Magic Academy Bans Harem

Chapter 349 The Cycle Begins Again
Blue sky, white clouds, and more.

The goddess, lying sprawled under the shade of a tree, slowly opened her eyes and let out a long sigh.

If one had to put it in perspective, leaving the snow-capped mountain region could be considered a cycle of reincarnation. However, everything happened in a dream, so the Bathing Goddess had no real experience of it.

Therefore, this feeling of rebirth was something she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Speaking of which playthrough this is, how many times has it been?

Sitting up, the goddess counted on her fingers for a moment, but then thought it was too troublesome and pointless, so she gave up.

After standing up and doing a few stretches, the Goddess of Bath saw Millie, who had woken up in the distance and rushed to the Golden Apple Tree as soon as possible.

"Um... I'm sorry, Sister Yu. It was my carelessness."

Walking up to the goddess of the bath, Millie pursed her lips and expressed her apology.

The moment her soul was locked by the Tin Man still haunts her to this day.

"There's no need to apologize. Now that things have come to this, it feels strange to keep apologizing and thanking each other. Besides, look, wasn't I just being inconsiderate? And even if that tin man swung his sword, it doesn't necessarily mean he could actually hurt your soul. Or even if your soul was hurt, you might still be able to reincarnate as usual. So, maybe I was just being nosy back then."

The goddess of bathing waved her hand and said.

At the same time, she couldn't help but reflect on herself, realizing that some of her bad habits were truly impossible to change.

She was pulled into this fairytale world because of her carelessness. In other words, the power of this world can affect souls at her level.

So why did she think Millie would be absolutely safe in her soul state until now?
Even with the guarantee of a Golden Apple, these are still things to be aware of.

"That's not entirely true. It was basically foreseeable that Sister Yu's plan or actions would malfunction. So, it was I who overlooked this inevitable premise, which led to the problem—"

Wow! You really dare to say that!

The goddess of the bath feigned anger for a moment. Then the two looked at each other for a moment and both smiled.

In the present day, it might be an exaggeration to say that the goddess of bathing and Millie have overcome "death".

But at least, they will no longer be discouraged by temporary setbacks.

However, compared to the two battle-hardened individuals...
Charlotte, who had also been awake for some time, was on the other side of the golden apple tree, hugging her knees, staring blankly at the distant sky with a stiff and lifeless gaze.

"What should we do, Millie? Charlotte's condition... could it be serious? The child is already mentally challenged."

"Indeed, based on past cases, the possibility of her relapse due to stimulation is not small."

"Hey! Can you please say these things where I can't hear you?!"

Hearing the whispers and pointing fingers practically ringing in her ears, Xia Luoluo could no longer bear it and spoke up.

Turning her head, she saw the Bathing Goddess and Millie bending down, both extending their hands to her.

"Can't you guys use a normal way to comfort someone? Even in this situation, I'd get angry too."

After staring at the two for a while, Xia Luoluo sighed softly and placed her hands on them.

Although she always says things like "I'm about to get angry," in reality, Xia Luoluo usually just mutters to herself and rarely gets really irritable except in specific situations.

Feeling the force from the other two through their arms, as if they were trying to pull her up, Xia Luoluo's expression was somewhat subtle.

"Um... if you're not in a hurry to leave, can I sit a little longer?"

"Uh" "Hmm"

The Bathing Goddess and Millie exchanged glances, and it seemed to make sense. So, they each sat down next to Charlotte.

After a period of quiet, Xia Luoluo slowly exhaled and gradually began to talk.

"It seems I've caused you trouble again. How should I put it? Although I've heard your descriptions and even imagined it a little, experiencing it in person is completely different. 'Death' is truly a terrifying experience that's hard to describe."

The three people under the tree each had a different experience when they first encountered "death".

For Xia Luoluo, what impressed her most and was most terrifying during that brief moment was the intense sense of emptiness that made her feel that everything about herself, everything she had accumulated over the years, was about to vanish completely.

"Actually, it's alright. It's not like you're causing us any trouble. This kind of experience is not common. Or even if you were, you probably wouldn't have the chance to tell anyone. Besides, your current performance isn't actually that bad."

"Uh-huh."

The goddess of the bath, who was comforting Charlotte, and Millie, who echoed her sentiments, spoke at the same time the next moment.
"Millie's initial performance was terrible." "Sister Yu was a complete mess at first."

A sudden silence fell over the room. The two sisters couldn't help but exchange glances, both looking at each other with an expression that seemed to say, "How could you say that?" A sign of an impending breakdown in their relationship was emerging.

"In short, you'll get used to it after a few more times!"

The goddess of bathing summarized her experience.

"Habit?"

Xia Luoluo looked incredulous.

"Will we encounter this situation again in the future?"

Looking at Xia Luoluo, the Bath Goddess and Millie both sighed and shook their heads.

All I can say is that Xia Luoluo is still too "young".

Not long after, the three men, having picked three more apples, decided to set off again.

If one hundred is the maximum value, the number of apples on the golden apple tree is now less than one-third.

The enormous apple tree bore only a mere thirty-odd fruits, giving it an inexplicably barren and desolate appearance.

"Hmm, who exactly has been using these golden apples? When we woke up, Little Ri had already been captured, so he probably won't continue being an apple tree borer. And does Estria really need the golden apples?"

Looking up at the golden apple tree, the goddess of bathing wondered.

If there's anyone more outrageous than Ritas among those captured by the fairytale world, it's definitely Estria, who can "break through the void" and leave on her own.

Even if Estria were to reincarnate several times due to accidents or other reasons, the total number of reincarnations would probably be very small.

However, even considering their consumption and Ritas's research, there is still a significant shortage of Golden Apples, amounting to tens of orders of magnitude.

"Could it be that 'Wanderer' technique was used on Kurt? Didn't you say that the apple tree that was supposed to follow you disappeared for a while at the Elson mansion? Coincidentally, Kurt's strength is abnormally high."

Since the Tin Man's clothes "ripped off," the three are now completely certain that her true identity is Cortrinie Elson. However, it's still unknown whether the Tin Man has taken over and controlled Cortrinie's body, soul, or both.

"It's actually quite convincing coming from you. You're both regional leaders, so why is there such a big difference between you? It was the same when I asked you to send me to the Tin Man. Who in their right mind would strung someone up and stretch them out like that? Even if I hadn't been cut down, I doubt I would have survived long!"

The goddess of bathing finally found an opportunity to complain.

"I panicked a little at the time, but it didn't make much difference. Even if I had gained more combat experience, I still couldn't compare to that tin man," Xia Luoluo said with a clear understanding of her own abilities.

"I also think that Miss Cortelne's power is very likely related to the Golden Apple."

Millie nodded.

In retrospect, the period during which the golden apple tree disappeared coincided with the long period during which the Tin Man did not reappear.

When the Tin Man reappeared, he was already at the level of a Sword Saint.

"I think that even with the Golden Apple as a reason, Kurt's strength is still far too excessive."

It was still just a feeling of the goddess of the bath. She felt that the Tin Man, or rather Cortelne, was not at her peak yet, and she was still growing stronger.

But now that the golden apple tree has returned, what is the logic behind Cortelene's increased strength?
Furthermore, the goddess of bathing always felt that Cortrienne's case was very special, especially in comparison to others.

Simply put, she believes that the world of fairy tales has a certain degree of "reasonableness".

People who were originally not very capable remained unsatisfactory even after arriving in the fairy tale world. For example, Xia Luoluo, and herself.

Those who were already outrageous might become even more outrageous. For example, Ritas and Estria, but this absurdity is based on the premise that they are already very capable.

Only Cortrienne's increase was so large as to be bizarre.

It's important to understand that Millie, this "hero" who embodies talent, actually grew stronger in the fairy tale world, but it was all achieved step by step.

The three discussed for a while, but didn't come up with anything useful. So, they decided to head to the area where Prista Town was located first.

The previous encounter, though fraught with danger and ending badly, at least proved one thing: that area wasn't completely isolated, and with proper use of the Tin Man, they could find a way to explore it.

Sigh. Knowing there's immense danger there, that going would almost certainly mean death, yet still choosing to go? Isn't it like clearly seeing a huge pit ahead, but having no choice but to jump in? And this pit is so dark and so deep…

Throughout the journey, Xia Luoluo kept muttering to herself.

Meanwhile, as if seeing themselves two months ago, the Bath Goddess and Millie took turns cheering for Charlotte, saying things like, "You're amazing that you can walk."

"Speaking of which, do we have any combat plans or anything like that for this trip?"

Halfway there, Xia Luoluo, whose mental state had improved somewhat, asked.

“Yes! This time we’re splitting into three groups. Last time, we were pretty sure I was the Tin Man’s top priority target, right? So this time, after she appears and breaks through the barrier, I’ll use a ranged taunt and kite her relentlessly. And while that’s the time, you guys can sneak into Prista Town.”

"Next?"

"Huh? Next? Oh, well... Next, it's up to you guys! See if you can gather any information that can be used to advance my next plan!"

As the goddess of bathing spoke, she solemnly gave the two of them a thumbs up.

"This can be considered a plan?"

Xia Luoluo blinked and asked in surprise.

"How can it not count? If this isn't a plan, does it mean that hatching rotten eggs and throwing them at someone else counts as a plan?"

"Ahhhh!"

Although she knew it was futile, Xia Luoluo still subconsciously made loud and strange noises in an attempt to cover up her embarrassing past.

"Hmm, we can see how long Sister Yu can hold off the Tin Man this time. If it's too short, next time we can have Xia Luoluo and Sister Yu work together to delay him."

"As expected of Millie, she's even planned out the next loop!"

"Hey hey hey"

"."

Seeing the Bath Goddess and Millie, who had begun to appreciate each other, Charlotte seemed to finally realize what kind of teammates she had.

And so, even Xia Luoluo, the number one "Ritas hater," couldn't help but look up at the sky and howl, "Ritas, where are you!"

"Tsk, still agonizing over whether there's a plan or not? So what if the plan is simple? As long as it's implementable and effective, it's a good plan! Otherwise, what's the point of shouting slogans all the time and showing off PowerPoint presentations that leave people stunned? In the end, can you still go public?"

After a short while, the three arrived at a location where they could already see the town in the distance.

The Goddess of Bath said this to Charlotte, who was sighing incessantly, feeling that she was risking her life on such a childish plan.

Now, only when the goddess of the bath utters words they can't understand do Charlotte and Millie realize that the person in front of them is a "goddess" from another world.

"Wait a minute, Sister Yu, Xia Luoluo. Doesn't the town look a little strange?"

"Strange? What's strange about it? It's just like any other small town."

At Millie's prompting, they began to carefully observe the town's bathing goddess and Charlotte, and soon discovered something unusual.

There's really nothing strange about the town of Prista, but the fact that it's not strange is the strangest thing of all.

Because, since the last cycle, the crimson barrier that had separated the region from the center had disappeared.

No, it didn't disappear.

As they got closer, the three discovered that the barrier was damaged.

Although they didn't have many specific impressions in their minds so they couldn't say for sure, they vaguely felt that the outer barrier of the town hadn't changed since it was blown up by the Tin Man in the previous cycle.

"What's going on? If I remember correctly, when we reincarnated before, the surrounding area should have reincarnated along with us, right?"

"Perhaps it's because those blood-red barriers aren't part of the region, or even the world?"

Faced with the goddess's confusion, Millie could only offer a rough guess.

"So, is this a good thing? We can explore freely now!"

As the goddess of bathing spoke, the three girls, overjoyed at discovering a "new continent," quickly ran towards the town of Prista.

After circling the town's walls for a short distance, the three arrived at a location directly opposite the town's main entrance.

They saw it as soon as they turned the corner.

Standing on the main road at the entrance to the town, the Iron Man, still wearing only the head armor from the day before, wields a heavy sword.

Eh?
Before the three of them could even utter a sound, they saw a flash of sharp light.

The end of this cycle came sooner than I expected.

(End of this chapter)