Magic Academy Bans Harem

Chapter 297 EP0 Whose Dream

I heard sounds of pain.

I heard a distorted sound.

I heard the sound of regret.

I heard suppressed sounds.

I heard it. The sound of birds chirping.

In a hazy, confused state, the girl slowly opened her eyes.

As far as the eye can see, there is a clear blue sky, slightly obscured by the shade of the trees. The sounds of small birds, like sparrows, frolicking in the branches fill the air, along with the fragrance of fresh grass.

The ambient temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, made the girl feel warm and comfortable all over.

She turned over slightly, wanting only to continue sleeping soundly.

wrong!

The girl suddenly sat up straight, looking around in surprise.

What kind of place is this?!
Where can you find tourist attractions like this nowadays, where there are lush green plants everywhere and the sky is clear with blue skies and white clouds?
Yes
The person who awakens in this mysterious and tranquil place is none other than the Goddess of Bathing.

Looking around, the goddess realized that she had fallen asleep with her back against a rather large tree. Although this tree was not as spectacular as the treehouse mansion she once knew, it was still quite old.

And this large tree was actually a fruit tree. It was laden with many golden, apple-like fruits. The fruits' glistening skin reflected the sunlight, looking incredibly tempting and delicious.

The goddess of the bath stared blankly for a while, almost drooling, before quickly wiping her mouth and looking at the other parts of her body.

Simply put, she was on a vast grassland centered around a giant tree.

Looking north, you can see something resembling a snow-capped mountain in the distance. To the south, small towns are faintly visible.

In the west, the fields stretch as far as the eye can see, seemingly boundless. Not far to the east, wheat fields gleam with a golden light, a light that contrasts sharply with the golden fruit.

The wheat is so ripe; it must be summer or autumn.

However, the word "winter vacation" popped into the goddess's mind.

So, shouldn't it be winter now?
The goddess scratched her head, paused for a moment, and then began to examine herself.

The first thing that catches the eye is one's own smooth, long black hair.

Yes, your hair is in very good condition.

Next, there was a fair and incredibly soft hand holding a section of black hair.

Hmm. Small and cute.

Next, the goddess of the bath roughly saw that she was wearing a white dress with blue accents, black and white over-the-knee socks, red round-toed shoes, and a red headband with rabbit ears.

"Mmmmmm."

The goddess of the bath could only say that she was certain she had never worn such clothes in her entire life.

Although her face is not yet visible, someone who can pull off this look must be quite attractive.

After circling around in place for a while and confirming that she couldn't find any more information, the Goddess of Bath let out a long sigh and tapped her hand.

She got it!
"I must be dreaming!"

After reaching this conclusion, the goddess of bathing breathed a sigh of relief.

It must be because she was dreaming that she couldn't remember many things.

Normal, normal!
Although I don't know why I had this dream that had absolutely nothing to do with anything before, since it's a dream, I shouldn't worry about it too much! Anyway, let's cheer up!
With that thought in mind, the goddess of bathing began to run aimlessly across the vast grassland.

"Wow!"

Although Ritas always complained that the Goddess of Bath was too loud, the Goddess of Bath had actually restrained herself to some extent. She didn't even know how long it had been since she had let loose and shouted freely.

"Ah, ho~"

The goddess of the bathing, running around on the vast grassland, always felt much lighter. And, most likely, she didn't need to worry about developing back pain, leg cramps, or other aches and pains the day after running and jumping like that.

The goddess of the bath, in high spirits, leaped high and even performed a ballet-like turn.

"Yaho~"

Come to think of it, wasn't this dream experience a little too real?
Just as the thought crossed the mind of the goddess of bathing, she arrived beside the wheat field and saw a silver-haired girl sitting with her knees drawn up at the edge of the field, staring at her with a blank expression.

For a moment, their eyes met.

"what"

The somewhat embarrassed bathing goddess stopped her "madness".

Before the goddess of bathing stood a very cute silver-haired girl.

She appears to be only about ten years old. Her silver hair doesn't look like faded gray; it's full of color, luster, and vitality. Her delicate, youthful face, tinged with a hint of melancholy, presents a contradictory yet perfectly fitting image.

First of all, it must be said that this was the first time the Bathing Goddess had seen this silver-haired girl.

Even so, from the girl's familiar outline and atmosphere, the goddess of the bathing star was slightly surprised and opened her mouth for a while before recognizing the other party's identity immediately.

"Miri? Miriam?"

"!"

The silver-haired girl was clearly startled when her name was called directly.

As she gradually calmed down, she vaguely realized the other party's identity.

"That voice... could it be the Goddess of Bathing?"

"Yes! I am your most beloved Bathing Goddess!"

Seemingly having forgotten her current title, which is entirely derived from Ritas's nickname, the Goddess of Bath, she stood with her hands on her hips, looking quite smug for some reason, and proudly declared, "I'm claiming this title!"

“So that’s how it is”

Upon hearing the goddess of bathing's admission, Miriam Millie's worries lessened considerably, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Uh, so that's how it was?"

"This space must have been created by the Goddess of Bathing, right? Although I don't know your purpose, turning me into this... well, it's a bit of a perverse pleasure. Anyway, that's enough for me."

"Etc., etc!"

The goddess of bathing interrupted Millie's words.

"Why did I cause this? Why am I here? I'm totally confused too!"

"Huh? Isn't that right?"

Millie stared incredulously at the bath goddess.
"If it weren't for the work of the Goddess of Bathing, you would normally look like this, wouldn't you?"

Millie gestured a disc shape in the air as she spoke, "Why did it have to turn out like this today?"

"Your suspicions are valid. Could it be that I really did something?"

The goddess of the bath crossed her arms, tilted her head, and began to think carefully.

But it didn't work; my mind was still a mess.

It's not that I can't remember anything, but it feels fragmented and disjointed, and many images can't be connected to form useful information.

"Perfect timing. My church system has been upgraded, and I think I even drew some kind of card. Could it be that these things caused the problem? Wait, since I did it, why don't I manipulate my own memories so that I can't remember what happened? What am I after?"

Faced with the goddess's confusion, and seeing that the goddess's distress didn't seem fake, Millie, who thought that a dignified "goddess" really had no reason to deceive her, gradually leaned towards the idea that the goddess was also a "victim" and began to think about it.

"If it's not the Goddess of Bathing, could it be the Professor?"

Millie naturally made the connection.

After all, most of the time, the goddess of bathing and Ritas were inseparable.

"Xiao Li? It doesn't seem like it. Although, I'm still a bit unsure what he's capable of if he's serious. Judging from his abilities, he seems to be one of the most likely candidates. But how should I describe it? Xiao Li's mode of action is more about maintaining the existing balance that satisfies him. He won't actively do anything to disrupt the balance. If I had to say, he should be the one to step in and stop others from causing these strange events."

The goddess of bathing thought for a moment and then said.

Perhaps it was because Ritas had said something like he wanted to "correct the future" that the Goddess of Bath sometimes suspects that Ritas is deliberately playing the role of a "corrective force".

Although almost all the changes in the current world compared to the "Star Pattern" game world were initiated by Ritas, it is perhaps precisely for this reason that Ritas took steps to eliminate these effects.

It can be said that despite the major events that occurred at the end of this semester, the next semester at Earls College will still proceed as scheduled, entirely because of Ritas's presence.

"Let me think. Because Livis personally pulled the 'World Tree Space' here, the situation at Erles Academy is already a bit off, isn't it? I get it! It's precisely because of this that someone has taken advantage of the academy's abnormal state to launch a Stand attack on us poor victims!"

The goddess of bathing had a flash of inspiration and suddenly understood the Dao.

Although Livis is currently at Earls Academy. And she's not the only one there.

But for a thief who really wants to do something, there are always more solutions than obstacles!
"The Goddess of No Bathing. Although I don't know what a Stand attack is, we were probably not attacked in the academy."

".Why?"

The bath goddess, who thought she had figured everything out and was just waiting to take a puff of her pipe, couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

"Based on the fragments I can recall, there is a scene in it where the professor, the goddess of bathing, and I are on a carriage in the white disc where we usually reside."

Millie pressed her forehead and began to concentrate on trying to connect the memories.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried to recall, she could only remember herself and Ritas sitting across from her.

She couldn't recall any of the few figures that were still vaguely visible nearby.

Among the figures, there seemed to be one who was very lively, unusually loud, and someone she didn't know very well.

Even if they can recall such clues and details, the specifics are still shrouded in mist.

"So, where are we planning to go by carriage?"

The goddess of the bath, who couldn't recall anything Millie mentioned, simply pressed for more information.

"Destination... Ah! It's the Western Frontier."

"The 'Elson Territory' in the western border!"

"Elson Territory in the Western Regions"

Soon after, the Goddess of Bath and Millie walked side by side along a country path, heading towards the town that could be faintly seen from the central tree.
"Is this Ritas's hometown? It can turn everyone who comes here into a little loli, it's like heaven here!"

"It seems that we are the only ones who encountered this abnormal situation."

Although she probably understood that the goddess of bathing was just saying it, Millie, who had unknowingly caught the "professor's disease," still seriously corrected her.

"Speaking of which, Millie, how old is your body at right now? It can't be the age you were when you entered the academy, right?"

The goddess of the bath quickly circled Millie a few times and asked curiously.

"Probably... Hmm! Lady Bathing Goddess, I need to clarify that my current body is unrelated to my actual self. Presumably, the body you are using is also significantly different from your own, right?"

Millie almost blurted it out, but then realized there might be a "trap" and said it so carefully.

Perhaps because of the many exposure crises she had recently encountered, Millie spoke with increasing composure and calmness.

"Hey~ Actually, you don't need Millie like that in front of me. Some things will eventually come out when they're meant to be. You see, even I realized it after a semester. Not to mention others, like probably the smartest person we know."

With her hands behind her head, the goddess of the bath casually exposed Millie's "self-deception" in a tone that was neither blaming nor questioning.

"That"

Millie's body trembled slightly, and she involuntarily stopped in her tracks.

"Why."

"What exactly is the 'why'? Why didn't you say anything or ask after you found out? Maybe it's out of respect? After all, the students of the Purplewood Class are quite special in many ways. We understand that everyone has secrets, things they don't want to talk about, and things they have to hide."

The bathing goddess, who almost blurted out "hero," quickly corrected herself.
"If you ask 'why,' he'll sometimes cover for you. Well, maybe it's because he doesn't want to cause any huge scandal."

The goddess of bathing, as if she had thought of something very happy, grinned.

"cover?"

Millie repeated the word, her lips moving a few times, but ultimately she said nothing.

She had never realized before that the reason her secret could be kept hidden was because someone in her college life was secretly helping her.

However, upon closer reflection, she realized that her efforts to conceal the truth hadn't been as successful as she'd imagined. Furthermore, she was sometimes closer to other students than she'd anticipated.

In everyday life, if flaws can be magnified to an unlimited extent, then other things will likely be magnified as well.
"Well, now that we've encountered such a bizarre situation, this isn't the time to worry about whether you're Millie or Millie. So, I agree with you and think that you're in someone else's body, just like me!"

"Thank you very much, Goddess of Bathing."

Millie expressed her sincere gratitude, then thought about it carefully.
"I can't really say exactly what age that is, since the changes are limited at that stage and there's no clear point of reference. Roughly speaking, maybe it's between eight and twelve years old?"

Millie gestured with her hands to indicate her height, but couldn't quite get a clear picture, so she gave a rather vague answer.

"That's eight years old!"

The goddess of bathing said with great certainty,

"Because I was originally seventeen years old, but my current body is ten years old, which happens to match your return from fifteen to eight years old!"

"Seventeen years old?"

"What's with that suspicious look you're giving me, Milili~ Anyway, if we didn't all inexplicably become young again, then I'll boldly guess that we've inexplicably returned to Elson Territory in the Western Regions seven years ago!"

The Goddess of Bathing once again offered her baseless speculation.

(End of this chapter)