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AROUND the same time, Emma went to Rashida’s house on the last day of the summer holiday and resolved to turn back time, Glen was in his room in the imperial palace of the Empire of Ulster.
“Glen. You’re certain you want to return to Reauxvil’s school of magic tomorrow?”
At his friend and classmate Hans’s question, he raised his head from the book he’d been reading.
“Yes, I am. Even if we go back today, there’s nothing to do anyway. We’ll use teleportation magic to travel to the royal capital, then take a carriage to the Academy.”
“Fine. You know, I still think their school rules are much too strict. Their ban on using teleportation magic is awfully rigid.”
“No point complaining about it at this stage, since Reauxvil is the nation that adheres most strictly to law and order amongst the four surrounding Ulster.”
Glen Ray Bering. Also known as Lester Ray Quinziato. He was a prince of the Empire of Ulster and fifth in line to the throne. Including the Monarchy of Reauxvil and the Olano Kingdom, there were two other countries that enclosed Ulster. Each of the four retained its own autonomy to a great extent, but the fact remained that they were subordinate to the suzerain state of Ulster, which wielded ultimate authority over them.
“Even though this is our first trip home in some time… You know, I find both Reauxvil and Olano much more hospitable and comfortable to live in.”
“I don’t disagree with you.”
Glen had a good reason for using the name and title he’d acquired in Olano as a cover story. It had to do with a complication plaguing Ulster’s line of succession, chiefly that he possessed an affinity for all the elements despite being the fifth prince. The Empire’s royal bloodline was a distinguished and superior one. Where royals and nobles in other states saw their potential peak at two or three magical attributes at most, an affinity for all four major elements was the norm in the Ulster imperial family.
Except Glen ended up being cursed with time magic as well. Knowing his mere existence might present a political threat to his much older brother, the crown prince, he left his motherland behind and lived abroad under an assumed name. By doing so, he intended to convey that he held no thoughts of rebelling against him. Since his own self-imposed exile, he had rarely returned to the Empire and now considered it little more than a strange, uncomfortable land.
“Ngh…!”
Just as Glen was about to shelve the book he’d been reading, a familiar sensation zapped through his body. The minute he recognized it, his eyelids grew heavy, and there was a ringing sound in his ears. In the darkness behind his closed eyelids, red digits flashed past. This…is…Emma’s…doing…
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SOMETIME after experiencing the nostalgic sensation, Glen opened his eyes. Instead of his chambers at the imperial palace, he found himself back in his dormitory room at Reauxvil’s Magic Academy. The oppressive heat and humidity pressing down on his skin made him turn his gaze to the calendar hanging on the wall. Looking at it, he realized today was the day before summer recess began.
“So…I went back two months, huh?”
He wasn’t especially surprised. He had known the possibility of something like this occurring after he transferred his time magic to Emma, who also happened to possess her own affinity for the special element. What happened? I know I returned to Ulster the day summer recess started… But it seems I may have to change my plans.
Glen and Emma’s first encounter occurred before time rewound for her, throwing her into a do-over. Emma didn’t know, but they had met for the first time during her original timeline.