"What am I going to do?"
"Is something the matter?"
I sat in my room, head in my hands, while Nana peered curiously into my face.
"It’s just... I’m flat broke."
"Didn't you have plenty of funds the other day?"
"They vanished in an instant because I kept treating Sera to meals."
"Understood. I'll go capture her then."
"Wait, hold on!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Nana tried to bolt from the room. I lunged forward to stop her.
"Listen, you don't need to 'capture' anyone, okay? I chose to treat her of my own free will."
"Hmph. Well, I’m going anyway."
"Skill activation! I Wuv You (Provisional) Hold!"
"Ehehe~♪"
"..."
That was a quick transition.
Nana wouldn't stop unless I resorted to something like this. And no, it wasn't like I specifically wanted to hug her or anything, okay?
"..."
"Oh, Yuka. Welcome back."
I hadn't even noticed the door opening. Yuka stood at the entrance, staring us down in silence with her arms crossed.
"...Lord Luka, what is the meaning of this?"
"Ah, this? I’m just restraining a person of interest."
"Ehehe~♪"
"It doesn't look that way to me...?"
Nana-chan, could you please stop smirking? Yuka’s gaze was starting to get genuinely terrifying.
"Ehehe... wait, hmm?"
Suddenly, Nana’s expression turned dead serious.
"What’s wrong?"
"...I don't know. Something feels off."
Off?
Unusually, Nana unwound my arms herself and walked toward the window.
"...Wait, is that snow?"
She pulled back the curtain. The scene unfolding beyond the glass was so white it could have been mistaken for a mid-winter day.
"...Lord Luka, look at that."
It was Yuka who spoke next. I followed her lead and realized the truth almost immediately. I opened the door and reached my hand out into the air. The "snow" fluttering down from the sky danced onto my palm.
"...It's ash. Just like that time."
"What do you mean by 'that time'?"
Nana leaned in to peek at my face, looking puzzled. I was referring to that disaster—that calamity—that had struck the Royal Capital.
"The Royal Capital Attack Incident. It’s the exact same situation. Back then, ash fell from the sky just like this."
"...The Hour of Ash?"
"Yeah, that’s what they called themselves."
It was a battlefield that had shaved years off my life, a memory I would have preferred to leave buried forever.
"Luka, are you okay?"
Nana squeezed my hand gently, snuggling up against me to offer comfort.
"Yeah, I’m fine. Besides, we don't know for sure that it's them yet."
"Lord Luka, if the worst should happen, I will protect you," Yuka added firmly.
"Thanks, Yuka. But the two of you are more important to me than my own safety."
That was the truth. Last time, I had survived on pure, narrow luck. I couldn't stand the thought of Yuka, Nana, or anyone else being hurt again.
"It will be alright, Luka. We have the Hero Candidates here this time."
Nana gave me a reassuring smile. She was right. Unlike back in the Kingdom, there was a concentrated military force here capable of immediate response. Leonis had been a powerhouse during the last incident, and if he was here...
『O fragments of light gathered under the Original Tome of Light.』
...Huh?
"Luka?"
"Lord Luka, is something wrong?"
Their voices felt suddenly distant. What was that other voice...?
『The moon wanes, the sun reaches.』
What was it saying? Now wasn't the time to be distracted by auditory hallucinations. Those monsters might actually be coming. I had to get the two of them to safety...
My eyelids began to close of their own accord, yet the voice continued to resonate in my mind.
『The time for the Trial has come.』
Shut up.
『Shut up.』
『O Heroes, gather here once more.』
You’ve got the wrong guy. I’m no Hero...
『Honestly, you’re right. Though you’re so amazing that it's no wonder you're mistaken for one, Luka.』
Wait, what?
『Select one worthy of being entrusted with the Authority of White—』
This was bad. I couldn't focus on what the hallucination was saying.
『There's no need to listen to that garbage.』
...Licia?
『What?』
『I summon thee.』
...!
I squeezed my eyes shut. My dark, fading vision was suddenly overtaken by a brilliant, white radiance.
"...Urgh, too bright."
Finally, I felt the strength return to my limbs. Rubbing my eyes, I used my hand to shade my brow and tried to get a look at my surroundings.
"...Right. Can I just hope this is a dream?"
The scene was so surreal that I desperately wanted to believe it was a fantasy. Stretched out before me was an endless, lush landscape overflowing with greenery. The sun shone dazzlingly above, and massive mountains towered in the distance.
"Apparently not."
...And there stood Licia, all by herself.
"...I see. I’m pretty sure I was in my room just a few seconds ago. Where are we?"
"I haven't the slightest clue."
I simply lay down on the grass-covered ground, feeling the wind on my skin, unable to do anything but escape from reality.