*BZZT*


    Putting my hand under my desk, I checked my smartwatch and saw a message from the very person in front of me.


    [Ruby: Are you really nning to go?]


    [R: Well... it''s not like I have a choice.]


    [Ruby: Oh, so now, you decide to act like a normal human being wh making decisions?]


    [R: ... what do you mean by that?]


    [Ruby: Was trying to save the World Tree,pletely alone as a mere D-rank, a good and rational decision?]


    [R: You know, there is no such thing as a good or bad decision, right?]


    [Ruby: Yeah, that''s what delusional people say wh they make a terrible decision for the hundredth time.]


    [R: Guess it''ll be the hundredth and one time, now.]


    Putting down my smartwatch, I looked up at the roof, seriously thinking about her words.


    Use the resources a me?


    What resources did I have?


    No one and nothing.


    I had some money, but that was it.


    Rav and Zg were useful asionally, but what good were they in fighting battles and making strategies?


    I was the only one on the battlefield, risking mine and only my life.


    The main cast had various members, each powerful and useful in their own right: Zach with his buffing spells, Liam and Kevin with offsive attacks, Lily with defse, and Alya with long-range.


    They had connections that basically meant they could procure any needed items or resources for free.


    They had all the resources in the world.


    Everything... the main cast had it all: power, connections, money, knowledge of the future, and intelligce.


    All of that... and they still lost to me every single time.


    Every single evt, I was one step ahead of them and every time, it ded in the exact scario I wanted it to d.


    Not a single evt wt the way they had visioned it.


    All of it was my perfect victory and conclusion.


    They could have all the resources in the world, and I would still bet on myself winning every single time without any doubt.


    Resources didn''t mean shit.


    And I was the evidce.


    I didn''t need anyone to do what I did sessfully.


    Unlike the main cast, I wasn''t ev saving the world for the correct moral reasons; I was doing it for myself.


    I didn''t have any conviction or moral superiority.


    Th, what made me so sessful?


    That... was a question I couldn''t yet answer as I didn''t know it myself.


    Was it my ruthlessness or selfishness? Or ev my small bits of selflessness and asionally kindness?


    Looking up from the table, I noticed that everyone was done, and both Lily and Alya were ready to depart.


    Waving goodbye to Ruby, who was getting dragged a by Ire,I siltly followed Lily and Alya out of the pce.


    Leaving the main gates, I noticed that the guards were greeting us with slightly more positive expressions than earlier.


    The news of the humans supporting the Elves should have spread by now... I wonder how the rest of the world will react.


    The demons had made their first public move in over fifty years... and the future was more messed up than ever, mostly my fault.


    What would change?


    The future was still useful information to me, but it could also bite me in the back if I relied on it too much.


    But... it was slowly bing less and less valuable like a stock.


    Ire''s transformation into a viin should ur wh we get back to school, and I had no inttion of forcing that evt.


    I guess this would be Lily''s first win over me if we''re ev counting it.


    Two major viinesses in Ruby and Ire are now partially heroes... that would make for an interesting future.


    After this trip, the main cast should ter a dream together and all advance to C-rank, and I would probably follow.


    Now that Ruby and Ire are back in the equation, though, would they ter a dream with the main cast or do it alone?


    Heading out of the gates, I followed Alya and Lily from a distance, only catching up to them once we stopped at the first store.


    As we headed into the store, which had a variety of hats and caps on disy outside, I began experimting with "R''s" feelings.


    Watching Alya head to the cashier to ask about sizes, I sat down on the bch beside Lily and simply looked a, seeing how my feelings emerged.


    However, the feeling of regret was no longer there.


    It was like that for the rest of the day.


    Ev as I walked side-by-side with Lily through the bustling streets of the clearing, the feeling never appeared.


    Ev though I didn''t say a single word to Lily throughout the whole day.


    Ev though Lily didn''t say a single word to me.


    Ev wh I attempted to leave and ditch them as a test, the feeling never appeared.


    As the sun slowly set, bathing the city in a bright orange from above the branches of the World Tree, the three of us wt our separate ways.


    Well... that was useless.


    As the day ded and the new one started, I packed up my bags with Jin and Han, who were somewhat annoyed, and headed to the exit of the clearing.


    At the exit stood the Elv que alongside a bunch of guards who were supposed to see us off.


    As I was thest to exit the clearing, Liana was able to pull me aside for a short momt without being noticed.


    "Take this."


    "A pager?"


    "Just use it if you need me."


    ".I-"


    "And don''t say you won''t ever need help."


    After Liana esstially stuffed the pager into my hand, I followed the rest of my ssmates and officially exited the Elv realm.


    The trip out of the forest was unevtful as we quickly arrived back at the ins, where our carriages stood.


    As we stood outside the carriages, it seemed that Liana had got thestugh as the carriage Jin, Han, and I had arrived here on was gone.


    Instead, a bigger carriage stood with an official Elv crest and my name printed on it.


    But my name was not the only one printed on the massive carriage...