"Ray-chan. I am truly, truly sorry."
A few days later, Carol arrived to offer Ray a formal apology. Having covered all the repair costs for his room out of her own pocket, she was now pressing her forehead against the floor before him. It was a perfect, textbook dogeza.
It seemed that even Carol realized her recent conduct had been excessive, as she remained bowed with the utmost sincerity.
"..."
For his part, Ray still hadn't managed to shake the lingering sense of fear from that night. However, while he found her difficult to handle, he understood that Carol wasn't a malicious person.
By her own account, she simply loved him so dearly that her emotions had spiraled out of control.
While being doted on had its embarrassing moments, it wasn't that he disliked her affection entirely. The problem was the degree of it. When things went that far, Ray found it impossible to tolerate.
After a moment of quiet reflection, he looked down at Carol as she continued to rub her forehead against the floor.
"It was really scary."
"Um... I'm so sorry!!"
"Please don't do something like that again. I want you to consider my feelings too."
"I understand. Yes..."
Lydia stood beside Ray, still glaring at Carol as if her anger hadn't quite subsided.
"Listen, Carol. This was an attempted assault—only stopped because I intervened. You should be grateful for Ray's generous heart. Personally, I still find this intolerable, but since he says it’s enough, I’ll let it go. Watch yourself from now on, you hear? And learn some damn boundaries."
"Yes. I understand. I am truly, truly sorry..."
While Carol would remain well-behaved for the next few years, no one could have predicted that those volatile emotions would eventually explode once more.
◇
The Far East Campaign.
That was the name people had finally begun to use for the war currently raging in the East.
Initially, the Arnold Kingdom and other nations had dismissed it as a minor squabble between small countries that would never escalate into a full-blown war. Recently, however, reports indicated that the number of casualties from the conflict was increasing at a staggering rate.
Consequently, the Special Selection Unit Astral was ordered to investigate. However, a significant problem arose during the briefing.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Lydia’s voice rang through the room. It lacked its usual lighthearted cadence. Instead, it was laced with unmistakable fury.
"It is an order from the top. Defiance is not an option," Henrick stated flatly. The other members looked on with stoic expressions.
"I respect you, Lieutenant Colonel Fahrenheit. I’m grateful for how you’ve led this unit until now. But this... this is the one thing I cannot possibly forgive!"
Bam! Lydia slammed her fist onto the desk with such force that it couldn't withstand the impact. A massive vertical crack split through the wood. Her behavior made it clear that her rage was reaching a breaking point.
The reason for Lydia’s outburst was a specific new member who had been drafted into the Special Selection Unit Astral.
"You’re putting Ray in this unit?! Stop messing around!"
Her roar echoed through the room. Carol was quick to voice her agreement.
"She’s right! To use Ray-chan like that, it’s as if...!"
Everyone in the room understood the implication. It felt as though the military had taken him in specifically to exploit him as a soldier from the very beginning.
They had always known the boy was a genius. But that was exactly why they couldn't stand the thought of his talent being turned into a military tool. Lydia hadn't raised Ray to become a soldier, but the Military High Command saw things differently.
"You must have known this day would come eventually," Henrick said. "High Command was aware of his existence, and they’ve been granting him favors accordingly. It was inevitable that the time would come to count him as part of our war potential."
"——!"
Blood dripped from Lydia’s clenched fists. She was gripping them so tightly that her nails had sliced into her palms. Perhaps the sting of the pain helped, as she regained a sliver of composure.
"Talk of needing additional forces for Astral has been circulating for some time," Henrick continued. "However, no one met our standards. No one—except for him."
The "him" Henrick referred to was Ray.
Abby, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke up.
"Lieutenant Colonel. Does this mean that when you were taking Ray out before, you were actually..."
"Yes. I was conducting his Aptitude Evaluation. He surpassed every single benchmark by an overwhelming margin. He possesses a brilliant mind and extraordinary physical ability. Furthermore, there is his peerless sorcery. He is more than capable of handling actual combat. The military simply couldn't ignore a talent like that any longer."
Regret was etched into Henrick's features. He had known it would come to this three years ago. During that time, he had hoped to find a way for Ray to distance himself from the military, but the boy’s power was simply too immense.
Even though they had educated him specifically to keep him from being swallowed by his own talent, it now felt as if they had merely been grooming him to be exploited.
Though Lydia never had such intentions, she was tormented by the conflict in her soul. What should she have done? Should she have left him to his fate back then? Even with his high sorcery aptitude, Ray might have been consumed by his own power without her guidance. And only someone with similar talent, like Lydia, could have taught him how to control it.
But she had known that staying near her meant this future was always a possibility. She had searched for another path, but the military’s intervention had come much sooner than anticipated.
Lydia wondered: What was the right answer? What should I have...
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
"You may enter," Henrick said.
"Excuse me."
Ray stepped into the room. He was dressed in a custom-fitted military uniform, his expression serious. Given the aura of fury radiating from Lydia and the shattered state of the desk, a boy as bright as Ray didn't need long to figure out what was happening.
"Master. No, Captain Ainsworth. I look forward to working with you."
"Ray... do you have any idea what you’re doing?!" Lydia shouted, closing the distance between them.
She had been strict with him during training, but she currently looked like the very incarnation of wrath. Her eyes were bloodshot with anger. This time, she clearly had no intention of restraining herself.
"I do."
"Do you really?! Do you understand the resolve required to be a soldier? The weight of being in this unit?!"
"Yes."
"There’s no way you could understand!" Lydia screamed, slamming the desk again. This time, the piece of furniture split completely in two. Despite her outburst, Ray remained calm.
"Ray... this unit carries out special operations. That includes actual combat. Sorcery-based warfare. Killing the enemy is part of the mission."
"Yes. I have already received a full explanation. I stand here with that full knowledge."
"Why?! I’m the first to admit you have talent! But you don't need to stain your hands with blood! Please, Ray... just understand... please..."
She was pleading now. Her head hung low as she reached out to him.
Lydia was well aware that her own power was vital for national defense. As a lone sorcerer, her combat potential was already among the highest in the Arnold Kingdom. It was estimated that she could face over a thousand enemies at once. Because of that, she never hesitated to stain her own hands. Beyond that bloodshed lay the peace of the country. But that was a path she had chosen for herself.
In Ray's case, it felt as though he were in an environment where he had no other choice. Lydia had been planning to enroll him in the Academy so he could live as an ordinary student. She was going to pay the tuition herself and officially become his guardian.
And then, just as those plans were forming, this happened. It was no wonder she was so furious.
"...Master. Your teachings live within me. And among them, one set of words is burned into my mind."
"..." Lydia stared at him, motionless.
Ray met her gaze and continued. "You told me that in the end, people can only ever follow what they have decided for themselves."
"Those are..."
Those were Lydia’s own words. She had told him that no matter what anyone else said or tried to force upon you, in the end, you had to follow your own heart.
"I'm aware of how abnormal my abilities are. That's exactly why I want to give something back. This unit is like a family... no, I consider you all my family. If this country is what protects that family, then I can fight for it. I can't just stand by and watch you suffer anymore, Master."
"Ray... you..."
So that’s what he was thinking, Lydia realized. She had thought of him as just a child. He was brilliant for his age and a master sorcerer, yes, but she had still viewed him as a child. Yet the resolve Ray was showing now was anything but childish.
She understood now that her protective anger was a form of arrogance. Even if the environment had influenced him, the final choice belonged to Ray. She had just been shouting into the void.
Lydia gently touched his cheek. "Ray. Are you sure about this?"
"Yes. My resolve is firm."
Lydia turned back to Henrick. "Lieutenant Colonel. I apologize for my outburst. Please forgive my conduct."
"No, it's fine. It pains me as well."
"However—" Lydia’s eyes burned with a new, absolute determination. "I accept Ray’s participation in our operations. He will undoubtedly be a massive asset. But I will not tolerate him being given excessive burdens. If that happens, I will carry out the mission in his place."
"Agreed," Henrick said.
"Thank you." Lydia bowed.
She turned back to Ray. He had grown so much that she no longer had to look down very far to meet his eyes. She truly felt how much he had matured.
"Ray. Are you prepared to continue training under me?"
"Of course, Master."
"Good. From this point on, I’m taking the gloves off. I shall teach you everything I know."
"Yes. I look forward to it."
Thus, Ray finally became a member of the Special Selection Unit Astral. At that same moment, the world began to move in a major way.
The gears of fate began to slowly accelerate.