Chapter 38: Ai’er, Time is Running Out

“That silver-haired girl—she’s the fairy from the garden yesterday, isn’t she?”

“She seems to be an acquaintance of President Elena… As expected of the youngest Student Council President in history, she can even take a fairy as her maid.”

“The two of them look so close~”

From time to time, discussions from the students drifted in from both sides of the hallway.

Ai’er didn’t mind the onlookers or the gossip; after all, it just proved she was dazzling enough.

But, but! Elena’s so-called “accompanying”—

‘Why are our fingers interlocked while we hold hands QAQ?! Shouldn’t I be attending at Elena’s side, or at least walking side by side like friends?’

‘So, so embarrassing!’

Fidgeting and awkward, Ai’er was led through the hallway by Elena, who had taken the initiative to hold her hand.

At this moment, Ai’er had no initiative to speak of.

Even if they were going to hold hands, she should be the one holding Elena’s hand, leading her forward!

“Um… Elena, I—I can walk on my own, you know?”

“If I don’t hold onto you, Ai’er, it would be bad if you disappeared again. Besides—”

As Elena spoke, she turned back with a smile.

“Didn’t you say I could do whatever I wanted to you, Ai’er?”

‘I, I! I admit defeat 〒▽〒…’

After all, once a promise is made, it cannot be taken back.

Ai’er could only keep her head half-lowered, dodging the gazes of the students on either side.

But giving up like this didn’t fit Ai’er’s personality.

For Ai’er, something this embarrassing absolutely could not result in her being the only one feeling awkward!

‘Since you want to play this kind of Shame Play, Elena, then I—I have a strategy too!’

‘Since it’s come to this, let’s not just hold hands!’

After making up her mind, a strange courage rose in Ai’er’s heart. In that instant, all shame and inner struggle vanished; all Ai’er had was a desire for what she wanted to do.

Ai’er quickened her pace, closing in behind Elena. But perhaps because she wasn’t used to the slightly higher heels, or perhaps because she was too nervous, Ai’er failed to find her footing on the next step.

Her body began to tilt in that instant. Sensing something, Elena happened to stop, but with just a turn, she caught the silver-haired girl who had failed to stand steady.

Elena was a bit dazed at this moment because she didn’t know why—

Why did Ai’er suddenly hug her… waist?

“Ai—Ai’er?”

Ai’er didn’t make a sound.

**[Host, what you are hugging is not Elena’s arm.]**

‘I, I, I, I! I know that!’

Her lips trembled slightly, and her body shook. Ai’er hadn’t expected that one day, she would actually trip over her own feet.

She had originally intended to simply wrap herself around Elena’s arm, letting the young lady Witch experience her own embarrassing feelings…

Now look what happened. She had inexplicably thrown herself into Elena’s embrace.

“Can’t I… can’t I hold you?”

With a flushed face and watery golden eyes, she looked up slightly from the embrace, speaking in a soft, spoiled tone.

Elena only felt that, in this instant, her heart seemed to stop beating.

“I don’t mind you holding me, Ai’er! But… we can’t walk like this, can we?”

Ai’er’s face turned even redder.

She released the hands holding Elena and lowered her head like a child who had made a mistake. Only her burning ears spoke for the words she couldn’t say.

Ai’er couldn’t hear the conversations of the crowd in the hallway.

“How about… you make do with my arm, Ai’er?”

Nodding gently, Ai’er silently wrapped herself around Elena’s arm and didn’t speak again.

Therefore, she naturally failed to notice—failed to notice the faint flush on Elena’s cheeks and her slightly trembling lips.

Neither of them said another word until they arrived at the door of the Academic Affairs Office.

***

“Ai’er, time is running out.”

In the pitch-black space, a girl formed from a golden ball of light silently gazed into the distance.

In her eyes was the reflection of the interaction between Ai’er and Elena, mirroring the crimson staining their ears.

In the girl’s eyes, there was nostalgia, and…

Sadness.

The System’s existence had indeed changed some things, but everything was still heading in the same direction the girl knew.

Elena still summoned the wind and snow in front of the Sirius Estate and still went to the Magic Academy in the Imperial Capital.

And she still chose to drop out immediately after Ai’er woke up.

“Next… the meeting with him seems inevitable as well.”

**[Current Remaining Lifespan: 179 days]**

**[Current Task: Let the Witch of Time, Elena, “kill” you.]**

The words floating in her field of vision caused the girl to slowly close her eyes.

**[Points recovered from the System’s current Host: 5 points.]**

This was a System notification that Ai’er could not see.

When the points hit zero, it would be the moment this girl, formed from the golden light, would vanish.

But even so…

**[Consuming 2 recovery points to reconstruct System prompts.]**

**[Warning: Current remaining recovery points: 3 points.]**

“Ai’er, this time… I’ll leave Elena to you.”

**[System Task Updated.]**

**[Current System Task: Let the Witch of Time, Elena, “kill” you.]**

**[Task Hint: Please head to the Academy Library to research the history of the Duchy of White.]**

**[Keyword Hints: Monster Tide, Leviathan…]**

**[Black God, White God.]**

***

Ai’er had a bit of a shadow over the Academic Affairs Office.

Before university, if there was a problem, you were usually just called to the homeroom teacher’s office at most. In university, going to the advisor’s office was considered a big deal.

If you had to go to the Academic Affairs Office…

Then there was a high probability that you had committed a serious offense.

Ai’er still remembered before she became a girl, seeing that guy who cheated on an exam go in…

And no one ever saw him again.

“Ai’er?”

Noticing that the silver-haired girl seemed hesitant, Elena turned her head and looked at Ai’er.

“Do you not want to go in, Ai’er?”

The silver-haired girl nodded.

Anxiety, fear—Elena could see these emotions on Ai’er’s face.

But she didn’t know why Ai’er would have such feelings.

She still knew too little about this silver-haired girl… Once they returned to the Duchy this time, she absolutely had to have a good talk with Ai’er.

“If you don’t want to go in, Ai’er, just wait for me here for a moment, okay?”

Ai’er nodded.

But in truth, Ai’er herself couldn’t say why—why did she feel such a strong aversion to this place?

If it was just the dislike of the Academic Affairs Office from before she became a girl, it shouldn’t be this intense, right?

But the moment she approached this place, an inexplicable sense of deja vu and disgust spontaneously arose.

It was as if… she had been to this place before?

‘It was the same when Elena bit me before… and at the very beginning on the Sea Cliff.’

Deja vu.

‘System, what on earth is—Eh? When did this task hint appear?’

Ai’er blinked and looked at the text in the corner of her vision.

‘Library… history?’

‘Could it be that my previous guess was right, and this task really is related to Elena’s past?’

Fine, regardless, there was finally some progress.

“But the problem is… where is the library?”

Looking around, between this seemingly endless Academy hallway and the fact that she had been walking with her head down earlier…

Forget the library, Ai’er didn’t even know how to get back to Elena’s small villa right now.

“I’ll wait for Elena to come out—”

“Does the silver-haired fairy lady wish to know where the library is?”

A voice like a silver bell came from behind Ai’er, interrupting her words.

She turned around and froze.

The person was draped in a pure white mage robe, with deep brown hair tied up. But there was still a bit of childishness on her face, which was somewhat inconsistent with her mature figure…

Ai’er had seen this attire and appearance. It was not long ago, when she was fighting the Black-robed Woman—

And even earlier, it was in the cave, the one who had appeared surrounded by Knights—

She—she was!

“Eve?!”