After telling me everything, Dr. Fea exhales once and then looks at me.

''Well this is what I've been hiding from you. Did you despise me?''
'No, I mean, I honestly haven't quite caught up with the...disdain or anything...'
Well thank you.

　Just because Fia-sensei was the Demon King, I don't want to blame her for that.
　However, because too much information was told, my thoughts couldn't formulate, and I could only give a vague reply.
　Seeing me like that, Fea-sensei opens her mouth with a smile.

''........So I'm not going to the Sixth King Festival.......I can't go. I'm sorry that you invited me to go.
Oh, no, no...
But I'm glad you asked me out, Miyama-kun. Then I'm sorry it's so late at night. I'm sure it's fine since I'll be using transfer magic to get home, but take care of yourself.

　After saying that much, Dr. Fier smiled a very sad smile, turned his back to me and got into a prayer position.
　I'm not going to be able to say anything else, seeing the way she seemed to say there was nothing more to say... I bowed my head to Dr. Fea once and then left the place.

　I could have gone back with the transfer magic, but I wanted time to clear my head and decided to walk down the dimly lit street for a bit.
　My footsteps are the only sounds in the quiet, cool night air.

'....Hey, Alice.
...What...?
"...Black, that's Dr. Fea...
'I know. I don't think we've met, but...

　When I call out to her, Alice appears next to me and answers my questions as she walks down the street at night at the same pace as I walk slowly.

''.........Black.......well.......does he come to the Symphonia royal capital often?''

It's just that...
''Well, no doubt, it's probably just to ask how she's doing... so I used to bring Hikari-san with me when I came to the royal capital.
I see...

　As I listen to Alice's words, I think with my still-unorganized head.
　Is this really something that I, as a third party, can easily step into?
　If Dr. Fea was as arrogant as the Demon King I had imagined, I might have been able to blame her.
　However, Fea-sensei regrets her past deeds and continues to make amends while suffering.

''....Hey, Alice. What do you think I should do?

　I found myself saying those words out of my mouth.

''........I don't know. It's not something I should be talking about.
I see.

Thank you.

　Depending on how it was received, it might have sounded like a cold opinion.
　After saying my thanks to Alice and walking down the street at night for a while, I used my transition magic to return to my room.








　Even after the first night, the back of my mind remained hazy. It's just a matter of fact that I can't tell Lilia and the others.
　I was so troubled that I didn't even go out that day, which was a rare occurrence for me, but instead I was lost in thought in my room.

　But just because you think about it for a long time doesn't mean you can't come to a conclusion about what to do. No, I don't even know what I'm worried about in the first place.
　It may be the easiest thing to dismiss as being none of my business, but it seems to be my nature to try to get involved in this awkward situation.

''...Kaito-kun?''
'What?　Oh, come on.

　I give a slightly awkward smile back to Black, who was in the room before I knew it.
　Since it's Black, I'm sure he knows I've been talking to Dr. Fea. That's probably why he's still looking a little unhappy.

''So........you met with Fea.
Yeah. No, well, you're right that we didn't know each other, but...
''What did you think when you heard Fear's story, Kite?''
Well I'm not sure, that's the honest truth.

　No, maybe I'm harboring a bit of Dr. Fea's favoritism.
　I didn't see Dr. Fier with my own eyes when he was the Demon King. The only person I know is the current Dr. Fier.
　A little out of the loop, always thinking of someone else, a kind person...that's the impression I had of Dr. Fier.

"Hey, Black?　Can I ask you one question?
Yes.
Do you want to see Dr. Fear?
...Yeah. I want to see you. Because I'm your precious 'family' I want to meet you and talk to you.

　Kuro tells him with a sad look on his face........ "Family".......
　Dr. Fea said he was Black's former family, but Black told him without hesitation that he was family. No, the truth is that even Dr. Fear is like that.
　He even tried to start a war for Black, so I'm sure he's desperate to see her.

"........but I think Fea will get 'hurt' if she sees me again, so.......I can't see her.
I see.

　Maybe that's the biggest factor.　Dr. Fea feels guilty for making Black cry. Kuro also feels guilty that he didn't speak his mind, and Fea-sensei feels guilty that he has become the Demon King because he didn't speak his mind.
　It's probably because they both feel guilt towards each other that they've passed each other by even though they have important feelings for each other.

　
　I want to "do something about it".......I want to make Dr. Fea and Kuro meet again.
　But I told him that neither Black nor Dr. Fea could see the other. That's why I was struggling to figure out what the right thing to do was.

　Maybe it's too much for me, an outsider, to get involved in family problems. It would be easier if I could just shrug it off and say it's none of my business.
　But it's still not good enough. It seems that I'm the kind of person who can't throw away something that I've already been involved in.

　Then there's no point in worrying about it... I'll see Dr. Fear again tomorrow.
　To be honest, it would be nice to have no plan, but we have to talk to him first.








　I don't have an answer to that question about what I should do. But I understand what I want to do.
　So the day after I spoke with Black, the 20th day of the Moon of Light I came to the front of Dr. Fea's clinic with transition magic.

　But there........an unexpected person was waiting for me.

''........I knew it, you're here.
...Mr. Noin?

　Shortly before the place where I was shifted, a few meters away from the place where I was shifted, there was the figure of Noin-san standing leisurely, holding a sword that resembled a Japanese sword in her hand.

''I'm sorry, Kite, but I can't let you pass through here.''
....
I don't mean you any harm, but I don't want you to get through to me and I beg you to leave.

　The tense, strong emotions that came through the sensory magic. I understood, painfully, that Noin-san was seriously not going to let me pass.

　Dear Mom, Dad - after talking to Black, I understood what I wanted to do. That's why I was going to talk to Fea-sensei again.......but what stood in front of me was the one who once overthrew the Demon King - the legendary hero.