Chapter 325 [Bonus chapter] 104.5 - Flags, flags everywhere (part 4)

Chapter 325 [Bonus chapter] 104.5 - Flags, flags everywhere (part 4)　　"{Are you sure you are feeling alright? Maybe you should have an earlier rest today?}"

Horeo asked with concern while Zoemi couldn't respond far too shocked to make a coherent sound.

"|Y-yeah... maybe I should... Goodnight.|"

"{Goodnight – contact me tomorrow when you will feel better.}"

The black-haired boy listened to the gold-haired prince and stopped the connection after they exchanged their farewells.

"|BURUSHI!|"

"(KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WHO IS THERE?!)"

Then, Zoemi proceeded to immediately contact the blond heroine, but he was a bit too hasty in calling out to her and ended up startling her quite a bit...

"|Whoops... sorry, it's me, Zoemi. I can use a modified message spell now – have a question.|"

The black-haired boy apologized and continued talking before Burushi could regain her composure.

"|You are the person who was around Ehmi when I was with her the most – how does she look now?|"

Zoemi asked in a tense voice waiting for the answer whatever it might have been.

"(Ehmi that sometimes comes over to chat is a tall curvy long-haired fire magician.)"

Burushi managed to calm down and answered although still sounded more than just a bit exasperated.

"|Oh... I see...|"

Zoemi flinched and rolled onto his back, furrowing his brows while staring at the ceiling.

If even Burushi who was a healer and could cleanse herself from any kind of magic damage didn't notice anything then maybe it all really was in his head...

"(But since you are asking me about her, you must mean the platinum-haired brat wielding the time attribute.)"

The blond-haired girl added so offhandedly that for a second the black-haired boy didn't realize what she actually had said.

"|Don't call her a brat, I... WAIT! YOU DO REMEMBER HER LIKE THAT TOO?!|"

Luckily, that state of absentmindedness didn't last long, and within a few seconds, Zoemi sat upright on his bed and gasped in disbelief, sending all the surprised thoughts straight toward the heroine.

"(Of course I do – I even asked her about it and she looked at me with concern and started worrying about my health. The red-haired one is really chill – she actually considers me and you as her good friends and from what I found out she has most of the memories the platinum-haired one had, but definitely not all of them. It's really weird, but no one else seems to notice – even if I use my strongest spells on them. I'm glad you asked me about it because I honestly was starting to think that I am beginning to lose my mind.)"

Burushi sounded as relieved as she said she was while casually sharing her discoveries with the black-haired boy.

"|Well, in turn, I am beginning to overthink everything again...|"

Zoemi sighed and plopped on the mattress face first.

"(...alright... what do you expect is happening...?)"

The blond heroine asked cautiously, not really sure whether she want to know Zoemi's suspicions or not since he himself called it overthinking.

"|Do you remember the time when you were killed by someone who tried to impersonate me and the time reversed? Apparently, it was done by a being called presence who wields time tribute... Do you think it's possible that it could have possessed the real Ehmi and by doing so took on the form that both of us remember? The more I think about it, the more sure I am that when Ehmi's hair was pure platinum, she was surrounded by that overwhelming pressure, but when her hair had this pinkish glow to them, she was a lot more casual... is it possible that, for example, when Ehmi had the pink glow to her hair, it was because the actual Ehmi was conscious? That would explain why she remembers some things and not others...|"

Zoemi shared his thoughts while burrowing his head into the pillow as if he was trying to hide from the scornful look that this blatant overreaction would surely earn him...

...despite the fact that for once he was absolutely correct in his assumptions...

"(...let's say that it's possible... why would that whole presence choose Ehmi?)"

Burushi didn't seem to be convinced but at least she didn't outright ridicule the idea that honestly sounded as if the black-haired boy was reaching for it quite far...

"|It must have something to do with the mana capacity of the person... Her highness chose the strongest person that was closest to me – by the distance at least. She bought me to this world for a reason, but why she didn't actually say a thing...|"

Zoemi thought, raising his head and staring at the wall with jet-black lifeless eyes that could only be compared with the absolute void from which no light could ever escape...

"(...you... seem to know quite a lot about that presence... so, it's a girl, interesting... but don't you think that addressing her as if she was royalty is a bit odd...?)"

"|...huh...? Presence is a girl?|"

Burushi spoke with hesitation and asked... which caused Zoemi to shake his head and once he blinked the light returned to his eyes and he frowned at the heroine's words.

"(Why are you asking me? You just addressed her as she and her highness...)"

"|I did?!|"

Burushi pointed out throwing the black-haired boy for a loop as he honestly did not realize a single thing.

"(...Zoemi – by any chance are you using the healing spells to compensate for sleeping and are awake non-stop doing whatever it is that you are doing?)"

The healer magician sighed and asked out of the blue.

"|No... I do try to sleep for an hour... or at least a quarter of one...|"

Zoemi flinched and looked to the side even though Burushi could not see him at the moment.

"(I knew it! Zoemi, the human body isn't supposed to work twenty-four hours a day! You are going to make yourself sick! You most likely already did! As someone with vastly superior knowledge about the human body than you, and your friend, I order you to have proper eight-hour sleep at least today!)"

Burushi tested up and declared while hugging the murky-black plush bear that Zoemi left her, burrowing her face in the soothing surface of the condensed shadow.

"|...but I was planning to come up with some new spells...|"

"(NO! No buts! Go to sleep! After a proper rest you surely will see the world form a different perspective! Now, disconnect us and go to sleep!)"

Zoemi grumbled all sulky but Burushi pressured him without any hesitation.

"|Okay, okay... I will...|"

The black-haired boy rolled his eyes and agreed, without any intention of following it up.

"(You better do, or I will tell on you to Miriette!)"

"|You wouldn't...! You aren't a snitch!|"

She added, but Zoemi gasped, calling out her bluff – or what he hoped was a bluff...

"(HA! Try me! I was a class rep every year in both middle AND high school! You are underestimating what I am capable of!)"

"|!!!!!!!|"

But Burushi only laughed, causing Zoemi to lean back in terror.

"|Alright! Fine! I will go to sleep for real, okay?! I will! Goodnight...|"

"(HMPH~! Goodnight~!)"

The black-haired boy groaned and after the blond heroine said her farewell, he released the spell.

[She was probably right – you should deactivate the healing spell you are using on yourself all the time and try to fall asleep.]

Even Ludier's shadow seemed to be concerned about Zoemi...

"Tsk...! Fine – I will show you, I'll stop using it right now, and then nothing will happen and then I... I... zzzzzzz...."

Zoemi complained and released the healing spell that Luder's shadow was talking about - and ended up falling asleep mid-sentence within the next five seconds...