Time flowed by, and three days passed in a flash. During this time, Feidric and Jay were engrossed in discussions about magic, while the others helped with construction work in the Grand Duchy of Augustus.
Though Aria knew this was merely a 'past memory' and that anything done here would have no impact on the future nor any real-world significance, she tirelessly assisted everyone she encountered who needed help.
The golden-haired girl and the white-haired princess spent their days running around the city, chatting happily as they worked together.
Douglas, bored and idle, eventually joined in. Given his exceptional strength, he naturally took on the physically demanding tasks of hauling goods.
It was then that he witnessed Tide single-handedly carrying more cargo in one trip than ten other people combined.
"Seriously, dude? This is insane!" Douglas exclaimed.
Now, back in the present, Aria, Feidric, Douglas, Cipher, and even Olivia and Jay stood before Evernight. Olivia spoke first, "So, you're leaving?"
Aria nodded. "Sister Olivia, I've had a wonderful time with you these past few days, but we ultimately have to return to our own time."
Olivia replied, "Mmm, I know~ I've really enjoyed spending time with you too~ After you go back, you must be happy, okay~?"
Meanwhile, Jay turned to Feidric and asked, "You've grasped all the theories I taught you, right?"
Feidric responded, "Of course! I already have an idea in mind, and I can't wait to research it thoroughly once we're back."
After bidding farewell to each other, the group approached Evernight. "If there's nothing else," she said, "we'll be leaving now."
Seeing no objections from Aria and the others, Evernight gently snapped her fingers. Instantly, the space around them shattered into countless glass-like fragments.
Upon closer inspection, each fragment revealed scenes from the Grand Duchy of Augustus—all the experiences Aria had lived through, playing out like a film on each shard.
The fragments drifted away, and the group found themselves floating within a tunnel-like passage, moving steadily in a fixed direction.
Evernight, leading the group, glanced back at Aria and abruptly asked, "By the way, do you believe in reincarnation?"
Aria blinked in surprise. "Reincarnation?"
Feidric explained, "In the Necromancy School, there's a similar concept. After death, souls enter the Underworld. Under certain circumstances, these souls may return to the Material World and be reborn. Of course, due to the Underworld's unique nature, their memories are completely wiped clean, making them entirely new beings."
Evernight added, "But even if their memories are erased, the essence of their souls remains the same. A kind person, reborn, will still be a kind person."
Aria nodded thoughtfully. "Huh, I've never heard of that before."
Feidric wore a puzzled expression, wondering why Evernight would suddenly bring this up.
Then, Evernight turned to Aria and said, "What if I told you that you might be the reincarnation of Princess Olivia? Would you believe me?"
"Huh?" Aria froze, her face blank with confusion, like a student taking the middle school entrance exam who suddenly discovers a calculus problem on the paper. "What?"
Douglas, on the other hand, looked enlightened. "It's actually possible!" he exclaimed.
After all, during their battle against the Child of Flesh, Aria and Olivia had fought together with astonishing synergy. He had been puzzled by this at the time, but if they were the same soul across reincarnation, it would explain everything.
Now that he thought about it, Aria and Olivia did share striking similarities. It made perfect sense!
Feidric chimed in, "So, the Ice Egg Aria found—the puppy Cipher later named Half—is the same Half by Olivia's side? What exactly is he?"
This time, it was Cipher's turn to explain. "Actually... Half is the Wolf God of the Northern Territory," she revealed. "He played a crucial role in the battle between the Demon Lord and the Hero, pushing himself to his limits, which is why he ended up in his current form."
Douglas was stunned, his face twisting into a "Are you kidding me?" expression. "Wait, you're telling me that little yipping dog is the Northern Wolf God?!"
Cipher chuckled awkwardly. "Yep. Which begs the question: why would the Wolf God meow like a cat?"
Why indeed? I don't know!~
Feidric, still deep in thought, realized that Olivia and Half had clashed with Aria. This made him think of Jay, whom he had been getting along with so well. "Could it be... that Jay and I..."
Evernight cut him off. "Yes, you are very likely Jay's reincarnation."
Feidric: "..."
A helpless expression crossed his face. While Jay was undeniably a highly skilled wizard, a man worthy of respect, these past few days of interaction had also revealed him to be a silver-tongued, womanizing playboy. "How could my past life be someone like that?"
A brief silence descended. After a long pause, Douglas finally spoke up. "Wait a minute, hold on! If Olivia and Jay are reincarnations of you two, then what about me? No way..."
Douglas's mind conjured up an image of Tide. At least Olivia and Jay seemed like normal people, but in Douglas's eyes, Tide was just a big, dumb oaf.
Though he admired Tide's unwavering conviction, that didn't change the fact that the man was a big, dumb oaf.
Douglas said, "Is this even right? Are you sure you haven't gotten something wrong? Hey, if it were me, I'd never do something so idiotic as standing in one spot for three days and three nights without moving a muscle!"
Douglas turned to Feidric. "Hey, what do you say we switch places? That Jay's quite the womanizer, and so am I. Maybe he was my past life, and Tide was yours?"
Feidric raised an eyebrow. "?"
Evernight interjected, "Arguing about this is pointless. I'm just saying it's a possibility."
As they spoke, Aria and the others suddenly felt solid ground beneath their feet again. Looking around, they realized they were back on Okhema's streets, around the corner from where they'd been.