The Carol Festival had concluded without a hitch, and I had successfully celebrated Master’s birthday. With the year drawing to a close, my schedule was finally clear. The dorms had already grown quiet, as most students seemed to have already departed for their family homes.
"All right... that should be everything."
I, meanwhile, was preparing to head back to my own family home. Evi had already left, leaving me as the sole occupant of the room.
I hadn't noticed it when we were sharing the space, but now that I was alone, the room felt surprisingly large.
I began stuffing my essentials into my backpack. I didn't have much to carry, but I brought the large pack just in case. After all, it was better to have too much room than too little.
Once my preparations were complete, I made my way to the academy's main gate—our designated meeting spot.
"Ray-san! S-sorry... it seems I'm a bit late..."
"No, it’s quite all right. I only just arrived myself."
As for why I was meeting up with Rebecca-senpai—she had mentioned several times that she desperately wanted to see my hometown, and we had revisited the topic after the Carol Festival ended.
I didn't personally mind the visit. I was certain my family would welcome her.
The concern, however, was Rebecca-senpai's own household. I had heard that the Three Great Noble Families were quite busy during the winter holidays, but she insisted she was available.
"Rebecca-senpai."
"Yes? What is it?"
She gazed at me with her usual gentle smile.
"I'll ask one more time: is your schedule really all right? Don't you have obligations as a member of the Three Great Noble Families?"
"It's perfectly fine! Besides, my family is supporting me! I'm sure Maria will hold down the fort for me."
"I-I see."
It might have been rude to think so, but I wondered if Maria could really handle things in Rebecca-senpai’s stead. Even at the party, Maria had stayed in the background and avoided much interaction.
If Rebecca was confident enough to leave things to her, perhaps her duties were different from what I imagined.
As we spoke, I spotted the final member of our group, Amelia, jogging toward us.
"S-sorry! Huff... huff... I had a bit of trouble... getting ready... huff..."
"It's fine. We're only a few minutes past the scheduled time."
"Amelia-san, please don't worry about it. Though, honestly, you could have taken a bit longer, couldn't you?"
To be honest, lately, I couldn't tell if Rebecca-senpai and Amelia got along well or not. But then again, they both seemed more cheerful than before, so perhaps it was for the best.
In the worst-case scenario, if a fight did break out, I was prepared to do everything in my power to stop them.
"Phew..."
Amelia lightly wiped her brow and caught her breath.
For this trip back home, I wasn't just accompanied by Rebecca-senpai; Amelia was joining us as well. I wasn't sure where she’d heard about our plans, but while I was talking to Rebecca-senpai earlier, she had chimed in with, "I'm going too!"
Amelia also had responsibilities as the eldest daughter of a Three Great Noble House... I wondered if she was truly all right.
"Amelia. Is everything okay with your family?"
"Yeah! My family is supporting me too!"
Hmm. Both Rebecca-senpai and Amelia claimed their families were "supporting" them... Was that some kind of euphemism? Or perhaps some form of code?
Did one really need parental support just to visit a friend's house?
It was a mystery. I aimed to live the life of an ordinary student, but it seemed I still had a long way to go before I truly understood the nuances of "ordinary."
"Actually, I tried asking Ariane too, but she said she still needs some time."
"I see. But I understand how she feels. Sorting through one's own heart can be a difficult task."
"Yes, it really is."
While I was lost in my own thoughts, trying to solve the mystery, the two of them were nodding to each other as if they shared a profound understanding.
At any rate, it was time to leave.
"Well then, shall we head out?"
And so, the three of us set off for my family home.
◇
The past few days had been sunny, causing the snow to start melting slightly. Still, the accumulation remained significant, making for a slow trek.
We eventually reached the narrow trail alongside the sunflower field. Unlike that summer, the landscape felt a bit barren, but that was likely just the unique charm of winter.
"Phew. This is quite the walk."
"Y-yeah. It’s a bit of a struggle."
I led the way with the two of them following close behind, but Rebecca-senpai was starting to look a little strained.
"Shall we take a short break?"
"Ah. N-no, I'm perfectly fine!"
She spoke hurriedly, but there was no mistaking her fatigue.
"He's right. Let's take a break here. Ray says so too."
"...Ugh. Well then, if you'll excuse me..."
With Amelia's encouragement, we stopped for a moment. I smoothly pulled out the water bottle I had brought for this very reason and handed it to her.
"Senpai. Here. Hydration is important even in the winter."
"T-thank you."
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she took the bottle and drank deeply. It seemed I had been right to prepare it just in case.
"Even so, putting Ray-san aside... Amelia-san, you're impressive. You have so much stamina."
The praise seemed to stem from genuine admiration. Amelia, however, stared into the distance with a vacant look in her eyes.
"A-ahaha... Well, I've gone through training with Ray twice now, so I've built up some endurance. Ugh... I don't even want to remember it."
Amelia clutched her head and trembled, but I was certain the day would come when she would tackle the Ainsworth-style Boot Camp again.
Besides, despite her constant complaints, Amelia always stuck with me until the very end.
"Ah... that's right. Even from the sidelines, that looked incredibly grueling..."
"It was! Honestly! Ray is absolutely merciless!"
The conversation between the two grew lively. Finding no opening to join in, I simply gazed up at the sky.
I wasn't particularly fond of the winter sky.
It had a tendency to drag up memories I would rather forget.
But now, Amelia and Rebecca-senpai were with me. And they weren't the only ones. I had gained many precious people in my life. So, I was all right now.
As I was lost in thought, I noticed someone sprinting toward us from ahead with incredible momentum.
With her chestnut hair fluttering, she charged forward. She leaped into the air, spinning several times before diving straight toward me.
"Yay! Big Brother! You're home!"
"Stella. You're as energetic as ever."
"Yeah! I'm super healthy! How long are you staying this time?"
"I plan to head back once the new year begins."
"Ugh... I'll be lonely when you leave, Big Brother, but I'll be enrolling in the academy soon too! Just you wait for me!"
"I look forward to it."
I patted her head, and Stella gave me her usual cheerful, vibrant smile. Even in the midst of this harsh winter, she remained as lively as ever.
"Wait, huh? Are you with different people again? This isn't... Ariane-chan, is it?"
"Let me introduce you."
Before I could finish, Rebecca-senpai had already crouched down to meet Stella's eye level.
"I'm Rebecca Bradley. I'm a third-year at Arnold Magic Academy and Ray-san's senior."
"Senior! You're Big Brother's senior! And you're so beautiful!"
"Hehe. What an honest, sweet girl."
Just as I had, Senpai patted Stella's head. Next, Amelia introduced herself.
"Um, I'm Amelia Rose. I'm Ray's classmate."
"Ah! You're the one who was in the tournament with him, right?!"
"That's right. Ray has helped me quite a lot."
"Ooh! As expected of Big Brother! You're beautiful too! Or rather, you're the cute type!"
"Ahaha. Thank you, Stella-chan."
Once the introductions were over and they seemed to have hit it off, we prepared to head for the house... but then Stella spoke up.
"So, which one is Big Brother's girlfriend? Is it both of them? Or is it maybe Ariane-chan?"
"—!!"
With that single question, a whole new storm was about to break out.