The Truth.

"Young Master, where are you going? We're going to depart in only a few hours."

Lucy's voice stopped me at the entrance of the Liberion residency. It was early morning, just before dawn. Exactly as she said, that day we were planning to set out from the capital early. She was right to be concerned about my sudden leave.

"Don't worry," I replied, "I just realized I forgot to visit a certain place. It's somewhat of a tradition so I want to keep it going... I'll come back before the appointed time."

My response seemed to remind her of something. She stayed quiet for a few seconds and then nodded with understanding.

"As you wish. Now that I think about it, Lady Maria is also nowhere to be seen... Would you like me to accompany you?"

"No need. It's somewhat personal for me and her... You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Understood. May the blessing of Deos Praterium be with you."

As Lucy saw me off with a bow, she wished me success. 

Leaving the residence, I silently wondered if there was a particular reason she chose Deos Praterium. To chose the deity of past and history out of all the Deas... What a weird girl.

***

It was a cloudy day.

When I arrived in the Royal Academy's garden, Maria was already there. She didn't seem surprised to see me. She merely smiled and carried on with what she was doing. Namely, she was observing the academy's Herald of the Seasons. 

Maria and I stood in front of the tree. Today was the day when its leaves changed from green to golden. Every year, whenever it was possible, Maria came here to observe the last of Herald's greenery. And every time, she was accompanied by a certain boy. I didn't want this year to be an exception.

The other plants would soon follow in the great tree's wake. They would lose their green leaves and exchange them for golden. Soon, the Autumn would come. And that meant the Royal Academy's school year was fast approaching. This year would be my—no, Fabian's last year at the academy. 

Would that be the equivalent of graduating high school in my previous world? It was ironic, really. Just like how I never got an opportunity to live out the end of my youth in my previous life, Fabian would never get the opportunity to do so as well.

The thing about Maria and the Herald was something I'd learned very recently. And it wasn't from Fabian's memories. It was the boy's diary that led me to the discovery.

But that wasn't the only thing I found in the brown book. At first, I was looking through it for the sake of finding magical knowledge or trying to learn from the genius mage's ways. And I succeeded at that goal. But between the notes on spellcasting, interesting observations on Spiritspeak, and little tricks that Fabian incorporated into his magic—I found something that I didn't expect. It was obvious they would be there, but the idea just completely slipped my mind.

In addition to magical knowledge, I found the records of Fabian's daily life. How he lived. How he interacted with others. How much he loved people around him. And how much they loved him back. All of that was recorded in the book.

The care with which he thought about his close ones was evident in every page. And in turn, they cared about him and brought him joy. That was his life. Full of passion for magic, kindness, and happiness.

And I... That very life of his...

"Fabian? What's wrong?"

Maria's voice took me out of my thoughts. She turned around at me, surrounded by a bouquet of vibrant green. Her gentle gaze contained a slight hint of puzzlement.

"No, it's..."

I was about to reply, but something interrupted me; the Herald began glowing brightly.

"Oh," Maria exclaimed, "it's starting..."

Whenever the season changed, Maria would always wistfully welcome Autumn. I didn't know why. There wasn't anything about that in the diary. The only thing that was recorded was the mere fact that she would come to observe it every year. Almost as if it was a secret just for those two—never meant to be learnt by a stranger.

The grand tree continued its shine. Bathed in the light, it changed its clothing from a vibrant green dress to a golden coat. And before the tree, she stood. The girl with golden hair in her beautiful green dress.

A pulse reverberated through my head. I was long used to those pulses, and they no longer caused me headaches. Those were visions of someone's past—someone who wasn't me.

A single image came to my mind. It was Golden Autumn. 

A beautiful girl stood beneath the Herald in its golden coat. The girl seemed so weak and fragile—as if she would disappear at any second. She was so different from Maria I knew. And yet it was still her. If anything, during that moment, she was closer to her true self than ever.

And as that beautiful vision filled my mind and overwhelming emotions exploded in my chest, something inside of me finally snapped.

Ah, I can't. I have to confess everything... I have to tell her the truth.

That fragile girl was a treasured memory that didn't belong to me.

And I...

And I was the one who made their rightful owner disappear.

When I first became reincarnated, I decided to ignore it. To shamelessly hide behind excuses. I'm not the cause. I didn't do it on purpose. There is nothing I can do now that it's done.

Then, that cowardice changed into delusion. I envied Fabian. I was jealous that he possessed everything I wanted. But taking all of it for myself didn't seem right. And so, I decided to replace him.

Instead of stealing from the boy, I would become him. That was what I decided. And it was that decision that made me lose sight of what I truly wanted... No, that wasn't right. I simply didn't have the slightest clue of what I wanted in the first place. And the fact that I deluded myself so badly was the greatest proof of that.

Maria's slap was like an awakening call to my submerged consciousness. With it, came the realization of my desires and who I was. But at the same time it came with awareness. The thing that I'd ignored for so long didn't disappear anywhere. It was still there—right before my eyes. And reading the diary reminded me of it so painfully.

I thought that if I became Fabian, I wouldn't have to feel guilty before everyone. If I possessed all of his memories, then couldn't I truly become him? That's what I believed. 

But I was wrong. You could never become a replacement for someone else. That was a stupid thought to even consider. But I tried to anyway. I thought that if I sacrificed myself—sacrificed Ayumu Shinohara—then I could get Fabian Aes Berion in return.

How foolish.

I'm sorry, Maria. But I can't... I can't keep going like this.

At the end of the day, I couldn't sacrifice Ayumu. Instead of becoming someone else, I was blessed with the opportunity to become a better version of myself. And I'm grateful for that. But now that I got what I wanted, it was time to come clean. I already received more than I could have ever hoped for.

I was given a chance to do what I loved. I reached the goal that I have always aspired to. I was able to walk the road of my dreams. For the first time in so long, my heart sang in happiness from the successes that I found. 

I am satisfied. My second life has been short, but I am truly happy.

What I received is more than enough. Now—I just want to redeem myself. To give back this life to its rightful owner.

My crime wasn't reincarnating into this body. It was the fact that I kept it a secret. I tricked everyone—even myself. And for that, I would have to face my sins head-on.

However, a simple confession wouldn't help. It would be just an act of self-service. It wouldn't bring anyone solace, and no one would be saved. So instead of merely coming clean with my sins, I had to resolve all of the problems.

I didn't think about it at first, but there should be a solution that will make everyone happy—everyone but Ayumu Shinohara. But that was fine, my life was long over anyway. I have already gotten more than I've ever deserved.

I can't become Fabian. But maybe I can bring Fabian back instead.

This world contains such powerful magic and many things that go far beyond my imagination. Just remembering the red thunder that Viktor unleashed and the way the King so easily shut it down sends chills down my spine. With such powerful magic, there has to be a way to bring back the previous owner of this body.

After all, a part of Fabian is still alive—it has to be. Otherwise, why was it that I always received his memories at such opportune timings? Whether it was Lucy, or even the image of Maria that came to mind just a few minutes ago, all of the visions came exactly when I needed them or when they were relevant. Is it not because the boy is still alive? Somewhere deep inside of this body—sleeping as he waited for his awakening.

My knowledge isn't enough to bring him back. I need someone who is deeply versed in magic. A magical genius that has spent her entire life studying magical arts. And that someone was none other than Maria.

Just as always, she was the one I would turn for help. I felt guilty for that, but there was no better choice I could make. It was time to pay for everything I received—no, give back what I borrowed for my own selfish needs.

And so, I spoke.

"Maria, there's something I have to say. The truth is—"

My words made Maria turn around. Slight confusion at my sudden words colored her expression. I hesitated. I wanted to say I am Ayumu Shinohara so badly. But I stopped myself at the last second. It was only my selfishness speaking after all.

Oh, how I wanted to tell her my own name. To properly introduce myself to this beautiful golden girl—to my savior. But that wasn't something that Maria needed to hear. She didn't really care about Ayumu Shinohara. She didn't even know who he was.

"—I'm not Fabian Aes Berion. I'm someone who was born far away from this world. I stole his life, and this entire time, I have pretended to be Fabian..."

As I continued speaking, Maria's features shifted. Her eyebrows rose slightly in surprise as she quietly listened to my confession.

I thought I would have the entire life ahead of me to practice magic. But that's not right. Ayumu Shinohara had long passed away. It's not my life. It belongs to someone else. Someone passionate, kind, and gifted with love for magic and people. And that someone needs to return to his rightful life.

Beyond myself and anything else, there was only one thing that truly mattered...

"...Please... help me bring Fabian back."

A few seconds of silence hang between us. I couldn't find strength to keep looking at her directly so I lowered my face. As I did, I clenched my fists tightly and bit myself on the lip. 

Finally, Maria replied.

"Why would you want to bring him back?"

"...Huh...?"

Her response stunned me into silence. By the time I noticed, her expression was vastly different from before—vastly different from how it always was. It betrayed no hint of shock at my confession or confusion at the influx of ridiculous information. Instead, it was completely empty. As if all emotions were taken away from it.

As she looked me straight in the eyes, Maria proclaimed her verdict.

"Fabian... he is no longer needed."

The clouds that covered the sky were dark on that day.