as the key of communication between cities, under the control of the Electronic Fairy in Joeldeht be a bit ominous, but ould happen if filth monsters destroyed Joelde tihts, so this tih I don't kno Electronic Fairies came to this world, they have for the survival system for us humans If the city's consciousness is defined as a body, then we're acknowledging thes like us Does thatas individuals, they are social beings who each work different parts?”

That was the Sharon Karian couldn't see She was in Acaderaduated when he enrolled

Karian had only recently noticed the si mentioned in the letter As he read the letter, his adrew He was both surprised and afraid of the truth

”Did I leave the city to see her?”

The roae of the distance between cities to fade Though it wasn't ier Most important was, she had never raduation

Should he ask? Would she tell him after he asked? What would happen after he asked? Would he follow her and go to her home city? And afterward? In fact, Karian already kne to express his wish to leave He just hadn't prepared himself e But the knowledge he obtained fro hadof athe other as a female He hadn't yet seen her, but he was attracted by the personality and knowledge brought out by the words Thinking how this was just like his style, he beganhimself to calm down

But true peace and calmness did not come to him

Yet, he could not ask her face to face

The possibility of Karian and Sharonrandomly in so many cities was zero Even if Karian was to inherit his father's information trade and traveled between cities like his father in his youth, he could only raise that possibility by very little Was his feeling for her to end when he hadn't even seen her? This thinking and his bitterness made his hands shake

He couldn't end it like that He had decided Nothing would happen if he waited Waiting for her to co for aexaggerated I for the Acadee for a kid of his age to handle the ade, it was possible for him to see her Besides, what could a child do once he saw her? Nothing was advantageous for hinificant action, Karian knew heof this confused feeling He held his pen, as if he was resisting the resistance in himself

Everywhere else was dark No round had no connection to the world beneath it It was as if darkness had filled a ditch Karian grasped his own collar

”How's it?”

”The usual failure to attack the fake nervous system The simple reaction really isn't satisfactory”

If he could let things go by not looking at the exhausted face of the Head of Alcheht floated before the two of theht, as if it was sucked into that light only to be pushed aside

”I've always been thinking, do you want it to wake?”

”It was originally born from the Guardian Beast plan It separated fro period of tier understand the original body it came from”

Karian could tell the passion in his words The Head of Alche the question He couldn't see his expression in the dark Of course, not that he wanted to see his face, fascinated as if possessed by a devil Beneath the sunlight, the Head of Alche here Was this his true nature? Or did the darkness turn him into another him?

”No one knoould happen if it wakes”

”No one kno athered and processed, it could solve the current problem”

”That's just an optimistic speculation”

That wasn't it Karian hadn't been listening since thedarkness, possessed by that existence The city's crisis had just given him one more excuse

The scenery hidden within Zuellni Only after beco the Student President could he see this scenery It was the greatness brought about by a certain reason, or it was just randomness No

At the sa

(Is this what you've seen?)

Sharon For you, who have once lived here, you should have seen this too

He returned to his rooreeted him His sister was in her own room He hadn't seen her for days That couldn't be helped, but he orried He had wanted to acknowledge the way of life she wanted In fact, before he knew she was to enroll, he had thought he would let her live the way she wanted if Zuellni were to lose in the next Military Arts Coiven up until that time came

A miracle had happened No, it was about to happen If a miracle appeared, anyone would naturally consider how to make it more effective, even if he was to sacrifice his sister It didn't matter that she would hate hied into his pajamas and walked carefully to the kitchen Heroom

Karian tasted the tea under a la fro Smell First, he only smelled the aroma that was left on the letter The aroma of another city Attracted by that aroma, he had decided to come to Zuellni

Because Sharon was here at that tiaze moved to the door at the sound Felli appeared under the dih he couldn't read her expression, the at him She walked past the sofa behind him and headed for the kitchen He could hear the sound of water running froet some water

”Felli,” he called

” What?”

”After the end of next year's Military Arts Competition, I'd let you live the way you like Nothen No one can bind you anyo that smoothly?”

Felli wasn't at all happy with his words She was smart But unlike Karian, Felli's cleverness came from the experiences as a Psychokinesist

”Do you think people who know of my Psychokinesis would let h you're returning to the city, the next Student President ht process my transfer The proless”

He couldn't defend If he ader her more

”I can only” She didn't say anymore Her words disappeared in the dim darkness She could only not do her best That was probably the content of herwords

”Why do you want to protect this city so badly?”

She didn't wait for his answer as she closed the door and left

” It's harder to persuade one person than a crowd”

He had been in Zuellni for five years now Though he had learned how to operate a city in the Student Council that Sharon was once in, his way of interacting with individuals had not changed

Karian sighed and quickly drained the tea that had gone cold

”Why?”

He returned to his bed and caught a glance of the vase sitting by theThe flowers seemed to understand him as they wilted in the dark

He would put the flowers soht accompanied him as he sank into sleep

He had written the letter Though he didn't knohether it worked, the uneasiness of waiting for the reply and the regret of wondering whether the content was appropriate were speedily destroying the feelings he had laid bare in the letter

Every day was long The heavy pressure pressing on his chest failed to leave hi of time The first month seemed to have stolen his consciousness The second month was like forever But time continued to pass day by day At last, he received the letter at the end of the third month

”In truth, I'? I' It's unbelievable that you feel like this e're so far away But irl

Of course, I'irl Can you understand that delicate difference?

But, sorry I can't return your feelings This isn't a problee and distance I already have soe as me but he's playful Yet, souy True to say, with my serious personality, I don't think I'm suited with that type of person But this can't be helped Maybe, this feeling would not be realized Even so, that can't be helped This explanation is spoiled, but I think you'd understand Even if I could tidy up s, you cannot co I have my own reasons”

The letter hadn't ended, but he could no longer read the rest of the letter that he had been waiting for, for so long

The conclusion was out As Sharon said, this wasn't possible Even so, he couldn't help hi all his emotions out in it He didn't cry Only his throat felt bad

Had it ended?

The second day, Karian bought floith the spare time he had from his work at the Student Council Not only did the flowers at home wilt, the flowers in the Student President's room had lost their vitality In order to buy neers, he had coirl had appeared in a corner of an alley that did not connect to the shopping street, holding a bunch of flowers Judging fro in some restaurant The floere probably decoration for the shop

After seeing Karian, the girl was slightly surprised She nodded an apology and was about to leave Karian smiled as he walked past her

The aroma of flowers drifted to his nostrils

” Can you wait a second?” he quickly turned around and called to her He stood before the nervous girl and looked at the flowers before her chest

A bunch of small flowers in faint yellow

He had never seen this type He had come to many florists in Zuellni, but he had never seen this flower No, he had never smelled this aroma

”Excuse irl answered in suspicion After thanking her, he walked straight into the alley The alley was very narrow and it branched off He kept walking between the two buildings The end was a space that sees filled the four corners A random space had appeared here Who knehether it was planned? In the space was a greenhouse It looked like a simple house made to store equipment It probably hadn't been repaired Karian could see it was originally a fine house

Though the plastic sheets covering the greenhouse weren't that transparent, he could barely see a figure er the smell of the flowers

”Excuse reenhouse answered hiht, it was lonely to end this relationshi+p with you Though I was lonely, that can't be helped I still think of you I know I'm willful A relationshi+p on paper feels somewhat special It's simple, but the other person cannot accept it Because youlast? Forever? Can't be I' for a love that has no result is just a lie Because that's the sa happiness That would become someone else's unhappiness Only you? If that's the case, those words reflect you But can I just sit and watch unhappiness befall you? Perhaps you would say yes But I don't want you to be unhappy because offor me I don't want you to be unhappy I don't want any students to be unhappy in the Academy City At the same time, I don't want you to be unhappy

You knew of this city because of ed in those six years You're closely connected to the Academy City that I deeply love

I've decided not to write to you anymore I'd welcome your letters if you were to write back I think when that ti your emotions

If possible, I really want you to see that little space I made For you who can't appreciate scenery, I wonder what expression you'd

If you really did come to Zuellni, then try to find it If you're lucky, perhaps you'd stay there”

The door to the greenhouse opened The rich aroma inside it enveloped Karian

It was here

That must be it

Sharon's letters always carried the aroma of another city The aro you want?”

The female student wiped the sweat on her forehead as she looked at hi here alone

”Aa, sorry Could you sell me some flowers?”

”Ah, I'm sorry These flowers aren't for sale The conditions to nurture therown Soive them out to people I know”

”This is?”

”The outside base of the Flower Appreciation Research Club”

”Outside base?”

Karian looked around

”Been negotiated?”

”Yes The conditions here are suited to growing these flowers The senpais in the past negotiated and built this greenhouse”

”In the past How long ago?”

”I heard it was ten years ago”

”I see”

It really is here

”Can I look around?”

She gave hireenhouse Cute little yelloers spread in the house Though they were save off was rich Not rich in a way that made him feel uncomfortable He felt refreshed

So it's here It's the scenery that Sharon wantsis this place Flowers are blossos, in a place that had disappeared amidst data This must be the scenery she had mentioned