The Gamer's POV

The massive luxurious airship named Il Fulgore, which belonged to the Bastion of Crimson and Silver, relied on mana and was operated by just one Dominant who channeled their energy directly into the primary steering crystal to guide the vessel through the clouds.

Il Fulgore housed many elite suites, and within one of these lavish rooms, Leon stood before a massive, floor-to-ceiling window. One of his black-gloved hands rested in his pocket, while the other held a cup of coffee.

However, rather than staring out at the Imperial city sprawling far below, he was looking absentmindedly down at the silver leaf brew in his cup. The silver leaf brew was the specialty coffee of Valeroche, the working-class city situated right next to Fashkire.

After a moment, Leon took a sip, then brought the cup down to stare at the swirling dark liquid. One of his eyes was its normal green, while the other was a gold that was dimming until it eventually turned to pale.

When that happened, he let out a heavy sigh, and a befuddled expression settled on his face. Then, he took out his hand out of his pocket and began to rub that eye. When he opened both eyes some seconds later, he arched a brow as he could now see a hand holding a biscotti in front of him.

"....?"

Turning to his left, he saw Uriel standing with a warm smile. In her left hand, she held a plate that was loaded with the golden treats.

Leon immediately brightened. "Oh, thank you, dear."

He smiled as he reached out and took the biscotti, then he dipped it into his silver leaf brew, letting the coffee soak into the crunchy pastry before taking a bite.

After swallowing the whole thing, he turned to Uriel, whose mouth was full of her own biscuit. He then closed the distance, stepping so close that her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened.

"W-wh-what are you...?" She began stammering and almost choked on her food, but then, Leon raised his palm to gently press it against her forehead.

"You’re looking better these days," he said with a warm, relieved smile.

Uriel swallowed, blinking rapidly before clearing her throat and speaking really fast and sheepishly. "My temperature has been perfectly fine, thank you!"

"I’m glad," he chuckled, lowering his hand back down.

Uriel studied him for a moment. Then, she gasped. "Wait... am I the reason you’ve gone blind again?"

He smiled as he turned to look out the panoramic window at the sprawling landscape below. "Seeing you sick makes me unbelievably anxious, you know."

His smile dimmed. "And not being able to figure out what’s wrong with you makes it even worse."

He sighed deeply.

Uriel, on the other hand, frowned.

Then she huffed, clutching the plate of treats a bit tighter to her chest as she turned away to hide the flush on her cheeks. "Well, I told you I’m fine. You should be using your eyes to divine outcomes for the Games, not wasting them like this. You’ve already tried and failed many times already!"

Leon turned to her.

Then, his smile returned as he asked, "What about the memories? Have any new ones popped up since then?"

She shook her head as she stuffed a biscotti into her mouth, then muttered, "Nope."

After a moment, a curious look crossed her face as she turned to look back at Leon. "I still find it very strange though. Why am I suddenly seeing memories of that place?"

Leon, too, had the same expression as he grew pensive.

After a moment, he sighed again, reached out and took a biscotti.

Then he smiled and waved it.

"Don’t worry about it. I’ll find the answer."

He turned around and began walking towards the exit.

Uriel watched his retreating back for a short moment before asking, "Where are you going?"

He tossed a casual reply over his shoulder.

"To get some air."

***

...

..

.

In another suite not too far from Leon’s...

——

Cedric sat on the large plush sofa, with his legs crossed comfortably as he read the Fashkire Gazette for the day.

’So a few Elders will be watching this year’s games, huh.’

He thought as he finally closed the paper and threw it carelessly onto the polished wood of the table in front of him.

’I wonder if any monarch will bother to make an appearance as well.’

Then, he folded his hands, and turned to the other occupant of the room.

Aika, who was dressed in a short black dress, was slowly pacing back and forth, reading the same leather-bound fantasy novel that Cedric had taken a glimpse of some days ago.

As he watched her, other thoughts began to drift into his mind.

’By the way, I’m a bit curious. I wonder how old Aika was exactly when she died in order to become my Bond. In the memory I saw, she met my previous self when she was likely fourteen. Now, she looks like a young woman in her twenties. If I were to guess, she’s probably somewhere between twenty to twenty six.’

Many other casual thoughts floated through his head, like how she died, for instance.

While he was still deep in his own reflections, Aika suddenly spoke without even looking up from the pages of her book. "...You know, if you keep staring at my body like a pervert, I’m going to start charging you for the view."

"Woman, please." Cedric rolled his eyes and stood up. Then as he began walking toward the exit, he took out a black coat and draped it over his arm. "I’m heading out for some air."

***

The observation deck, located on the upper level of the luxurious airship, was divided into three sections. The first area functioned as a quiet lounge and restaurant where nobles could dine, while the second served as a comfortable parlor for mingling. Both of these sections were wrapped in massive, curved glass canopies that offered wide views of the sky until they reached the front of the ship, where the third section began.

That forward section was a completely open balcony surrounded by a sturdy railing. A few nobles were standing along the edge, taking in the view. Oddly enough, despite the fact that standing out in the open at this altitude should have caused severe wind problems, the air here remained perfectly calm. It was as if an invisible barrier was completely deflecting the rushing air around the ship.

Among the few nobles here, Cedric was standing alone, leaning against the railing. He was watching the scenery below, but he had a somber, heavy look on his face.

After a moment, a black raven with a white ring of feathers around its neck suddenly landed on his shoulder, causing him to turn slightly to it.

Then it tilted his head and said, "Quite the view, isn’t it?"

Cedric turned back to the landscape, then replied in a quiet voice. "Well... It’s not exactly lovely from my perspective."

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