By the time we reached Master's house, the morning sun had already climbed high enough to bathe the streets in warm golden light. The city was lively as always. Merchants shouted from their stalls, children ran across the roads without a care in the world, and adventurers walked past carrying weapons that looked far heavier than they should have been.
Clay couldn't help glancing around every few seconds, taking in every unfamiliar sight. Nihara followed behind while lazily looking at whatever happened to catch her attention. Hussen, on the other hand, remained completely silent. His eyes weren't wandering around the city like the others'. Instead, he quietly observed the buildings, the roads, the people... almost as if he was trying to understand how they lived rather than simply looking at them.
Eventually, we arrived before Master's home.
For some reason, visiting this place had already become strangely familiar to me.
It no longer felt like I was visiting someone else's house.
It felt... welcoming.
I knocked gently on the wooden door.
Only a few seconds later, it slowly opened.
Makima stood there.
The moment she saw the three standing behind me, her eyes widened before a bright smile naturally appeared across her face.
"You actually brought them."
I laughed.
"I promised, didn't I?"
She stepped aside, welcoming all of us inside with the same warmth she always showed me.
"Come in."
"Everyone is welcome."
The three students awkwardly greeted her before entering the house. I had already told them everything I personally knew about Master Ben and his family, so none of them seemed particularly surprised. Still... hearing stories and actually meeting someone were completely different experiences.
Makima quickly introduced herself again before naturally beginning a conversation with them.
Watching her interact with my students almost made me smile.
She didn't treat them like strangers.
She treated them like younger siblings visiting after a long journey.
There wasn't even the slightest awkwardness.
Clay was the first to become curious.
"So..."
He scratched the back of his head.
"...What's it like living with Creator Ben?"
"Is he really strict?"
"Or is he serious all the time?"
His curiosity was completely focused on Master.
Makima laughed softly.
"You'll find out yourself."
"I don't want to ruin the surprise."
Meanwhile...
Nihara looked around the house before raising her hand with complete seriousness.
"Can I get some water?"
"...And where can I sit?"
I stared at her.
"We just arrived."
She nodded.
"I know."
"I'm already tired."
"..."
Honestly...
I had no words left for her.
Makima simply giggled before leading her toward the living room.
Only Hussen remained standing quietly near the entrance.
His gaze slowly traveled across the furniture.
The decorations.
The wooden floor.
The old family pictures hanging on the walls.
Finally, he lowered his head slightly.
"...It's simple."
His calm voice broke the silence.
"I respect Mr. Ben's way of living."
"...Thank you for having us."
With those few words, he walked toward the large wooden doorway that opened into the garden before quietly sitting beside it.
Everyone inside the room became silent.
Including me.
Somehow...
Out of all of us...
He had been the first to properly thank the owner of the house.
I couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed.
Soon afterward, Auntie came downstairs carrying a small basket.
The moment she noticed everyone, her face brightened.
"Oh?"
"So the children have already arrived."
She greeted every one of them with the same gentle smile she always wore before asking Makima to prepare some drinks.
Clay immediately stood up to greet her.
Nihara politely bowed.
Even Hussen stood again before quietly greeting her.
Everything felt...
Peaceful.
Natural.
Almost as though this house possessed a strange ability to make anyone relax.
After everyone settled down, Clay looked around once again.
"Where's Mr. Ben?"
Auntie smiled while arranging cups on the table.
"He had to stop by the guild."
"Today was supposed to be his day off."
"But some unexpected work came up."
"He'll return soon."
"I hope we're not causing trouble."
Clay hurriedly shook his head.
"No."
"We can wait."
Not long afterward, Clay and Hussen decided to walk around the nearby streets together while waiting.
Nihara disappeared upstairs with Makima almost immediately.
Probably for what girls called... private time.
Leaving only Auntie and me inside the hallway.
She quietly sat beside a table while cutting fresh fruit.
For a while...
Neither of us spoke.
Only the sound of the knife gently cutting through apples echoed throughout the room.
Then...
Without looking at me...
She suddenly asked,
"What do you think about us?"
The unexpected question completely caught me off guard.
"...Master is someone I deeply respect."
"And—"
She softly interrupted me.
"I wasn't asking about Ben."
This time...
She looked at me.
"I meant me."
"...And Makima."
Her hands never stopped cutting the fruit.
"We both know the truth about ourselves."
"We know who we really are."
"And yet..."
"We continue living like this."
She smiled gently.
"What do you think about that?"
I couldn't answer immediately.
The question was much deeper than it first sounded.
I lowered my eyes.
Searching through my own thoughts rather than simply saying the first thing that came to mind.
After a long silence...
I finally spoke.
"...Reality is fragile."
"It can shatter with something as small as a single truth."
"So can relationships."
"So can the human heart."
I looked toward the garden beyond the open doorway.
"But..."
"When I look at you and Makima..."
"I realize fragile things aren't always weak."
"Sometimes..."
"They become stronger than anything else."
"You accepted a reality that most people would spend their entire lives trying to run away from."
"And instead of letting it destroy your family..."
"You protected it."
I smiled bitterly.
"If I were in your place..."
"I'm not sure I could have done the same."
She quietly listened without interrupting.
I continued before I could stop myself.
"There is someone in my own Imagery World..."
"I've admired him for a long time."
"I always wanted to help him."
"To make his journey easier."
"To change the ending waiting for him."
I slowly lowered my head.
"But when the chance finally came..."
"...I couldn't even tell him."
"I couldn't say the words that had been trapped inside me."
"I was afraid."
"Maybe..."
"That's why I never truly became part of his world."
"...Unlike Master."
The room became silent again.
Auntie continued cutting fruit for several moments before placing the knife down.
She looked directly into my eyes.
"You've been searching for someone to look at you... not your actions."
"...From the person you feel connected to."
"...The one who unknowingly became the reason you walked this path."
I unconsciously looked away.
Maybe...
She was right.
I didn't want fame.
I didn't want people worshipping me.
I didn't even want anyone to know who I really was.
But...
Somewhere deep inside...
I wanted one person...
Just one...
To acknowledge me.
To accept me.
To say that my existence wasn't a mistake.
"...Ark."
The name escaped my lips almost like a whisper.
Auntie smiled warmly.
"If he ever learns the truth..."
"He'll probably be terrified."
She laughed softly.
"But people eventually come to understand things they once feared."
"Just like you."
"You don't need to rush."
"You only need enough courage to outlast your fear."
Those words quietly settled inside my heart.
Perhaps...
One day...
I really would tell him.
Not today.
But someday.
Before either of us could continue, the front door opened.
Master Ben had returned.
He greeted everyone with his usual calm smile before joining us.
Dinner was prepared not long afterward.
The atmosphere became lively once again.
Clay and Hussen somehow ended up playing a board game against Auntie.
Within only a few minutes, Clay buried his face in his hands.
"No..."
"Auntie is too strong."
"Hussen!"
"Only you can save us!"
Even Hussen, who had remained expressionless all afternoon, looked completely cornered by her strategies.
I made a mental note.
Never challenge Auntie to board games.
Meanwhile, Makima and Nihara sat together on the sofa, flipping through old family photo albums while laughing over childhood pictures.
I was tempted to join them.
Instead...
My eyes found Master.
He stood quietly outside near the garden.
Looking at the flowers.
Without saying anything, I walked over and sat beside him.
For several minutes...
Neither of us spoke.
Then, without taking his eyes off the flowers, he quietly said,
"I see your training is progressing well."
I nodded.
"It is."
He continued.
"But students like Hussen..."
"...are difficult."
"They only believe what they experience themselves."
I smiled helplessly.
"...Exactly."
"I keep explaining things to him."
"But sometimes..."
"It feels like my words never reach him."
A faint smile appeared on Master's face.
"Then stop trying to convince him."
I looked toward him.
"Instead..."
"Let reality teach him."
"Some lessons can't be spoken."
"They have to be lived."
His words settled deeply within me.
He was right.
Perhaps I had been trying too hard to guide them with explanations.
Sometimes...
Growth only came after someone stumbled with their own feet.
For the rest of the evening...
We simply sat there.
Listening to everyone's laughter.
Watching the flowers sway in the evening breeze.
There was no need for conversation.
Some moments became precious precisely because nothing needed to be said.
After nearly two peaceful hours, Master finally broke the silence once more.
"I heard..."
"...you're going to the Fairy Realm."
"Yes."
He finally looked at me.
"I know you want Bell to become your contractor again."
His voice remained calm.
"But before you decide..."
"Ask yourself something."
"...Is that what she wants?"
The question struck me harder than I expected.
I had spent all this time thinking about what I wanted.
I wanted to meet her.
I wanted to apologize.
I wanted to make another contract.
But...
Had I ever once stopped to ask what Bell wanted?
She was a princess.
She had responsibilities.
Her own life.
Her own dreams.
What if returning to me wasn't one of them?
What if...
Making another contract would only burden her?
For the first time...
I realized I didn't actually know the answer.
I slowly closed my eyes.
No.
I wouldn't decide anything now.
First...
I would meet her.
Then...
I'd listen.
Only after understanding her feelings would I choose what to do.
That would be the right decision.
Three days later, Captain Shin contacted me.
The time had finally come.
Before leaving, I informed Makima and Auntie.
Both of them looked worried.
Neither of them tried to stop me.
But the concern in their eyes spoke louder than words.
Master simply nodded once.
"I'll continue training your students while you're away."
I looked toward Clay, Nihara, and Hussen.
"...Please don't steal them from me."
Master actually laughed.
"I'll try."
With that...
I returned to HQ.
Gray was already waiting there.
Captain Shin stood before us with his hands behind his back.
"The Battle of the Exil Tree allows only three creators to participate from our side."
"I chose people who have never entered the tournament before."
"You."
"Gray."
"And one more."
A strange feeling suddenly crept into my chest.
For some reason...
I had a bad feeling about this.
I looked at Captain Shin.
"...Who is the third participant?"
A small smile appeared on his face.
"It isn't the person you're thinking of."
"He refused to involve himself in this matter."
"This one..."
"...is someone entirely new."
Shin slowly turned toward the entrance of HQ.
Footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Someone was approaching.
The third representative had finally arrived.