The Principle of a Philosopher by Eternal Fool “Asley”

While the Silver Mansion itself was vast, giving every individual team member a spacious room was, of course, an impossible feat.

One of the larger rooms belonged to the deputy leader of Team Silver — the former chief of Faltown, Ryan.

Sitting in a formal posture before him was a woman, engaging in conversation with him.

“…And so I’ll be covering our flank, Reyna.”

“I’ll be right behind–“

Ryan and Reyna, having exchanged simple and somewhat hasty vows of love after the battle with Cleath, found that their lives — particularly their relationship dynamics — remained unchanged, their roles and the way they referred to each other remaining mostly as they had been before.

Though they understood each other’s affections, they refrained from closing the distance between them.

After all, now was the era of the Devil King.

“–You won’t.”

“…Why not?”

“It’s too dangerous. You should stay with Adolf and Mana, and provide support together with them.”

Ryan and Reyna were discussing the formation for the decisive battle.

Tomorrow’s battle would adopt the arrowhead formation led by Bruce. It was natural for the experienced Ryan to be deployed on the flank.

Wanting to protect Ryan, Reyna had come to his room to ask if she could follow him.

“And you’re fine with Reid being deployed?”

“…It will be hard on him, but yes, I am.”

To be deployed behind Ryan was Reid, being another warrior responsible for defending the flank. 

Ryan sighed and, peering into Reyna’s eyes, asked,

“…Now, nothing you do will alter our plans at this point. The formations have already been submitted to Miss Irene, and she has given her approval. Even if problems arise, there is no way to make any changes.”

To discern Reyna’s true intentions, Ryan spoke with a tone of admonition.

However, Reyna’s lips remained sealed tightly, offering no further response.

Leaning back in his wooden chair, Ryan absentmindedly gazed at the ceiling.

The room was silent — so silent that it felt as if time had stopped. Then the silence was broken by a certain group of people from Faltown.

Disrupting the atmosphere, the sliding door opened with a bang.

Standing there were Mana, Reid, and Adolf.

Ryan stared in surprise, while Reyna heaved a sigh, keeping her back facing the three.

“…Hmm. Reyna? That sigh just now… you weren’t expressing your disappointment toward those three, were you?”

“Huh?”

Ryan glared at Reid and the others, maintaining his composure as a former town chief despite initially being taken aback by their sudden arrival. 

While he fixed a sharp gaze on the trio, they exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

“Ah, you were doing this for Reyna, I see…”

Indeed, Reid and the others, had been asked by Reyna to wait outside Ryan’s room.

The sigh Reyna had let out just now was in fact her way of telling herself to try something else. Every move Reyna made was transparent to Ryan.

“Why are you so eager to put yourself in danger?”

“Look, Chief, that’s because…”

“Reid, be silent. I’m asking Reyna.”

“Yes, sir…”

Reid attempted to repeat what he had said earlier, but Ryan cut him off, leaving him stammering. Perhaps in frustration with her brother, Mana stepped forward to speak to Ryan. However, even her…

“Yes?”

“Uh…”

…Was struck down by Ryan’s sharp glare.

Having served as the Chief of Faltown for many years, Ryan was not about to be swayed easily — not even by the Blazer, the leader of Team Silver.

Thus, Reyna could only bow down.

Kneeling, with her forehead on the bamboo flooring mat, Reyna spoke.

“Please. At least let me be by your side.”

“……Reyna.”

Appearing quite troubled, Ryan was then approached by the last person. Like Reyna, he proceeded to bow down to Ryan.

“Adolf, you…”

“Please, Chief! Please consider Miss Reyna’s request!”

Following suit, Reid knelt down.

“I beg you, Chief. Reyna’s gotta be… I mean, let her choose where she wants to be!”

Finally, Mana spoke.

“Chief, just as you worry about Reyna, Reyna is also concerned about you!”

“”Please, Chief!””

The three of them conveyed their strong emotions. Ryan lowered his gaze once, looking at Reid in particular.

“…Reid, what did you mean by ‘where she wants to be’?”

“T-that’s… well…”

Reid faltered, seeming even more hesitant than before.

Suspicious, Ryan now turned his gaze to Mana.

“Mana?”

Mana simply closed her eyes tightly, leaving Ryan perplexed.

The same was true when he directed his gaze towards Adolf.

When Ryan returned his sight to Reyna, she slowly raised her head to look at him.

Then, Ryan understood the meaning behind Reid’s words and Reyna’s true intentions.

“…I would like to at least choose the place of my death.”

Reyna’s eyes held no fear or anxiety, only love for Ryan.

Realizing this, Ryan lowered his head, reflecting on the overflowing memories of years gone by.

In that brief moment, a flash of anger in Ryan’s eyes was not directed at anyone else but himself.

He and Reyna had known each other for so long, yet this was the first time she had ever asked for anything from him — and that thing was to be by his side at the moment of her death.

Ryan cursed his own powerlessness — he was enraged by the part of him that almost succumbed to relying on Reyna’s affection.

Grinding his molars, clenching his fist, suppressing every emotion, Ryan looked at Reyna again.

There, he saw Reyna’s unchanged gentle face.

“…No.”

Reid, Mana, and Adolf promptly raised their heads up. However, even these three could not take any action beyond that.

The pained expression on Chief Ryan’s face prevented them from doing so.

The wish to be by his side — not even that could be granted to Reyna. Yet, without a moment’s hesitation, Reyna lowered her head to Ryan once again.

“Well, it was worth a try. I’ll take my leave now — please do get some much-needed rest.”

Ryan kept his eyes cast down, and after Reyna said what she needed to, she quietly left the room.

Reid and the others followed Reyna, heading to the courtyard.

“Man, Chief’s got no chill!”

“He could at least do a nice little favor for Reina, you know!”

“Yes, that was too much even for him!”

Each expressed their frustration toward Ryan, but Reyna alone maintained a resolute attitude.

Feeling a sense of discomfort, the three asked Reyna,

“What’s wrong, Reyna?”

“Yeah, you can at least be a bit angry, you know?”

“Miss Reyna?”

Reyna took a deep breath and then, as if responding to the three’s questions, she spoke,

“Nothing is wrong.”

“Huh?”

Reid blurted out in confusion.

“I already knew this would happen.”

“What? You mean you knew Chief would say no even with all of us trying to convince him?”

In response to Mana’s question, Reyna nodded.

“T-then why…?”

And in response to Adolf’s question, Reyna made a slightly puzzled expression.

After thinking things over, she spent a moment looking around at nothing in particular. Then, as if reaching a conclusion, Reyna smiled.

“It was… to confirm what I already knew, I suppose.”

“Really?”

“He was, is, and will be… the way he is.”

“Reyna, you’re not making any sense…”

Reid asked while clutching his head.

“Ah… I see, I see… So that’s how it is…”

“…Mana?”

Adolf asked for clarification from Mana, who seemed to be showing an understanding of this situation.

“Let’s just say… Reyna likes him for what he is.”

Then, Reyna, blushing with embarrassment, nodded in agreement with Mana’s guess.

To Reid and Adolf, who still could not comprehend the meaning behind that, Mana proceeded to provide an additional explanation despite feeling quite exasperated.

“Ugh… really, you guys are hopeless. Listen — Chief won’t bend his opinions when it comes to some things. If he did, it would mean Reyna fell for someone who would compromise. Understand?”

“Oh, I see now.”

“Got it!”

Finally, Reid and Adolf understood. They looked at Reyna, still embarrassed, with admiration.

“Um, please don’t tell the Chief about this. It would be inappropriate and he might get angry…”

In response, Mana pounced on Reyna, who had turned as red as a boiled octopus.

“Kyah!?”

“Aww, Reyna, you’re just so adorable~~!”

“Hahaha, true, true! Don’t worry, Reyna! Even if he hears it, our Chief will probably stop fussing over it by tomorrow morning. He’s our Chief, after all!”

“I should remember this information… for future reference!”

As Adolf started breathing heavily, seemingly excited, Reid gave him a pat on the head.

“For better or worse, tomorrow is the last day. We have to give it our all!”

“Yes!”

“Reyna! We’ll do our best tomorrow!”

“Hehehe… Yes, of course!”

In the courtyard where Reyna and the others were, outside the sliding doors, a man sat cross-legged.

Looking up at the moonlit night, he was astonished by the growth of these young men and women.

It was Ryan, the former Chief of their hometown, holding back tears quietly in the darkness of the night.

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