I Stole the Heroines’ Tragedy Flags

So, we had dinner together.

Since entering the academy, this was the first time I’d eaten with someone other than Kiana, so it felt… different.
The conversation was a bit draining at times, but thankfully, we just ate and parted ways without incident.
And then came the next day.

I woke up early and stepped outside.
The chilly morning air hit me in the face, making me yawn without meaning to.
"Yaaawn~"

"Ain. Are you tired?"
"…Not even surprised anymore. When did you get here?"
"Just now."

While I was yawning at the meeting spot, her voice came from behind me.
I turned my head toward the presence.
‘…Whoa.’

Maybe it was the outfit.
She was always pretty, but this outfit brought out her charm even more.
It was one I’d seen often in the game too.

A scene I already knew from the game.
In real life, I’d only ever seen Ren in her combat gear, so this was the first time I was seeing her dressed like this.
And, of course, she looked far better in person than in any monitor illustration.

"So. Where are we going?"
"…"
"…? Ren?"
I finished my internal monologue and asked her.

But for some reason, no answer came.
Ren was pouting, clearly displeased with something.
Even her cheeks puffed up to emphasize her discontent.

‘Did I mess up again?’
My brain kicked into overdrive.
Even with my lifelong experience as someone who's never dated, I had some sense.

My mind worked harder than when casting magic.
Eventually, I came up with an answer.
"…That outfit looks great on you. You’re pretty."

"Thanks for the compliment, Ain."
Only then did she beam brightly.
Relieved that I picked the right answer, I instinctively rubbed my arm—some eerie chill had passed through it.

…Seriously, what is this? A date?
‘In Ren’s memory, it’s only been two days since we met.’
And yet, the sense of distance between us felt almost nonexistent.

Is this another side effect of the hero’s condition?
Grab.
"Ain. Let’s go already. You didn’t eat breakfast, right?"

"Uh… huh? Wait, hold o—"
Drrrag.
She grabbed my arm again and, just like yesterday, started pulling me along.

There was no way I could resist the hero’s strength.
So I gave up and let myself be dragged along.
***

Since the academy took up an entire neutral zone on the continent,
Ella Academy was massive—not just the educational facilities, but everything around them too, like a full-fledged metropolis.
Especially the dining options—they were quite varied.

"This place is…?"
"A spot I go to often with Ron."
This is a tavern, though.

It was also one of the restaurants featured in the game.
A lot of characters would come here to drink and lower their stress levels.
Ren was one of them.

"…You’re drinking in the morning?"
"Why not? I’m only planning to drink just enough to not get drunk."
"How much is ‘just enough’?"

"Mm, lightly… like ten bottles?"
How the hell is that light?
I’d forgotten—this girl was basically a booze hound in the game.

And to top it off, she could handle absurd amounts of alcohol.
‘I remember having a rough time with her three years ago.’
I wasn’t a lightweight myself, so keeping pace with her wasn’t hard.

…Still, drinking first thing in the morning?
"Do I have to drink too?"
"…? Isn’t that obvious? I brought you here to drink with you, Ain."

"…"
"Come on, let’s go in."
Drrrag.

As if my opinion didn’t matter at all,
I was dragged into the tavern like livestock headed to the slaughterhouse.
...

I finally realized something today.
From now on, I should never go to a tavern alone with Ren again.
"…Wow. Ain, you must really love drinking, huh?"

"I don’t especially like it, actually."
You’re the one who keeps pouring for me.
And if I don’t drink, you immediately get all sulky.

Gulp # Nоvеlight # gulp.
I emptied the last glass.
Clack— The now-empty cup clattered against the table.

Thankfully, the drinks here were pretty good, so even though I wasn’t used to drinking this early in the day, it went down smoothly.
No wonder the place was packed even in the morning.
The table was already covered in empty bottles.

Ten bottles had been surpassed long ago.
I stared, a little horrified, at Ren still downing her drink.
She finished yet another bottle like it was nothing.

"…Haa."
"Ren. Are you sure you’re okay? You’re not drunk?"
"Yeah. I’m fine. The drinks are going down better than usual today."

And with that, Ren popped open a fresh bottle again.
…Seriously, she could drink. I needed to stop now.
I felt the buzz creeping up, so I circulated my aura to clear my head.

‘Still, seriously—what’s going on?’
Resting my chin on my hand, I glanced sideways at Ren as she drank like it was water.
She liked alcohol, sure. But it was rare for her to suddenly drink this much.

Most of the time, she only drank to relieve stress.
‘Even if she doesn’t show it, is she under serious mental pressure right now?’
She was a hero—strong, yet fragile.

It was a contradiction, but her deaths in the game almost always stemmed from psychological breakdowns.
We were still in the early stages of the story, but it was something I had to keep an eye on.
Depending on how the tutorial went, the characters’ states at the start of the main story could vary wildly.

And who knows what kind of variables might have happened during those three years we hadn’t met.
"Ren."
"Gulp. Yeah? You called?"

"So, why did you want to drink in the morning? Was there some other reason?"
"Another reason…?"
Gulp.

Gulp.
‘Hah, she’s drinking straight from the bottle.’
Watching those delicate hands and lips wrapped around a liquor bottle felt strangely out of place.

She finished the bottle and smiled, looking pleased.
Then, staring straight at me, she eventually opened her mouth.
"Mm, it’s just…"

"Just…?"
"…I’m not really sure. I just wanted to come here with you, Ain."
"To a tavern?"

"Yeah."
She just wanted to come here with me…
With me? To a tavern? Why?

I couldn’t make sense of it.
‘Why would she—wait. No way.’
She had clearly forgotten her memories of me.

But based on her behavior over the last two days, it didn’t seem like she had completely forgotten.
Maybe something instinctual was drawing her toward remnants of old memories.
A long time ago.

I remembered a promise we made back then.
—"Ain. Have you ever had alcohol before?"
—"…Alcohol? Where did that come from?"

—"I saw the director drinking it with other grown-ups. It looked really tasty."
—"I don’t think it’s actually that tasty."
—"So you’ve had it?"

—"Nope."
It was a conversation filled with childish curiosity, back before everything fell apart.
—"Hmmm… I wanna try it. Should I ask the director?"

—"They probably won’t give it to us. We’re too young."
—"Then when can we have it?"
—"Dunno… we’d have to be older, at least. And I’ll say this again—it’s not something you drink for the taste."

—"But the director and the others look happy when they drink."
—"It’s not because of the drink. It’s about who you’re drinking it with."
—"So it’s something you do together…"

It was just curiosity.
A little promise that came from it.
—"Then, Ain. Let’s drink together when we’re grown up."

—"Alcohol?"
—"Yeah. I think I’d be happy if I drank with you."
—"…Sure, whatever. Call me when that time comes."

—"Really? …You have to keep your promise, okay?"
It was a promise even I had forgotten.
Just one of many fleeting conversations we had.

But could it be that the promise still lingered somewhere deep in her subconscious?
‘…All over a silly little promise.’
A bitter emotion washed over me.

The table full of empty bottles looked like they were her way of releasing all the time she’d waited for this moment.
Was that why she wore such a happy smile now?
That happiness, too, would soon come to an end.

Clink.
The last bottle was emptied.
"…Wow. You really drank it all. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. …I’m happy."
"…"
Ren looked at me with flushed cheeks and a pure smile.

Seeing that—how should I put it—it made me feel… guilty.
It was a familiar feeling, so I quietly pushed it aside and stood up from my seat.
***

After finishing our morning meal, we finally left the tavern.
I’d thought we’d part ways after eating, but when I tried to sneak out, Ren grabbed me.
Looked like I had to spend more time with her.

So we wandered around the outer district.
The central education district was where Ella Academy was located.
All the cultural and commercial facilities surrounded it in a wide perimeter.

This area was a neutral zone where even citizens of the Empire and other races could freely come and go.
The tavern we had visited was part of this outer district.
"There sure are a lot of people."

"Yeah. Everyone’s busy, even in the morning."
Ren and I strolled through the market.
It wasn’t much different from the streets of the Empire.

A place where goods were bought and sold.
It was also where, in the game, some surprisingly important items could be found.
‘…Since I’m here, maybe I should stop by that place too.’

I’d originally planned to visit later due to being too busy at the start of the story.
But since I was already here, I figured I might as well check it out.
Something that could improve the current state of my body.

"Ren. Mind if we swing by over there for a sec?"
"Over there? …Okay, let’s go, Ain."
Whatever she found so pleasant—

Ren’s expression as we walked through the streets seemed even brighter than before.
Drag.
By now, I’d gotten used to being dragged around with her clinging to my arm.

The stares from others were a bit overwhelming, but I guess I’d get used to that too.
With my gaze on the ground, we walked for several minutes.
The once-crowded street slowly quieted, and we turned into a more secluded alley.

Despite the early hour, this alley was dark and gloomy.
Like I said before—
The outer zones of Ella Academy resembled the Empire’s cities in many ways.

That included their darker sides.
‘Been a while since I’ve visited the black market…’
It was probably here.

The item that might let me cling to life just a little longer.
The Dragonheart—imbued with the will of a dragon clan that no longer exists.