Chapter 37: I Promised Her That I Would Live Well in This World
Dean Silver fixed his ruby-like eyes on Shiltina for a long while.
Only when he confirmed that the sincerity in her expression was not feigned did he finally sway his tail helplessly.
"Fine, I got it."
"But little Tina, let me be clear first—I'm not doing this for you."
"It's because this Rast himself is a Night Traveler with considerable potential."
"As a tutor at the Academy, I’m helping him out purely because I value talent, so don’t misunderstand."
"Of course." Shiltina smiled. "Not only as a friend—Dean Silver, you’re impeccable as a teacher as well."
Dean Silver gave a light snort and lazily sprawled back on the sofa.
Then, it stretched out a small paw and fiddled with the tablet twice.
"Ishta, I’ll send you a form next."
"Don’t activate the Night Blade again. Just ask Rast the questions listed on the form."
...
Inside the psychological consultation room.
Ishta took a deep breath as she looked at the form that had just been sent to the tablet.
Finally, she emerged from her previously dazed state.
There seemed to be some sort of power contained in Dean Silver's earlier awakening words—her once-exhausted mental energy had been replenished.
However, even though her mental strength had recovered, Ishta absolutely did not dare to use the 「Eye of Secrets」 again.
She forcibly suppressed the ripples in her heart and stared at Rast in the consultation room through the one-way mirror, as if trying to etch his face deep into her soul.
On the other side of the mirror, Rast also paused slightly.
【You have formed a new "Fate". The Hermit's Staircase in the Fool's Library has been unsealed.】
【You have unlocked a new card—『Hermit』·Ishta】
?
What was with this woman?
Rast had long expected that he would be tested by official forces in the real world.
After all, anyone would investigate a suspicious person of unknown origin appearing in their territory.
And as a Night Traveler who possessed extraordinary powers, the means of investigation and testing would naturally go far beyond filling out a psychological questionnaire.
So, the moment Ishta revealed her identity, Rast subtly used a mental suggestion to completely sever and suppress all memories of himself wreaking havoc in Deep Blue Port like in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
He left only the noble and righteous memories—like playing Batman to fight crime, helping old ladies cross the street, and acting as an exemplary citizen.
With the support of his innate skill 「Heart of Steel Forging」, even at just the first tier, Rast believed no ordinary mind-reading skill could truly affect him.
As it turned out, he had indeed felt an external force probing his mind earlier.
But it only touched the deliberately constructed surface layer of his memory attic—and seemed to even trigger the backlash of 「Heart of Steel Forging」.
What Rast didn’t expect, though, was that this seemingly minor mental probe—where he hadn’t even seen the other person face-to-face—would actually result in a "Bond" being formed between him and this self-proclaimed psychological evaluator named Ishta.
An easy woman to deal with.
If every Night Traveler were as simple to handle as Ishta, Rast felt he could unlock the remaining nineteen staircases of the 「Fool’s Library」 in no time.
"Rast, I will now ask you a few questions. These might directly determine your final evaluation result."
At that moment, Rast heard Ishta clear her throat and speak in a deliberately serious tone.
"In the Nightworld, have you ever experienced mental breakdowns—moments when you couldn’t control your emotions?"
"I have, in the past—feelings of loss, despair, hysteria and all that."
Rast thought for a moment. "But not anymore. I haven’t had any such episodes in many years..."
In another room, Dean Silver sat up from the sofa.
A lunar-like phantom slowly lit up within its blood-diamond-like left eye.
Reflected in its pupils was the silver light of the moon, which gradually began to spin and contract.
Moments later, the moonlight in Dean Silver’s eyes began to dim.
"This is the truth." Dean Silver said.
After speaking, it seemed to have expended a considerable amount of energy.
With its furry tail, it swept up a bunch of dried fish snacks and stuffed them all into its mouth.
"He used to experience it, but now he’s in complete control... It seems that something happened to Rast decades ago during the Nightworld loops, which completely stabilized his mental state."
Hearing Dean Silver’s conclusion, Shiltina appeared thoughtful.
She couldn’t help but recall that egg fried rice in the Deep Blue Port manor.
Though the ingredients and technique were nothing special, it was in that moment—while cooking—that Rast had felt the most genuine to her, the closest to the real man behind the mask.
At that time, he had mentioned the name "Xiao Ai".
Could that be the reason Rast had managed to stay true to himself during those long cycles of time?
"Next question."
On the live feed from the screen, Ishta received new instructions and resumed her questioning.
"You should already have a rough idea about our Academy, right?"
"If I told you that, should you pass the psychological evaluation, Starfall University would invite you to join and become one of us—would you accept?"
"Of course."
To Ishta’s surprise, Rast nodded without hesitation.
Ishta blinked in surprise. "No matter what excuse we used, the truth is that we restricted your freedom and subjected you to psychological evaluation. Any normal person would resent that, wouldn’t they?"
"Well..."
Rast thought about it. "Of course there’d be normal resentment, but if you put yourself in the other person's shoes, it’s not hard to understand."
"Frankly, even I’m scared of how many mysteries are hidden within me. If I were in your position, facing an unknown, dangerous individual like me, I’d probably have them locked up in a prison surrounded by electric fences to sleep soundly at night."
"Given that, being invited here for a psychological test is actually a pretty generous treatment."
Rast chuckled.
His gaze was distant.
Though Ishta was sitting right in front of him, it was as if he were looking at something much farther away.
"Besides, I made a promise to someone."
"Even if I leave Deep Blue Port and the remnants of history behind, I still have to live well in this new world—to see for her all the mountains and rivers she never got the chance to."
"Given that I have no one in this world, other than joining the Starfall University you mentioned, I don’t really have a better place to go."
"And—"
He paused briefly. "I actually have a rather good impression of your Academy, thanks to that Vice President Shiltina you mentioned."
"Since it’s the Academy that Shiltina attends, I believe Starfall University won’t disappoint me."