Chapter 16

Kade looked out the small opening on the roof right next to where they rest. The faint glow of the stars was just barely visible through that small opening. Kade found himself unable to sleep, staring at it instead. Despite bringing his sword, he hadn't fought at all in the dungeon. Meline took care of everything. From small wolves to medium-sized spiders and even massive scorpions. She killed everything. All he did was stand a safe distance away.

As a result, he wasn't the slightest bit tired. But there was another reason he struggled to get his eyes shut. He hadn't come into contact with it for ten long years.

The fact that he was an outsider. Not someone born into this world, but someone from somewhere else, tasked to prevent a fight between the demon lord and the hero. Meline already promised that she wouldn't fight, and in the worst-case scenario, he could just pull her away. But even knowing that, he was still worried about the future.

What if…

A lot of what-ifs filled his mind. He remembered her saying that he could enjoy his school life, and that time had passed. He had fun. It was time to work. Although what his job would be remained a mystery.

Without a clear goal, he couldn't do anything tonight. Still, despite knowing that staying up wouldn't do him any good, he couldn't sleep. He tried, but those thoughts swirling in his mind prevented him from getting rest. Something he needed if he wanted to be performing at his peak when the situation called for it.

“Oh, Kade and Meline.”

He heard Linda call out. She approached them from the road in front of their rest stop. Meline had shielded the area, preventing anyone from coming in, but he could still hear her voice.

“You're not sleeping?” Linda asked.

He pulled himself away from his sleeping bag. “I can't sleep. How about you, Miss Linda?”

“Patrol.” She shrugged. In general, the professors wouldn't be interfering too much. Ambush tactics were allowed, so some teams might move during the night to catch other teams off guard. That said, it was common for professors to be around, just in case someone pushed things too far.

She sat down on the road in front of Kade, careful not to touch the barrier Meline made.

“I'll relax for a bit.”

“Won't this be cheating?”

“It's not like we're talking about anything confidential. Besides, you have something on your mind, don't you?”

She read him like an open book.

“Well… I guess?”

“Is it about Meline?”

“... Was it that obvious?”

“You never think about anything but her.”

“I mean… we spend all our time together.”

They had been inseparable, literally, and would continue being like that until they found a way to cancel the link.

“Yeah, but what if that's no longer the case?”

“That…”

Might actually happen. What if Meline no longer had a reason to stay with him? Wouldn't she return to the Demon Lands to continue her rule? He doubted he could continue coming in and out of the castle for no reason. She might not want him there in the first place.

“Lost child's abilities never last. They usually only extend to a certain period of time, then disappear,” Linda reiterated the painful truth. Once he completed his mission, once Meline no longer needed to be kept away from the hero, there existed a very real chance their link would be broken.

Up until now, he had been enjoying Meline's grace. She protected him, the castle's staff treated him nicely, and even Linda pulled some strings to make sure he lived a comfortable life. What if that were no longer the case? Where would he go next?

He didn't have to think about such a thing for so many years. He hadn't prepared to face the consequences.

“And how about your dream? About being a magic engineer?”

A job that didn't require him to use magic, but without Meline's help, would be significantly more difficult. He could create things that would be helpful for Meline, but what if she left? What would he be working for?

“... You're stacking a lot of things for me to think about,” he murmured, followed up with a small laugh. He wanted to be joking, but he couldn't even smile.

It wasn't a conversation he expected to have in the middle of the night. If anything, it would make him struggle to sleep even more.

“Is there a reason why you're telling me this now?”

“... I've got confirmation from the hero, and he's currently on the way to the university.”

Ah…

Kade didn't have much time to prepare. Things might take a turn, and he might be thrust into making his decision far quicker than he anticipated.

“I thought I should warn you, at least.”

“... I appreciate the warning, Miss Linda.”

“Or, if you don't want to worry, just get married.”

Kade gasped. He held his own mouth, preventing himself from shouting. “Ma- married? What are you talking about?”

“That way, you can continue being with her.”

It was a logical suggestion, but he never considered it; thus, the idea came as shocking. Maybe it was because they were so close, Kade never thought about becoming even closer.

“... Why… I mean, is that all?”

“... What else are you expecting?”

Kade thought about it. When he thought about the words ‘being together forever’, there were two answers. Best friends forever, or a married couple. Maybe Kade had thought that they would remain as best friends, but that meant he wouldn't be as close to Meline as he was now. Plus, Meline had her responsibilities as a demon lord. Best friends wouldn't be privy to such important secrets.

With that consideration, the only other option was marriage.

“Still…”

“... Guess I'm really saying a lot of things, huh?” Linda let out a chuckle.

“... Is this also part of the warnings you mentioned?”

“Who knows? I just don't want you to regret not doing something, that's all.”

Regret. Kade had long moved on from Earth, but the memories of his time there lingered. He could still remember some of his regrets back then.

“Well, I won't disturb you anymore.” Linda waved her hand and left as suddenly as she appeared. Kade watched as her figure disappeared into the dungeon.

He lay down on his sleeping bag and shut his eyes. The words he just heard did nothing to calm his heart. For a moment, he believed that he would be staying awake the entire night. The trip back would be quite boring, so maybe he could sleep then. As the seconds passed by, It felt as if time was moving at a rapid pace, yet he didn't feel like he had fully slept.