“And this’ll be our room from now on?” Raven gasped as she opened an identical door like so many they’d already passed on their way through the Xalvador Institute’s fifth dormitory, a bright smile on her face. Closing the door behind her, she helped him sit on one of the two beds that were present in the room. He could somewhat understand her excitement - according to Primus' lore, the First Hero, Ragnar, had designed the Xalvador Institute personally. All the way from the classrooms to the dormitory, they all had his essence within.
And the room stood up to it's name. All in all, it boasted luxury Alastor never witnessed back home. Two reasonably sized beds stuffed with gel foam made by intermediate mages were present at each end of the room, imitating the beds back on Earth perfectly. A white bed sheet covered both of them, a white pillow resting on top.
A shelf filled with all kinds of books, all the way from magic to history, had been mounted on the wall to the right of the room. The books’ clashing hues and patterns formed a vibrant sight, and Raven almost drooled as soon as she saw them; she was an ardent bookworm.
A row of paintings hung on the wall to the left, depicting scenes all the way from peaceful mountain sides to intense battles between humans and various other species. The mastermind behind the pieces of art could only be described as a master in the craft, bringing the beauty of the images to life. They transformed the plain white wall to a canvas littered with historic brilliance.
Silence filled the room as Raven browsed through the books, picking up one titled Advanced Magic: Is it possible to break the limit of mana? After skimming through the pages, she placed the golden book back before picking up a second, Tricks every young mage should know, oohing and ahhing in fascination. Hesitantly, she placed the second book on the shelf and started to pick up another, thicker book.
Alastor watched her blankly, pondering about his next actions. If he followed his usual speed running outline, then he’d confront Raven, acting super mysterious and scary. He’d then tempt her to become a follower of his by using the prospect of being able to heal her sister easily.
Gah. Maybe I should just do that. Convos are way too complicated to mess with, dude. If only I’d gotten the memory enhancement as a bonus during the second or third reset, instead of the fourth… Raven was in love with me during the first reset, right?
Alastor pondered deeply. However, no matter how deeply he dug his mind, all he could remember was the general outline of the first reset. It’s probably because I didn’t have the memory enhancement perk back in the first reset… Damn, it’d be convenient if I was able to recall everything that had happened in the first reset.
He felt somewhat hesitant to mess with his fixed dialogue when it came to Raven. She ended up becoming one of his nemeses during the the third reset, when he had tried to pull off similar shenanigans. It ended up greatly disrupting his plans.
Hmm. What do I do…? He let the question simmer as he began recollecting all that he knew about Raven, which was… not all that much, all things considered.
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
Why don’t I just tell her about time travel? A scene he still vividly remembered simmered in his mind, one in which he and Raven had a long session of small talk. It was something that had happened all the way back during his very first loop. Oddly enough, it was one of the few memories he still remembered from the first reset, even though it was so inconsequential.
He still remembered a lot of the things they had discussed, back then. And she said she really loved romance books with ‘princes’ and ‘mages’ going to great lengths to help their beloved, right?
What if I told her I time traveled for her? Hmm. He felt somewhat guilty at the thought. Sure, he did commit mass genocide multiple times, but manipulating a person just felt wrong in a different way, you know?
Well, I am technically going to help her… Not to mention, this is a necessity in order to explore the social interaction system deeper. Alastor felt the guilt fading away. Either way, she’d be pleased experiencing her romantic fantasy come true.
…I mean, I’m not handsome, but I fulfill the rest of the requirements for her ideal romance MC quite well!! Wait, she did say she preferred blonde men the most. Gah, I’m silver haired-
Alastor realized that he was getting off track. He suppressed the urge to shake his head to clear his mind— Wait, why? It’s not like I intend to speedrun the game this time. So, there’s no need to operate within the shadows.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Realizing so, he bravely shook his head, enjoying the fact that he could go off-script fully. Alastor had given up on getting a good rank this reset; he was going to experiment freely.
His movements did not go unnoticed, and Raven turned towards him in surprise. “Y- you’re…”
I did say I was going to become her romantic fantasy male lead, but… what the fuck do I even say to her? ‘Yo, I've actually come from the future— no, technically, the past..! And I totally wanna help you solve all the problems in your life cause I love you! Source: Trust me bro?’
She’d probably skewer me the next second, with her paranoid personality.
Alastor remained silent, acting dazed once more. Talking right now would only make him seem plain suspicious; minor movements weren’t that much of a problem. Raven would think that he was just exceptional amidst the Chosen Ones, which wasn’t a bad direction to experiment in.
She stared at him with widened eyes for a few seconds. Eventually, she muttered, “...he doesn’t seem to be fully awake.”
She placed the book back into the shelf, then walked closer to him. Observing him silently for a few seconds, she groaned under her breath, “I’ve got to go report the abnormality to her…”
She remained in place for a few more seconds, cupping her forehead in her palm, before coming to a decision. Raising both her hands to her chest, she closed her eyes and began focusing. A green ball of mana gathered in her palms. Once it had become big enough, she pushed the orb of mana towards the ground, causing it to expand and cover both of them.
Seamlessly, they jumped through space. When they reappeared, they stood in front of a relatively undecorated door, its plain blackness giving it a unique charm.
Raven knocked on the door gently, “Vice Head, it's Raven. I’ve got something to report to you.”
A stern-sounding voice greeted them in reply, “Come in.” Oddly enough, the voice lacked any distinct features to it. It sounded monotone, cold, gender-neutral, almost manufactured.
Alastor sighed internally. Gah. Severine. Talking with her is going to be such a pain.
Raven stroked the black door. It disappeared as soon as she touched it, almost like it had never existed in the first place. She grabbed his hand and walked into the room, then bowed deeply as soon as she reached the Vice Head, Severine’s desk.
Alastor let his gaze roam over the minimalistic room, making sure to not move his head. The room was as barren as he remembered. Of course it’s like I remember, I’ve reset. All that was present in the room was a single wooden desk in the very middle, a strict looking middle aged woman occupying it. Well, I know she uses magic to summon or conjure the stuff she needs… but does it not feel weird, occupying such an empty room? Maybe I should ask her, this time.
Severine placed the document she had been reading back onto the desk and focused her hawk like eyes onto Raven. “What is wrong, Caretaker? Why have you approached me?”
Raven bowed deeply once more before finally approaching the topic at hand, “My Chosen One has shown movements of regaining consciousness.”
“Already?” The Vice Head’s eyes widened ever so slightly as she finally turned her gaze towards him. She looked at him silently for a second and smiled. “Indeed. Even the gods have remarked about his character, and it is impossible to have a proper character without a strong mental fortitude. It is predictable that the aftereffects of the summoning may not be as lasting on him.”
Duh. I’m just too mentally strong, man, too mentally strong.
Raven’s forehead wrinkled, a variety of expressions passing through her face instantaneously. Sighing under her breath, she asked, “Should we take him to the Head Mage, then?”
Severine pondered about her question for a few seconds. “Yes. I shall do so. Return to your assigned room, Caretaker.”
Raven bowed once more and left the room. Alastor stood perfectly still, appearing truly dazed. Well, he was indeed somewhat dazed, fully immersed within his ever changing stream of thoughts.
Severine stood up, walking up to him leisurely. Her purple robes stood out against her black hair, and her wrinkled face gave her an aura of dignity. She looked like an experienced mage, someone who had weathered through countless challenges.
She waved her hand as soon as she reached Alastor. Her white mana coiled and twisted, covering both of them within a translucent orb. Within a split second, their surroundings changed. They were no longer in the dismally minimalistic room, instead surrounded by a truly luxurious… chamber.
There was not a single spot left empty in the new place they were in; the gigantic chamber was filled to the brim with all sorts of interesting items. Artifacts, books, toys, anything and everything one could ever imagine lined the room. All sorts of parchment paper were sprawled across the floor, complex runes and diagrams written on them untidily.
However, despite the truly chaotic arrangement, the chamber did not feel untidy. Instead, it felt cozy, giving off a unique aura of its own.
Gah. Hecate… he said he left his room untidy by purpose, didn’t he?
In stark contrast to the rest of the room, a plain white desk stood in the center of the chamber, looking far from comfy. It exuded a sense of authority, a sense of elegance, alerting visitors that anyone who was qualified enough to sit in that desk was not someone to be messed with.
Severine did not seem particularly bothered by the mess, and instead glared off into the distance blankly. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she had found an assassin, not that she was currently communicating with the Head Mage.
A few dozen seconds passed in silence.
Suddenly, a hoarse voice grated Alastor’s ears.
“Stop pretending.”