Extra in a Romance Fantasy

101 – The Forest (12)

After that, I plunged into training.

In truth, I didn’t imagine anything grand when it came to training.

I merely thought of it as a time to organize the realizations in my mind and embody them in my body.

However, that expectation shattered the moment I began my training.

“It wouldn’t be fun to train alone, would it?”

As she spoke, a figure summoned by her appeared.

“A creation based on the information in your mind.”

A middle-aged man with black hair and a stylish mustache.

It was a face I had never seen before.

Yet, the moment I laid eyes on him, I realized.

‘He’s strong.’

The man was at least a martial artist who had reached the realm of thought.

“When I was in the Empire, I was called the strongest martial artist of the Empire. At that time, the Empire boasted the most formidable power on the continent… It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I was perhaps the strongest on the continent back then.”

A man who might have once been the strongest on the continent.

The moment I learned that fact, I felt a surge of confidence along with a sense of pride.

This time would be of greater help to me than I had anticipated.

That perhaps, I could advance even further than simply organizing my realizations.

The time given was limited.

Moreover, it was a path that required me to progress even further from the distant realm of thought.

It was by no means easy.

Nevertheless, I had to succeed.

To thwart the plans of the “organization.”

To prevent the destruction of the continent.

I drew my sword.

*

From that point on, time passed swiftly.

I engaged in sparring with the former strongest martial artist of the Empire, and after each bout, I spent the same process of organizing my realizations in my mind.

Indeed, the reputation of being the strongest in the Empire was not unfounded; my opponent was incredibly powerful.

However, even so, I felt that he was definitely a step below the sword master.

However, the fact that he was an incredibly formidable opponent remained unchanged, and it was also an undeniable truth that he would be a great help to me.

At first, I suffered a considerable defeat by a significant margin.

Even though I had taken a step forward since my battle with the Sword Master, I felt the stark difference in our levels and was defeated.

The level was one thing, but above all, the disparity in physical ability and magical power was far too great.

Having been hailed as the strongest on the continent and receiving the Empire’s full support while training for many years, his magical power and physical prowess were beyond what could be described as monstrous.

In such a situation, being pushed back to that level, I had no choice but to be defeated helplessly.

The only silver lining was that even if I sustained injuries or my body was affected, thanks to the power of the space I was in, I healed almost instantly.

Because of that, I was able to challenge the man without a moment’s rest, continuously.

Through that process, I learned a lot and gained many insights.

And the realizations I had from my fight with the Sword Master began to take shape, slowly becoming clearer.

It was true that I had taken a step forward in my fight with Hamel, but honestly, that was close to a coincidence. After that, I had no time to make that realization my own.

Therefore, to speak frankly, my skills were stagnating.

However, with this training, my abilities began to progress properly.

Thanks to the fact that time was frozen outside, I was able to set aside the burdens of my mind and focus entirely on my training, allowing me to develop at a rapid pace.

And by the time I had digested my realizations to some extent, I was no longer being pushed around unilaterally by the man.

Though I still lost with a considerable gap between us, I was steadily making definite progress.

Amid those days, I didn’t spend all my time solely on training.

I also had proper conversations with the one who created this space, the woman who occupied El’s body.

There were purposes of gathering information, as well as simply passing the time out of boredom.

In any case, I learned a few things through those conversations.

First, her name.

I discovered that her name was Sheryl Ardimante.

And I also learned roughly what kind of life she had lived.

She was born with a natural talent for magic, caught the eye of her master, who was a court magician at the time, and truly walked the path of an elite.

With a posture that evoked a sense of pride reminiscent of El, she boasted about being a prodigy who had rewritten all records of her existence in the Empire.

Well, putting aside the fact that such an attitude didn’t seem very trustworthy, I thought her words were not lies.

Otherwise, no matter how much time was given, one could not reach such a realm.

I also learned that she had a relationship close to friendship with the man who had destroyed the Empire, Ald.

Though she didn’t say it explicitly, I realized the moment I saw her expression.

She felt guilt towards the man, Ald.

And that guilt has not yet faded away.

Of course, she did not speak that fact aloud.

Moreover, she had heard specific stories about this space.

Cheryl, who had escaped the ruined empire and found herself alone, reportedly immersed herself even more in magic to forget the deep emptiness.

As if the efforts she had originally made were nothing more than dust.

Thanks to her literally pouring in blood and sweat, her skills developed day by day, and she reached a level unmatched by anyone.

And around that time, she saw the future once more.

The future she had mentioned before, when disaster would befall the continent.

Having helplessly witnessed the empire’s downfall, she delved into magic with a single-minded determination to prevent the impending disaster, and using the traits of the one who followed, she sought to draw ever closer to the source.

To find out about the coming disaster, and to discover a way to stop it.

Normally, this would be a realm not permitted to humans, but she succeeded in realizing that miracle by utilizing her innate talent, unparalleled level, and the traits of the one who followed.

Through that, she saw a more concrete future and discovered me, the only possibility to avert that disaster.

However, it was a level so lacking that merely saying the possibility was slim was insufficient, so she devised a plan to nurture that possibility, a spark so feeble it was almost nonexistent.

And she said that she had successfully executed that plan, leading to the present.

She also spoke about El.

Having approached the source and gained the ability to see a clearer future, she knew that one of the families she had befriended in the world outside the empire would have a distant descendant born as the one who followed, and that she had arranged for me to see the future of this place.

And that it was indeed El.

Thus, I was able to hear most of what she had to say about her and this space.

In any case, during that isolated time, I gritted my teeth and devoted myself to training, and time flew by until finally, half a year had passed.

“…Huh.”

After finishing the last sparring session, I caught my breath.

From behind me, Cheryl’s voice came through.

“Are you satisfied with the results?”

At that question, I absentmindedly tilted my head.

“Hmm… I’m not sure.”

There had certainly been progress.

However, if asked whether it was to the point of satisfaction, there were definitely ambiguous aspects that made me hesitate to nod.

“Anyway, you seem to know no satisfaction. Well… it’s only natural when considering the enemies you will face in the future.”

Shaking her head as if tired, she lifted her gaze once more.

“It’s time to go.”

“…Indeed.”

I had spent a full six months in this space, alongside her.

And now, the end of that time was drawing near.

A flurry of emotions swept through my mind.

There was a sense of regret for not achieving completely satisfactory results, a slight relief at finally being able to leave this desolate space, and…

“It’s time to say goodbye.”

The sadness of having to part from Cheryl, mingled with a touch of loneliness.

“The space will soon be released. Then you will be able to return.”

I listened to her explanation, nodding calmly.

“Do you have any final words to leave behind?”

She asked me with a smile, just as she always did.

In response, I turned the question back to her.

“Don’t you have anything to say?”

Cheryl’s eyes widened at my question.

“Oh, I didn’t expect to receive that question in return.”

As she said this, a small laugh escaped her lips, and I continued.

“We won’t be able to meet again, will we?”

“Hmm. It seems that way. Unless you die and become a spirit—”

“No. That’s not what I mean. You’re going to disappear now.”

“……”

Cheryl fell silent.

And with a slightly surprised expression, she smiled.

“…They say I’m perceptive, but I didn’t think you’d catch on to that.”

Like someone who had just been caught revealing a secret they wished to keep hidden, she smiled awkwardly.

“I thought about it. No matter how great a sorcerer, or how connected they are, it’s strange to maintain such a space without any cost.”

She had kept time in a state close to suspension.

That was, quite literally, akin to divine power.

I wondered if even the most accomplished sorcerer could dare to attempt such a feat.

And yet, she had maintained it for half a year.

No matter how transcendent a grand sorcerer may become, the thought that it could be possible without any cost never crossed my mind.

Moreover, there was a decisive aspect to consider.

“I felt your presence gradually fading away.”

As time passed, and as my own level subtly increased, I began to feel a sense of alienation from her.

Gradually, the essence of her soul was becoming more and more faint.

She seemed to be hiding it in her own way, but as time went on, I could perceive it more clearly.

Gathering such doubts, I reached a conclusion.

Her soul was slowly approaching annihilation.

And the reason for that was likely this space.

“…Oh dear, I hadn’t intended to reveal that.”

For the first time since we met, Cheryl wore a troubled expression.

But soon, she brought back a gentle smile to her face.

“You needn’t feel guilty. It was merely my own will. And, in truth, it wasn’t a noble desire to save the world, but rather… I was just trying to alleviate my own guilt. The guilt of not being able to save Ald, and of surviving alone without saving the Empire.”

Cheryl, the last survivor of the Empire, the grand sorceress who transcended the bounds of humanity, spoke her true feelings with an awkward smile.

I responded to her.

“Thank you.”

I expressed my gratitude calmly.

“…….”

Her eyes trembled slightly.

“Whatever the reason, it was a great help. It’s all thanks to you.”

The reason didn’t matter.

Whether it was a noble spirit of sacrifice or unresolved guilt.

What mattered was that she had walked a harsh path on her own, and that I had received her aid.

“I will make sure your efforts are not in vain; I will definitely prevent destruction. And… I won’t forget you.”

With that heartfelt sentiment, I spoke sincerely.

Upon hearing my words, Cheryl stared at me for a moment with a dazed expression, then said,

“…Well, you truly are a frightening man.”

She smiled with a face I had never seen before.

“Now, it’s really time to say goodbye.”

“…Indeed.”

—

I will probably never meet her again.

Perhaps, her soul will vanish after this moment.

But.

“I wish we could meet again.”

I hoped for a reunion with her.

I knew the chances were slim.

No, it would be fair to say they were virtually nonexistent.

Yet, I didn’t want to completely erase that threadbare possibility.

“I feel the same.”

She didn’t bother to point that out.

She simply nodded and smiled gently.

Thus, we exchanged our farewells.

“Don’t give up. You can do it.”

With Cheryl’s voice resonating softly for the last time.

Crack—

The space shattered.