Arc 4 Chapter 12 : Rain

[Raul POV]

Rain...

That was the wheater when I first met her.

At a city bus stop, while I was waiting for a bus that would take me to the university where I intended to take the entrance examination.

I was waiting alone.

Not long afterward, a woman approached.

She was carrying an umbrella and wearing a black coat over a white dress shirt with a tie.

Is she also heading to Campus A to take the entrance examination?

I thought so, judging by her formal attire and the fact that she appeared to be around my age.

After reaching the bus stop, she closed her umbrella and stood beside me while playing with the smartphone in her hand.

A refreshing scent of perfume drifted toward me.

I was actually someone who disliked the smell of perfume.

Yet, strangely enough, the fragrance coming from this woman didn't make me cough or force me to move away.

I suppose only expensive perfumes can have an effect like this.

Neither of us spoke while we waited for the bus.

But nearly half an hour had already passed, and not a single public vehicle had traveled down this road.

That wasn't normal.

"The bus is delayed. It should arrive in about another hour."

Hearing the woman suddenly speak, I turned toward her.

She was still looking at the smartphone in her hand.

The black-haired woman then glanced at me.

Our eyes met.

Only after seeing her up close did I realize just how beautiful and captivating she was.

She'll probably be extremely popular at university.

If she ever wanted to, I wouldn't be surprised if she even won a beauty pageant.

"You're heading to Campus A for the entrance examination, aren't you?" the woman asked, pointing at the candidate card hanging around my neck.

"That's right," I answered. "Is there a particular reason the bus is going to be late?"

"The bus that was supposed to arrive a few minutes ago skidded off the road because of how slippery it became from today's rain," the black-haired woman explained. "The next bus won't arrive for another hour. That means you'll be late if you continue waiting here."

Hearing that, I reached into my pocket and checked my wallet.

There were only a few coins inside.

This isn't enough to hire a taxi...

What am I supposed to do?

There was no way I could walk from here to Campus A within half an hour.

Should I look for a bicycle rental service?

But there wasn't a single place around here offering one.

What am I supposed to do?

"Hey..."

Hearing the woman call out to me, I glanced sideways again, giving her a questioning look.

"If it isn't a bother, why don't you come with me to Campus A?" she offered. "I've already contacted my family. They'll pick me up here and take me to the examination site."

"Really? That would help me tremendously. Thank you."

"Don't worry about it," she replied casually.

That made me wonder.

Why would she come all the way here if someone was already coming to pick her up and take her to the examination site?

I didn't know.

But I decided not to ask.

We had only just met, after all.

"Oh, I almost forgot. My name is Evans Baxter. I'm applying for the Game Development and Technology program."

"Evans Baxter, huh?"

She paused.

"My name is Liana Ro—"

She stopped herself before saying her family name.

"You can just call me Liana."

"I'll be applying for the Physics Engineering program."

Hmm...

If that's the case, we'd be in the same faculty if we both passed the entrance examination.

Still, I was curious about the family name she had deliberately withheld from me.

But that wasn't something I should be worrying about right now.

I had to pass the entrance examination for the number-one university in the country.

Because I wanted to fulfill the dream I'd carried since childhood—a passion that had helped me survive the hardest moments of my life.

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The lonely moments.

The sad ones.

The difficult ones.

And even the happy ones.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

So...

I hope I can get through all of this.

I hope the result will be everything I've worked for.

"Don't look so tense."

I heard Liana speak.

"You look like someone about to march onto a battlefield."

The corners of her lips lifted slightly as she smiled at me.

"If you've studied properly, you'll pass this entrance examination."

"That's exactly why I'm nervous," I replied. "I've spent all my money on tutoring, buying books, and even sold some of my belongings just so I could pass this entrance examination."

I could even say that if I failed to enter Campus A this year, I'd practically have to live on the streets.

I'd sacrificed far too much as an investment for the future—for the chance to finally reach the dream I'd held onto for so long.

That's why it was only natural that I was nervous about facing this examination.

I lowered my head and clenched my fists as I imagined the possibility of failure.

"Hey, Evans..."

I raised my head.

Liana was standing directly in front of me.

Her dark eyes seemed to look straight through me, as though they could read every thought swirling chaotically inside my heart.

"I know."

Her voice was gentle.

"From your expression. From your eyes. From the way you speak... I know you've been trying as hard as you possibly could all this time."

She was right.

I had struggled desperately just to keep living in this world on my own.

After both of my parents died, I had been left alone to provide for myself and my only younger sibling.

But I had almost given up when my sibling died as well after falling ill.

I couldn't afford the treatment they needed.

Yet, the last words my sibling left me before dying were:

"Big brother, you have to be strong. Keep living your life and find your own happiness."

That was why I wanted to reach my dream.

I needed a new purpose in life.

Something that would keep me from giving up.

Something that would prevent me from abandoning my sibling's final wish.

A warm touch suddenly brushed against my right cheek.

Before I even realized it, tears were flowing down my face.

Liana gently wiped them away, trying to calm me as my emotions overwhelmed me.

How embarrassing.

Crying in front of someone I'd only just met...

"Let's work hard together and pass this examination together ..."

For some reason, those words made my chest feel warm.

I didn't want her kindness to be nothing more than pity for my circumstances.

But it would have been hypocritical of me to reject it when I found myself feeling comforted by her kindness.

That was the first time in my life that someone truly seemed to understand me.

She was the person who filled the empty space in my heart when I had been left alone in this world after every member of my family had disappeared from my life.

She was the woman I loved more than anyone.

And I regretted it deeply when I ignored her back then.

That mistake caused her to leave me.

And when my dream had finally been achieved, I was left with an emptiness greater than before.

Just as the vehicle Liana had called to pick her up finally arrived, a flash of lightning suddenly illuminated the sky.

The brilliant light startled me, and I reflexively closed my eyes.

JEDARRR!

A deafening crack of thunder rang out moments after the lightning flashed before my eyes.

I could hear the sound of raindrops.

But they were no longer as heavy as before.

When I opened my eyes again, the modern cityscape was gone.

Instead, I found myself looking at a wooden building, as though I had suddenly been transported into an era from the distant past.

That's right.

I had been sleeping inside a barracks in Cataluna Fortress City.

The war between the Aragon Empire and the Republic of Venetia Alliance was currently underway.

"Was I dreaming about meeting her again?" I muttered as I sat up beside my bed.

JEDAAAARRR!

Another thunderclap echoed outside.

I walked toward the window.

The sky was overcast, and a light drizzle was falling over Cataluna Fortress City, which had only recently recovered from the attack by demons and monsters.

Brak!

The door suddenly opened.

I turned toward it and saw a red-haired woman walking toward me.

"What's the matter, Scarlett? Is it our unit's turn to conduct patrols?" I asked.

"That's right, Captain," Scarlett replied. "Marquis Fran has ordered us to inspect the western region of the Margraviate of Cataluna."

The Reconnaissance Unit 21 under my command consisted of fifty people.

We had been assigned to the Margraviate of Cataluna to monitor suspicious enemy movements along the borders of these three nations.

Although these three nations were separated by dense forests and enormous mountain ranges, there was no guarantee that the enemy would ignore this region.

The area was still unstable after the attacks by monsters and demons several months ago.

But I was certain they would eventually attack this territory.

After all, Siena di Reginossa herself had disguised herself to monitor and gather information within the Margraviate of Cataluna.

For that reason, I had already prepared a plan to counter their attempt to conquer this territory.

"All right, Scarlett. Gather everyone. We're moving out as quickly as possible."

"Yes, Captain."

Scarlett then left the barracks.

I tidied up my belongings before looking out the window once again.

The overcast sky and light rain were exactly like the atmosphere on the day I first met Liana.

"Just as you said, Liana..."

I quietly clenched my fist.

"I'll keep fighting and do everything I can."

[Siena POV]

The sound of thunder woke me from my sleep.

Three days had passed since we abandoned Fortress City Regium after our battle with the Imperial forces.

I was currently at the main camp of the Republic of Venetia's army, thirty kilometers south of the great city of Tusculum.

I rose from my bed and drank a glass of water to clear my mind.

While I had been sleeping, I had once again dreamed about Liana's life.

The last time I had experienced such a dream was when I was still in a coma.

But this dream had only lasted for a brief moment.

It showed the first time Liana met the former lover she had loved so deeply.

Was something happening?

Or was it merely a coincidence?

"You've already awakened, Miss Siena?"

Suddenly, a black-haired man entered my tent.

"You should ask for permission before entering my tent, Prince," I said.

He smiled and walked closer.

"Come now. Why are you being so formal with your future husband?"

He reached out and touched my chin, staring directly into my eyes with his red eyes.

"I'm so bored here, Miss Siena. At least you could entertain me with that beautiful face of yours, couldn't you?"

His face moved closer.

And closer.

His lips were barely a centimeter from mine.

Before something I didn't want could happen, I stepped backward and turned my face away from him.

My emotions slowly began to rise.

I clenched my fists, restraining my anger.

"Enough, Prince. If you don't have anything important to discuss with me, I would appreciate it if you left my tent."

I glared at him.

"There is still so much I have to do for this war. So don't waste my time with your childish games."

Prince Vlad's smile only grew wider as he watched me become angry.

It seemed his entire purpose had been to provoke me simply because he enjoyed seeing my expression change.

"I didn't come here to bother you, Miss Siena," Prince Vlad said before turning his attention toward the entrance of the tent.

"Come in, Adrien."

Someone entered the tent after Prince Vlad gave the command.

He was a tall man wearing the military uniform of the Kingdom of Draconia.

"Prince Vlad, Miss Siena, forgive me for interrupting the two of you," the man named Adrien said, bowing to us. "I am an envoy sent by General Malesandru, who commands the main forces of the Kingdom of Draconia."

He straightened.

"My purpose here is to request the details of the plan prepared by the Republic of Venetia. Our main army is already approaching the border of your nation."

So they've arrived.

If that was the case, then it was time.

Time to execute the plan.

Time to open a new front in the war.

As much as possible, we had to prevent their reinforcements from reaching the Tusculum Front.

That was essential if we wanted to secure victory in this war.

"Very well. I'll explain the plan to you in greater detail," I said.

"I'll also assign several members of the Intelligence Team stationed with me in the Margraviate of Cataluna to accompany you during the attack, in case you require additional information that may prove useful during the battle."

It's time to strike back against the Empire.

If both of the plans I had prepared succeeded, then victory would surely be within our grasp.

Once the main army of the Kingdom of Draconia devastated the Margraviate of Cataluna, the central government would inevitably redirect more reinforcements toward that region.

And when I executed my plan to encircle the Imperial forces stationed on this front, it would become much easier.