Extra in a Romance Fantasy

177 – Memory (1)

I slowly surveyed my surroundings.

“…….”

What should I say? It was a dizzying sight.

It resembled the strange landscape I had passed with Beluid before entering the core, the crater.

The objects themselves existed properly.

There were buildings, a lake, and even a forest.

The problem was that most of them were distorted.

Trees sprouted unexpectedly from buildings, a building rose abruptly from the lake, and in the forest, only the branches and leaves existed, with the trunks missing.

It was a sight that anyone would find bizarre.

Seeing that strange scene, I realized that I had truly entered Mary’s mind.

This was my first time entering someone’s psyche.

However, I had an unfounded certainty that not everyone’s mental world would be like this.

It was probably because Mary’s mind was not intact.

“…….”

After contemplating for a while, taking in the internal scenery, I finally took a step forward.

There was no time.

I had to wake Mary before it became irreversible.

Not knowing how time flowed in here made it all the more urgent.

—

I don’t know where Mary is in this world, but there were clues.

Before entering here, I had received a brief explanation from Beluid.

He had said,

Given Mary’s condition, it was highly likely that her mind was sleeping deep within this world.

Taking that as a clue, I began to quicken my steps.

Towards the inside, where Mary might be.

*

As I moved inward, the surrounding scenery continued to change.

Mountains appeared, fields emerged, ordinary villages came into view, and bustling cities showed up as well.

Naturally, most of them had some strange aspect, just like the sights I had seen at first.

For a while, I wandered deeper, feeling a peculiar sensation that matched the bizarre landscapes.

“……”

For the first time since entering this world and taking my first steps, I stopped.

It was because a familiar sight caught my eye.

A scene I had seen countless times before, and just a moment ago.

The entrance to the city of Ferdion revealed itself before me.

Unlike the other landscapes I had encountered since entering Mary’s mind, Ferdion appeared not distorted, but in the form I remembered.

Of course, the interior might have been altered, but at least on the surface, it seemed to have no significant issues.

Why was Ferdion the only place that maintained its original form, unlike the other landscapes?

I had no idea what the answer was.

Was it because the sight of Ferdion was familiar to Mary, or because it held significant weight in her mind?

It could be neither, or perhaps it could be both.

However, one thing seemed certain.

The city before me, the city I was about to step into, felt different from all the places I had passed through until now.

“……”

After standing still for a while, gazing at the entrance of Ferdion, I soon began to move again, and before long, I stepped inside Ferdion.

And at that moment, the atmosphere around me changed.

Until now, it had merely been strange, but here, the atmosphere was strange yet dark, and also gloomy.

I immediately sensed the cause.

It was because no one could be seen.

The sprawling metropolis of Ferdion, surrounding the academy, was home to countless people, living up to its name as a great city.

Indeed, there were enough people to fill this vast city to the brim.

Thus, Ferdion was a place overflowing with people, no matter where one went.

However, in the Ferdion that lay before my eyes now, not a single person could be seen.

No, beyond just people, not even a single living creature was visible.

The sight was peculiar and, at the same time, bleak.

It was at that moment, as I was peering through my half-closed eyes at the strange scenery of Ferdion, that suddenly, the day darkened.

Just moments ago, the sky had been a bright blue, but now it was shrouded in ominous black clouds.

And at that very moment,

Something that had not been visible as a living creature, something that had been completely still in the metropolis, revealed itself.

To describe it as a shadow would be somewhat close, but strictly speaking, it was different from a shadow.

After all, a shadow can only exist if there is a physical form, and it does not bear such a sinister hue.

The first shadow that caught my eye was singular.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, it multiplied into two, and in the next moment, it became ten.

After blinking a few times, the ominous shadows had filled this vast city.

“…….”

Seeing that sight, I realized.

Finally, the true trials had begun.

Before entering here, Beluid had said,

That the reason Mary had not opened her eyes was likely due to a ‘measure’ taken by the cult leader, and that this would undoubtedly affect Mary’s mental world.

And that, as a result, Mary’s mental world would be exceedingly dangerous.

───.

In the blink of an eye, the ominous shadows that had occupied Ferdion let out strange cries.

From those cries, I could feel the clear hostility directed at me from the shadows.

They were on guard, they were hostile.

Towards me, the intruder in their nest.

“…….”

I felt a sense of pressure.

It was not merely the pressure emitted by the shadows.

It was from this city itself.

No, it was the pressure felt from this world itself.

The world itself was hostile to me.

Feeling that overwhelming pressure, I thought.

That Beluid’s judgment was correct.

Perhaps if it had been someone other than me, they would not have been able to endure this pressure.

Unable to withstand it, their very mind would have been torn apart and collapsed.

Beluid and Ethan would likely have been no exception.

After all, to be opposed by an entire world is a pressure that no mere human can bear.

However.

I.

For me, it was a different story.

In the pressure that seemed to crush even the soul, emitted by the shadows and the world, I closed my eyes and began to concentrate.

With a focus that transcended the realm of humanity, I set my intention, my will, within my heart.

The intention to fight against this world that opposed me.

And the determination to surely rescue Mary.

At last, when I opened my eyes.

In my hand, I found a sword.

A sword of the hero, with a form so familiar to me.

“…….”

I lifted my head.

────.

I saw the shadows gathering around me, weeping in a disturbing manner.

Gazing at them.

I gripped the sword tightly in my hand.

*

Mary was witnessing memories of the past.

Standing there in a daze, she watched the scene of her memories flowing by.

What is this situation?

Why am I doing this?

That question arose in her mind, but Mary could not find the answer.

She felt as if something had happened.

She felt as if she had met someone.

However, no matter how hard she tried to recall what it was or who it was, she could not bring it to mind.

After a while of rummaging through her memories, Mary soon gave up on finding an answer.

The fact that she could not recall that memory no matter how hard she tried.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

It was because she thought it wouldn’t matter which answer it was.

In a daze, Mary watched her memories flow by.

“Mary Blunoir, your grades have improved again.”

A memory of receiving praise from a professor for her rising grades.

“Oh my. Good morning, Miss Mary.”

A memory of greeting a noble young lady she had gotten along well with since entering the academy.

Various memories flowed past like the scenery outside a tram.

And then.

“The weather is nice again today, Miss Mary.”

A familiar voice reached her ears.

Turning her gaze in that direction, she saw a tall, handsome young man.

A face she knew well—Alexis.

“……”

It wasn’t just Alexis.

Cedric, who had appeared without a sound, stood beside him.

“How are you feeling today?”

Chris greeted her with a calm expression.

“…Hmph. You look as dazed as ever today.”

With a gruff, uncharacteristic greeting, Wilhelm approached her with his usual scowl.

It was a sight she had grown accustomed to.

At some point, these four had begun to linger around her, often striking up conversations.

Looking at their faces, Mary thought anew.

—

That she had formed connections with utterly ridiculous people.

Alexis is a prince of a nation, Cedric is a disciple of the sword master, Chris is a disciple of the mage tower, and Wilhelm is the grandson of the continent’s greatest merchant.

These individuals, each with their own impressive backgrounds, are particularly remarkable even in an academy where only those with exceptional backgrounds gather.

If she were the original Mary, she would never have dared to get close to such beings, who could be described as existing above the clouds.

Yet, for some reason, it would not be an exaggeration to say that a bond had formed that went beyond mere greetings, to the point of spending every day together.

In light of this fact, Mary felt a fresh sense of wonder.

Now that she thought about it, a lot had happened.

Suddenly, she had that thought.

It had been over a year since she enrolled in the academy.

And during that time, which could be considered long or short, many events had unfolded.

She had helped Wilhelm escape from the attack of unknown assailants.

She had assisted Chris, who had nearly been consumed by a forbidden tome.

She had broken through a closed dungeon with Cedric.

And she had escaped a rampaging dungeon alongside Alexis.

Indeed, so much had happened.

As Mary reminisced, feeling a myriad of emotions.

‘…Huh?’

She noticed one strange thing.

There was someone’s face that appeared in her memories, yet she could not recall it at all.

It wasn’t merely a fleeting encounter, just a passing glance.

On the contrary, that person frequently appeared in her memories.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that there was always someone in her vivid recollections.

Yet, Mary could not bring that face to mind.

Nor could she recall that name.

It was strange.

It was peculiar.

And so, it bothered her.

Mary began to sift through her memories to recall that face, that name.

However, no matter how much she tried to trace back her memories, that face remained unclear.

“Welcome to your enrollment.”

—

Even as she struggled against the memories until the day she entered the academy, Mary could not conjure that face.

In the end, Mary began to reach back to memories from before that time.

The carriage heading toward the academy.

The day she received the acceptance letter from the academy.

The day she first decided to apply to the academy.

Those past memories unfolded before her, as vivid as if they had happened just yesterday.

And in all those memories, there was someone, yet that face remained elusive.

The scenery around her began to accelerate.

Beyond one year, two years, she climbed back through her memories.

The day she became an adult.

The day she first learned magic.

The day she broke her father’s cherished vase and was scolded.

The day her favorite dress was ruined when she tripped over a stone.

Back into the past, further back, she rewound her memories.

Countless scenes, countless faces flickered before her eyes.

How long had she been sifting through her memories?

Finally, the scenery came to a halt.

And it was only then that Mary could clearly see the face of that ‘someone.’

“……”

She gazed at a boy with black hair and black eyes, looking at her with an otherworldly gaze that seemed far beyond his years, perhaps around seven.

At last, Mary could recall that name as well.

Wade Hebron—a name that felt endlessly familiar, yet somehow nostalgic.