After staying for a month and a few more days after entering the forest of the world tree.

There was still half of summer vacation left, but I set out on a journey to my next destination once again being escorted by several elves.

It wasn’t to return to the academy early or to return to the Perdalos estate. Besides that, I had other things to do this summer vacation.

Had it taken longer to liberate the magic circle, my departure would have been delayed, but fortunately I had enough time left to complete the second schedule.

“Goodbye, wise man!”

“Please come again next time, wise man!”

“You are wise! Ah, see you at the academy!”

On the day I left the forest of the world tree, I received the same deterioration and support as the last time, and this time, I took a bunch of fresh fruits and vegetables from the forest and moved out of the forest.

Last time, he had boldly refused food materials that he couldn’t dispose of alone because he was returning from the forest to the dormitory, but this time, on the contrary, he took all the food he could carry with him.

Not only did he not want to refuse the favor of the elves, but he didn’t have to consume all this pile of food alone this time.

Considering the next destination, it would have been better to accept even one more.

“Really, you seem to have a knack for courting the elves every time you come, Conrad.”

Xian, who has completely thrown away the titles of senior and junior, said with a smile.

Come to think of it, Xian allowed me to let go of the horse a few years earlier.

Personally, this was more amazing than the quick opening of the Magic Circle.

“Well, I don’t know if there will be new elves entering the academy again next year.”

“Conrad, thanks to you being active in many ways in our hometown, the number of children who are interested in the world outside the forest has increased. Isn’t that a natural result?”

“I probably won’t be at the academy next year either, but what if I see kids with personalities like Eldrica or Ruis again… .”

There were big and small troubles in the process of adapting the three freshman elves this time.

It was an unpleasant story that bad things happened because of me in a place where I couldn’t reach.

“Isn’t that what Conrad is concerned about?”

“yes?”

“If you’re an elf, you have to be at least a little more careful about the decisions you make. To begin with, Conrad, you always tend to take on too much responsibility.”

“Not really… .”

“Conrad, it wasn’t your job to deal with the ear hunters who invaded from Elijah’s kingdom this time, was it? Of course, I know that this decision was made at the request of the World Tree mother, but we elves should have built a proper defense system from the beginning.”

If I had to ask, it was the right thing to say. What I did in this war to subdue the ear hunters was, in fact, the elves built a defense system that they should have built for themselves.

There was no reason to leave anything that could be done within reach anyway, so he actively intervened.

“Of course, it was something the elves could do on their own, but there was nothing particularly bad about helping me.”

“That’s strange, Conrad. You tend to step in blindly if you think there’s anything you can do to help. Of course, thanks to that, we have the power to protect the mother of the world tree and protect ourselves from the ear hunters, but there is no need to feel responsible for not doing it, Conrad.”

“… … .”

Don’t feel responsible for what you didn’t do.

Certainly, this kind of advice may have been necessary for me now.

The rest of the rest of the responsibility of knowing the future, these days, I seem to have tried to control everything my hands touch.

If you think about it, it was possible that the elves who entered the freshman this year had been worrying for nothing about adapting to the academy and thinking about leaving.

Although they look young and fresh like freshmen, after all, Xian-senpai and the freshman elves must have lived a much longer life than I did.

He probably would have adapted on his own if left alone.

Besides, because of entrusting Wipe to Delfina, Prince Antonio even had a strange misunderstanding and almost complicated things.

… Come to think of it, I feel like I’ve been carrying too much weight on my shoulders lately.

“I heard and saw it. I guess I was taking it too seriously.”

“All you need to know, Conrad. And if you ever need it, I’ll lend you my strength anytime, so don’t hesitate. Wouldn’t that be better than suffering alone?”

“Thank you for saying that, Xian.”

“It’s nothing to be thankful for, it’s just natural. … We will continue to be together anyway.”

“… … yes?”

Hearing her words that they would continue to be together in the future, a small question arose in my head.

… Surely, is this story knowing that Xian will join the new palace in the warrior party that will be made a year later?

If so, it was an explanatory answer, but if so, it would be a story that Mr. Dryad had given Cyan a memory he had peeked at me.

Because, in this world, she was the only demigod who knew that my life this time was a second chance.

If it’s not that, it means that I said this with a different intention… .

Surely, you’re not going to ask me to go in with you as a research student at the academy’s undergraduate level, are you?

By the time I was getting confused by the terrifying thought that suddenly popped into my head, we held hands and arrived at the entrance to the forest of the world tree before we knew it.

“Thank you for driving me this far, Xian.”

“I have nothing to thank. If Conrad gets lost in the woods, I’m sorry for inviting him.”

“Still, it’s not that annoying to go back and forth through the forest.”

“We’re going out together anyway, so shouldn’t guiding us through the forest be something we should do?”

“Ah, Xian had plans to go out just as well.”

Somehow, it was strange that he would give directions just as I left the forest so naturally.

It wouldn’t be strange if she even gave me directions while she had errands to go out of the woods.

“Where are you going? The shop you used to frequent? Or are you trying to return to the academy a little faster?”

“Isn’t that what you should know, Conrad?”

“… … yes?”

“I’m following Conrad where you are going right now?”

“… … .”

“… Could it be that you didn’t know?

… Of course I don’t know, because I didn’t say anything.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

It was an unexpected answer that the reason Xian escaped from the forest of the world tree with me was to be with me.

Of course, he expected to stay in the forest for the rest of summer vacation and return to the academy with Wip and Eldrika around the start of the second semester.

It never occurred to me that she would spend the rest of summer vacation with me.

In the first place, it was also a plan that I did not expect at all to move with Xi’an as my next destination.

“Didn’t you say you were leaving tomorrow morning? Didn’t you say that this time you’re going to move on horseback?”

“I was going to do that as usual, but since I have a little more luggage, I’m thinking of renting a wagon.”

In addition, Xian, who was not originally planned, was also moved, so in fact, renting a carriage did not have much of an advantage over borrowing two horses.

“so? It’s a bit unfortunate.”

“By the way, Xian, are you really okay? You don’t even know where I’m going.”

“Does it matter where you go? It doesn’t matter who you go with.”

“Perhaps it’s a place you won’t like very much if you go.”

“I am very worried that it is a place that I will not like. Could it be that in Conrad’s mind, Cyan Rudflicka was a childish image of a child complaining about things like eating or sleeping?”

“I didn’t mean it that way… .”

It’s just because the place I’m going to seems to contradict Xian’s personality. If it was a character with a lot of understanding like Stella or Saint Clare, I wouldn’t know.

In fact, for me, this second destination also felt a little sudden.

This schedule wasn’t for reminiscing about memories from my previous life and solving something, it was more like running errands for Delphina if I had to insist.

In other words, it wasn’t really a journey to deal with the Dark Church or dangerous monsters, so it wasn’t a big problem except for the number of people… .

For some reason, it was unavoidable that I felt anxious that I would have more work if I took Xian with me.

“Could it be that Conrad will be in trouble if I accompany him, so he expresses a roundabout refusal?”

“… Not really.”

“Looking at the reaction, it’s a strange feeling. If that’s the case, I’ll consider going back to the forest of the World Tree tomorrow morning, so you can decide, Conrad.”

I couldn’t keep showing signs of discomfort when Xian said that, so I had no choice but to nod my head to her accompany.

“I don’t have to do that, so I’ll ask you one thing before I go.”

“You can say anything, Conrad.”

“Once you arrive, promise not to say anything annoying or embarrassing to the approaching children.”

“… children? Are there any hidden children?”

“Could that be… .”

I explained my next destination to Xian, who was spitting out nonsensical hypotheses with an agitated expression.

“The next destination is the nursery in Arwen Manor. I have work to do there for the rest of the vacation.”

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

After moving for two days from the village near the World Tree Forest, Xian and I were able to arrive at Arwen Manor, Stella’s home.

“This is Stella’s junior’s hometown. It feels a bit different from the ecliptic where the academy is located.”

“It is definitely different from the densely populated Yellow Island. Because the Arwen estate is more like a slightly larger village than a city.”

“You’re talking like you’ve been here before.”

“There were times when I came here by chance.”

Needless to say, I visited once in my previous life, even during winter vacation two years ago.

After resolving the incident at Cherryfield Nursery School, I visited once when the children there were moved to another nursery school in Arwen Manor.

The place I planned to visit this time was also the nursery school I was indebted to at the time.

The first reason was that I wanted to check how well the children at Cherryfield Nursery School had been doing for two years.

In addition to that, the second reason was that I decided to visit once when I had the time and opportunity.

And the last reason was because of a request close to Delphina’s errand.

Originally, it was the nature of a younger sister to solve everything on her own, saying that it was her job rather than entrusting me with troublesome tasks, but Delfina these days was so busy that it was hard to even show off such a pretentiousness.

Being the student council president of the academy, the development of the Perdalos estate, and participating in all sorts of other external events, Delphina’s workload was truly not at a level that a single human could do.

Fortunately, Hilla and Johnny, who are close to her, are helping her sister in many ways, and Prince Antonio also tries to help Delfina in many ways, perhaps because he feels a sense of responsibility.

Delphina was really living a harsher life than a machine.

… Actually, the younger sister seemed to regard the life of being hit by work itself as a rewarding life.

Anyway, I also visited the nursery school like this in order to lighten Delphina’s burden even a little.

In order for my younger sister to half-force me to do the work I had to do, it was probably best to work it out at the nursery school.

It would be much more comfortable to entrust it to me, a family member, rather than to someone else, especially since it is related to the family more than other tasks.

“If you think dealing with the kids is going to be difficult, go back now. Or at least find a separate inn and stay while I work.”

“What do you see me as, Conrad? Do you really think I’m going to make the kids cry ignorantly, or even fight my pride against the kids who haven’t even graduated from nursery school?”

“… … .”

“… Why don’t you deny it?”

That’s right, since I’m saying exactly what I thought, I can’t help but deny it.

Putting Xian’s unfounded confidence aside for now, he and her knocked on the door of the Arwen nursery school.

Shortly after pressing the doorbell, the door to the nursery school opened outside, and Xian and I were surprised by the appearance of a woman inside.

I never expected that she would also visit this nursery school.

“welcome. Why did you visit… Uh, Senior Conrad… ?”

“… stellar?”

The eyes of the blonde girl from the Arwen family met mine.