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In the Fourth World, Jeber’s obsession with the rejuvenation function made him abandon his research on becoming a harvesting machine to focus on producing more harvesting machines.

That’s why having the ability to get involved is really great, you know?

I can’t even imagine how hard it would have been without this.

It’s good that the number of harvesting machines is increasing, but there’s one unfortunate thing.

I wanted to know what mechanism exactly turns a harvesting machine when I put myself into the light.

But, maybe there will be another chance for that.

For now, even if he’s obsessed with performance, from what I’ve seen, Jeber is a coward. It means he wouldn’t use tools he doesn’t fully understand.

Hmm.

Perhaps he might incorrectly assume that he already knows everything, but there’s no way to be certain…

This realm requires some begging.

By the way, Bell is currently at the Royal Academy.

Behind me, a crowd of youths is seated, and a few adults are standing further away. In front, there’s a podium where the headmaster of the Royal Academy is reading a speech.

In short, it’s the opening ceremony.

The front seats are occupied by foreign dignitaries from various countries.

I found myself caught among them.

Still, it seems they’ve heard about me, as the glances directed my way weren’t particularly sharp.

The outline of the opening ceremony was simple.

The headmaster read his speech, and politicians from various countries came up and said similar things.

During the event, they called up children from their countries to introduce their names and ranks, making it quite clear that we should pay attention.

And lastly, Aurora’s transfer to the second year was introduced by Highpion, congratulating her on her admission to the Royal Academy; that’s how the opening ceremony concluded.

By the way, according to Kanna and Polaris, the king is said to give a speech at the opening ceremony every spring, so this wasn’t anything special.

If anything special occurred, it was merely the abundance of high-ranking foreigners.

Thanks to that, not many people left right after the ceremony.

Most gathered in groups to understand how power flows within the Royal Academy. Kanna and Polaris also met with their faction’s students to discuss future tactics.

Such actions are essential for living in this classist society.

And amidst all that commotion, I encountered Victoria.

“Hello.”

Since most people were heading home after the ceremony, it was easy to meet her due to the reduced crowd.

I was planning to ignore her, but since she kept looking at me, I turned my head to meet her gaze and greeted her.

Upon making eye contact and greeting her, Victoria stiffened, fidgeting in an awkward position, neither approaching nor stepping back.

A myriad of emotions crossed Victoria’s face, from disgust to surprise, pressure, anxiety, fear, and finally, affection.

It wasn’t just disgust.

Hmm. It means our relationship isn’t entirely ruined.

There’s no need to create an enemy, right? As long as there’s some remaining affection, it’s not that bad.

This isn’t so terrible. One day, our bond might mend. And while I was wondering if that day was now, I noticed she took quite a while to respond.

She seemed unprepared to return my gaze, so I simply moved on.

If you ask if I was happy to see her, I would answer no.

Because in my perception, we had never really distanced ourselves.

Seeing the world from Victoria’s perspective, I couldn’t help it. I also viewed her through Beatrice and Morris’s eyes.

The only difference between seeing them and seeing from Bell’s perspective is that I can’t move my body.

It was a bit disappointing that I couldn’t engage in conversation, but I continued my way home. Victoria returned to the dorm.

Ah, speaking of which, should I let her know I’m out of my accommodation?

Hmm.

I’ll save that for when she wants to know later.

I exited through the main gate of the Royal Academy.

There used to be accommodations right in front, but now my living situation has changed.

I turned left and walked straight. After walking a while, the wall of the Royal Academy ended. Beyond that boundary, I could see the iron tracks that appeared this past winter. Those tracks lead to the military base surrounding the royal castle.

However, these tracks are not for trains.

To understand their purpose, one only needs to look to the opposite side.

The tracks continue inside the buildings, and in case of emergency, barricades could emerge from within.

And those buildings aren’t residences; they serve as the posts for soldiers. I know soldiers have turned into harvesting machines over there.

This likely serves as preparation for the next uprising.

There will be similar arrangements not just to the left of the main gate but probably to the right as well.

It shows that the royal family is taking precautions. Given that numerous foreign dignitaries have arrived, it would indeed be concerning to have the same level of defense.

I walked past that and continued on.

Eventually, the narrow road ended, leading to a broader street. If I walk this road away from the royal castle, I’ll reach home.

At the boundary where the residential area ends and the commercial area begins.

That’s where my home is located.

Isn’t it noisy?

The sound isn’t particularly bothersome. After all, I never have quiet moments. I’m always observing all the harvesting machines concurrently.

All the harvesting machines.

Not just the ones in this world, but all harvesting machines.

It’s practically like there’s no surface, but I wonder if it’s because I lack a physical form or because it’s the sea; I don’t feel sleepy at all.

In fact, it’s even more horrifying.

In the cold, escape is impossible, not even the concept of losing consciousness exists. I can’t even die.

In this eternally intensifying cold, I cannot escape for a single moment.

So I yearn for warmth.

No matter who criticizes me, I will do my utmost to seek happiness.

For that small warmth that might ease this dreadful cold, I’m moving cautiously to avoid mistakes.

Though I say that, I’m not perfect either…

Primordial Heavenly Sovereign couldn’t hold back.

Daegon being too warm was a problem.

Yes.

But I don’t regret what I did. The knowledge I gained from it is immense.

With this knowledge, if the world advances, I won’t have to wait forever for someone from another world to call me. I’ll simply go to that other world.

Countless worlds discovered by turning fallen light below the surface into harvesting machines.

I don’t have to wait until someone calls out to me.

If I can’t spread harvesting machines all over a single world, then I’ll just spread them across multiple worlds.

Hehe.

And I have some unexpectedly delightful news.

Who would have thought dismantling an accidentally created harvesting machine would find Yasle’s technology and prompt them to call me?

There’s no guarantee that this will happen only once.

The more knowledge I have, the higher the chance I’ll be called.

Many worlds flicker before my eyes.

A hundred years, a thousand years. Ten thousand years.

I just have to endure that much time.

Wait? Have I ever spent such a long time?

How long was I shaking in the dark?

I don’t know. I don’t even dare to glance back at those memories.

I had no concept of time at all.

Driven mad by the cold, going insane, and then going insane again.

One day, light emerged in the sky.

That was when I realized I was below the surface. Not just a soul trapped below, but I had realized I was the sea itself.

One by one, lights continued to grow until the sky transformed into a starry night; I wonder how long that took…

I have no clue.

But one thing I remember.

The day light fell to the ground by chance.

A slight warmth that offered some respite from the cold.

From that day onward, I wished for warmth. And that wish will remain forever. Because I will be eternal.

Unfortunately.

No, yes.

I had such terribly unfortunate thoughts. I arrived home, unlocked the door with my key, and stepped inside.

I don’t actually have hobbies around the house, but the spacious area for cleaning allows me time to prepare meals, and once I finish my chores, the day fades away.

So there’s no need to spend time needlessly.

Ah, right. Now that I’m attending the Royal Academy, I need to set aside time for homework.

As I contemplated what I’d do moving forward, I entered, washed up, and changed my clothes.

Today was yet another splendid day filled with cozy warmth.

—

The next day.

It’s finally the day when classes officially begin.

Though to put it officially, I’ll just check the classroom and greet the teacher, so it’s hardly a real class day.

And tomorrow is a holiday.

Next week, the semester will truly start.

Speaking of which.

Ninety percent of the students in my classroom look like they’re about to suffocate.

Aurora is here, and Tiana too, along with the children of dignitaries from various nations.

Everyone seems terrified of power, but there’s something else I want to point out.

What happens if a romantic issue erupts here?

This is a place filled with young, energetic teenagers.

Just because they’re nobles and royals doesn’t mean they know how to choose wisely, right?

They’re not the ones who choose wisely ahead of time; they excel at doing so after the fact.

First, they get involved, and then they manage to make it all disappear. So why should I trust their experiences with success and failure?

It looks like it’s going to be quite a tumultuous period.

I thought about that while enjoying the passage of time at the Royal Academy.