Chapter 9: Puffy Augustella von Arcana IV
No matter how much one may lament, time flows on. As each day passed, the impending farewell drew closer, causing her heart to ache.
She had to admit it to herself. She was in love with Ichiro.
It had only been a month of memories. And those memories were confined to the Library Room and the training grounds.
In fact, during their time at the training grounds, Ichiro had been completely unaware of her presence, allowing them to converse freely only in the Library Room, away from prying eyes.
But that was enough. The Library Room had been their own little world, a universe shared solely between the two of them.
With Puffy and Ichiro together, nothing else was needed. In those days, they embarked on countless adventures in the realm of their imaginations, faced dangers time and again, and fell in love over and over.
For Puffy back then, as long as she had those memories, she felt she could face any hardship. She believed she could overcome any challenge.
And that belief was not unfounded.
With her strong will, she could have continued to serve as the wise princess of Arcana, and she could have completed the Teleportation Magitech Device with her own hands. Moreover, she would have eventually developed the technology to traverse worlds.
However, it was that moment—when she hesitated to bid farewell and feared sending him off—that she mustered her courage and dashed out to him beyond the castle walls.
Puffy’s fate was twisted beyond recognition.
She had thrown herself into the Hero’s embrace.
What followed was a nightmare. No, if only it had been a nightmare. Everything that transpired was a harsh reality.
Before Ichiro, Puffy let out a groan as memories she could not escape resurfaced.
“Puffy, please listen to me.”
For my past self, expressing my feelings was a terrifying prospect. I feared that revealing my emotions would shatter our relationship. So, I had turned my back on what truly mattered.
“It’s okay. I know your true feelings, Puffy.”
Yet, I had come to realize that this was foolishly negligent and cowardly, a sign of not trusting the other person. Life is finite, and opportunities do not come around often. Through facing numerous challenges, I learned this truth.
“The memories with Ryuguin are like a bad dream. So, please… don’t blame yourself.”
Puffy shook her tear-streaked face like a child throwing a tantrum. I tightened my embrace, pouring my determination into holding her close. Right now, all I could do was convey my feelings to her.
“Things that are lost do exist, and there are things that cannot be reclaimed. But no matter what happens, I will help you, Puffy—”
I couldn’t claim that as long as we lived, we could make amends… that would be baseless. However, I could maintain the resolve to reclaim what was lost as long as we were alive.
“Many harsh situations await you, Puffy. But I am here. Together, you and I can surely overcome anything.”
In response to my words, Puffy sobbed and embraced me with all her might. We remained like that until she cried herself into silence.