It's late at night.

Wrapping herself in a bunk, the girl fell into a deep sleep.

…… The path to go is clear.

First break away from the "snail island" that is against the heavenly people.

Then, find a sturdy boat and head to "Zwick Island". Even with the North Island as a transit point, the route is still fraught with danger.

Finally, travel through half of the provinces of Zwick Island to the Zwick court, located in the heart of Zwick Island.

This is the route that the girl and Dimi take to return to the cloud world.

In the vast sea, you can't use the power of the sea of clouds, and you have to reach the distant island of Zwick safely...... The only thing the two can rely on is just illusory luck.

“…… Never mind. ”

A premonition of horror will encroach on people's reason.

No need to think further. No matter what danger you encounter, you just need to see the move.

But Dimi......

It's the second time he's lost his family, the girl thought.

No matter how hard you endure your grief.

No matter how this cute big boy makes a mature appearance.

Sooner or later, he will reveal the pain in his heart.

When the time comes...... It's better to find a way to comfort him a little......

……

Dimi slept deeply.

As the girl expected, Dimi suppressed his emotions.

When he regained his composure, a sense of exhaustion welled up in his heart. He wished he could get a dreamless sleep.

But...... Vague dreams still come unexpectedly.

Until—

"No!"

……

The girl's shouts woke Dimi from her dream.

He turned his head to look.

The girl, who was awakened by a nightmare, was sitting there gasping for air. She was covered in cold sweat.

"Victoria ......"

Dimi also sat up.

And the girl has not fully recovered from the nightmare.

Hey, hey. Are you so vulnerable? The girl's heart blames herself in her heart.

But I can't blame myself.

How long has it been? It's been a long time since I've experienced the feeling of waking up from a nightmare.

When sharing bodies with Xiaowei, they always use their bodies alternately, and if one of them falls into a frightened nightmare, the other can always wake the other up in time.

And now......

"You're having nightmares, Victoria?" Not far away, Dimi's concerned voice could be heard.

"Sort of." The girl said vaguely. Obviously, I was still thinking about comforting the other party like this just now, but I was comforted instead......

It's really inferior.

"Yes...... Dreams about the sea? Dimi remembered the sea, the ocean of water he had seen for the first time in his life.

"......No," the girl shook her head, "it's from the Pure White City." ”

No matter how many times she persuaded herself that "the destruction of Thales in the pure white city has nothing to do with her", in addition to reason, cruel dreams still haunt her.

No matter how many times she has seen virtual special effects in her previous life, when the real city is in ruins in front of her eyes, when a living life disappears in front of her, the girl will still feel helpless from the bottom of her heart.

Even after interviewing the bald star, the girl couldn't help but wonder: if the world really runs according to the inertia in her work, will the pure white city be destroyed?

And what about the road ahead? What will I and Dimi face in the future?

Maybe all this, in another timeline, will be the story of my own work.

And now, it's a fact of the story.

"Victoria ......"

"No, it has nothing to do with my emotions or attitude! Now that I was separated from Miss Douglas and Linna, "the girl tried to make her voice seem unhurried, and she didn't realize that she was talking too much," I was still a little mentally unsettled. The destruction of the White City will affect me more than I expected...... It's all because my reason isn't strong enough. ”

If you were a bystander, you might have understood the girl's words as a standard mage who said, "I'm suppressing my feelings with reason."

But after getting along for a long time, Dimi is still keenly aware of it......

"Victoria, are you ......" Just like the girl trying to resolve the pain in Dimi's heart with constant actions, Dimi has been avoiding touching the deep part of the girl's inner emotions, but at this moment, he has to tell the truth, "...... Are you blaming yourself? ”

A moment of silence.

"I'm just regretting it," the girl said, staring at the pitch-black ceiling, "I should have guessed that the enemy would be targeting the White City or the Phoenix City." I didn't find out, let alone warn. ”

"No one can guess that." Dimi said.

"I haven't even explored this possibility!" The girl yelled.

"No one can predict the future!" Dimi's voice also raised, "It's like earthquakes and cloud tides on the clouds: yes, an excellent mage can estimate the likelihood of a future disaster on a piece of land. But if we stop using this land because it 'may experience earthquakes or cloud tides in the next 100 years', the whole cloud world will not be able to find a place to live!" You shouldn't—you should be held accountable for such a slim possibility—"

"If this small possibility causes you to lose your parents, and I don't feel heartache about it, then I'm not a human, but a monster!" The girl roared, "After seeing so many people die...... Even if it is impractical to prevent this, I must do so...... Ask yourself so much......"

Dimi was dumbfounded.

"And not here...... Idleness, even the future, has to ...... Rely on...... Rely on luck that you can't see or touch. The girl said.

"You're treating yourself as a ...... The patron saint of this world, Victoria? After a while, Dimi said softly.

"Maybe the world doesn't need a Patronus, but after that tragedy," said the girl, "if I can do that, I can stop this!" ”

"You just said that you are a human being, and that's why you feel pain," Dimi said, "and if you think it's better to be a patronus than a human, then you're contradicting yourself." ”

The girl was stunned.

And then...... She smiled.

That's right.

I've always been in control. But the existence of the world is not something that mortals can control.

"Maybe I want to be a patron saint who is both rational and human," the girl calmed down, but she still refused to admit defeat, "and it is not stipulated that the god must be cold and ruthless." ”

"Okay." Dimi smiled instead, and he felt reassured.

That's right.

No matter how stubborn you are, or you come up with complicated reasons......

Victoria ...... Her regret is actually very simple.

There is no contradiction between "God" and "man".

It's just simple, in the face of regret in the face of the catastrophe, there is no performance of yourself.

Just like him.

It's like...... Many ordinary people in the face of the catastrophe are the same.

"Why don't you speak?" On the contrary, the girl was surprised that Dimi did not say a word.

"Nothing," Dimi said, "but ...... Thank you. ”

"Thank me for what?" The girl was a little confused.

"Because, I've always regretted it." Dimi said gently.

“……！”

"Just seeing you strong, I don't want to ...... Let you discover. What you just said made me understand. It's nothing...... I'm sorry. ”

The girl's mouth opened wide in surprise. Luckily, it was dark in the room, and Dimi couldn't see her expression.

"Close my eyes, and I will see yesterday's battle," Dimi stretched out his hand in the dark, and the real feeling of losing his father came to him again, "In that battle, the difference in strength between the two sides was not so big. If I do my best, I will cut into that battle with the 'Buddha-figure coming' when the battle is at its most anxious...... Maybe it will become a glimmer of power to change the outcome. ”

"It's just idealism!" The girl was in a hurry, afraid that as soon as Dimi returned to the clouds, she would immediately find Nicholas desperately, "It's more likely that we will only ...... in vain"

"I understand! But I still regret it," Dimi said, "and my reason tells me that I made the right choice, but there is still another voice in my heart that is torturing me." With you calm by my side, I have always wondered if I, who must restrain my impulses at all times, is still qualified to inherit my father's throne. ”

"Then you found out that I am not calm at all," said the girl self-deprecatingly, "and you are calmer than I am." ”

"No," said Dimy, "I'm dreaming too." ”

"Nightmare?"

"Hmm."

"Yes...... Ocean? The girl suddenly guessed what Dimi had dreamed of.

"Yes," Dimi said honestly, "I dreamed of ...... It was raining heavily at sea. And our ship ...... in the sinking. There is water ...... on all sides."

The girl didn't know what to say for a while.

Dimi, who has never seen the sea...... Naturally, it is impossible to see a storm at sea.

In his heart, he did hide his fear of the future.

"So I not only regret it, but I also worry about it," said Dimi, "Victoria ......"

"We'll be able to do it." The girl said.

Finally spoken. Words of comfort.

"Maybe regret can't change the past, but at least it can be the strength that sustains us now," the girl said softly, "instead of ......"

"It's better to regret than to fear," Dimi said, "and we're like each other." Regret may be proof that we will be more mature in the future. We'll go back safely......"

“…… And beat Nicholas. Dimi's words were resounding.

The girl breathed a long sigh of relief in her heart.

Who comforts whom, it doesn't matter at the moment.

Such...... That's it.

"That's right. Ahh......h

The girl felt her inner peace as never before. She believed that she would not have any more nightmares tonight, but she still couldn't lose.

“…… But by the way, if you want to listen to the high-sounding chicken soup for the soul, I can give you a talk about tomorrow morning. Start with the story of a great avenger. ”

"Then thank you for not being sensitive......" Dimi knew how scary the girl who opened the conversation was, and understood that she didn't really want to tell the story, "but I think what we need now is a good rest." ”

"It's been a hard day, Dimi," said the girl, and it seemed to her that it was not easy for Dimi to make the right choice despite the pain, "Good night." ”

"Thank you, Victoria," said Dimi, who had seen it clearly, and had been trying to comfort him all day without touching his sore spots, "good night." ”

The last time his biological father died, his uncle, Emperor Dietford III, protected him as an adoptive father.

And now, he must learn to take care of himself. Even he had to protect many, many people as an emperor.

Fortunately...... There are also important people to accompany you.

The girl's breathing gradually became steady. She had fallen back into a deep sleep.

Hope after defeating Nicholas...... Dimi thought, you can stay with me like you do now, Victoria.

The young prince closed his eyes and fell asleep peacefully.