We will heal the arte body back to its original state and awaken the flora.
　In order to make that happen, I must first know how to do that.

　That's why I decided to talk to Sophia.
　You'll need to have a good idea of what to do.
　You might have a better idea.

　I wanted to talk to her alone, so after dinner we walked together down the corridor of the house.
　It's almost 9pm.
　Sophia was getting restless. I'm sorry,

Yeah, my dear Solon. What's going on here at this hour?

　Sophia was dressed in plain clothes, a pale light blue dress.
　She looked nervous and stared at me with her jade-colored eyes.

''I just wanted to talk to you about how to help Arte and the others.

Oh, I see.

　Sophia gave me a complicated look, but she followed me honestly.
　Eventually we came to the end of the second floor of the mansion.

　There, a wooden ladder was propped up against the ceiling.
　Sophia nodded her head and her golden hair swayed softly.

''What is this?''

The ladder.

'Well, that's obvious when you see it, but...'

Well, you should try it.

　I said with a smirk, and Sophia nodded curiously.
　Then she put her hand on the ladder and her cheeks suddenly turned red.

　She was squirming as if she wanted to say something.
　I bowed my head as I realized why.

'I'll go up first,'

Well it's just that I can't see my underwear. Or do you want to see my underwear?

　I shook my head in a hurry.
　Sofia mumbles a little disappointedly, "I see," and gives way to me.
　I climb up first and pull Sophia up after me.

　Sofia's hands, which were connected, were small, though not as small as Filia's.
　Sophia looked surprised.

　The top of the ladder was the roof of the mansion.

'I tried to get up on the roof,' she said. It looks like a good view.'

　I sat down and looked up at the sky.
　Sofia looked up with me, too.
　Even though it was the imperial capital, the suburbs were already completely dark, with only the sparse lights of the houses visible.

　Instead, the starry sky above them is full of stars.

''Beautiful....''

　Sophia murmured in a small, happy voice.
　And the stars weren't just in the sky.

　In the center of the imperial city in the distance, there is something that shines especially large in the center of the imperial city.
　The blue star of the magic school. It is the symbol of the magic school made of sapphire.
　It's also the place where Sofia and I used to be together.

"The wind feels good, Solon-kun!

I'm glad you like it.

Has this place been visited by Her Royal Highness or Miss Clarice yet?

'Come to think of it, yes. I only recently learned to climb.

I see. I'm the first person to come here with you, aren't I?

　Sophia chuckled.
　Then she sat down right next to me.
　We are close enough to touch each other that I can feel Sophia's warmth.

"Solon-kun....

　Sophia turned to me and called my name in a small voice.
　Her well-formed face was right next to mine, and her fresh lips were right on the tip of my eyes and nose.

　I'm thrown off guard.
　Sofia's cheeks were slightly red, as if she knew what was on my mind.

I was the first person to meet Mr. Solon. More than Prince Filia, more than Clarice, more than Miss Lucy.

I was in my first year of magic school, so that was nine years ago.

I was a nine-year-old boy then, but I'm not now.

　Indeed, the Sophia in front of me was no longer a child.
　She was a sleek, beautiful woman of eighteen years old.

''That's why, when you get called out alone at night like this.............................you'd think it's a date, right?

　Sophia smiled softly and looked at me with her jade-colored eyes.