Translator: Jay_Samuel Editor: JackOFallTrades
The cold morning air cuts my cheek.
Waking up somewhat earlier than usual was not pleasant.
「Oh, good morning」
「………… Oh, morning」
Neither Minnalis nor Coo have yet to awake since then.
Inside a magic tool for warding monsters, Shuria and I alternately nursed Minnalis who was still collapsed. Well, even though I say nursing , apart from looking at the status to make sure there are no strange aspects, there is nothing we can really do.
The only thing I could do actively was to keep the campfire from going out, and to see if there are any changes.
The sky I looked upon was dim, and it seems the sun is just about to rise up.
「Shuria, I am going to wash my face for a bit. When I get back, you should also sleep a little. Let"s think about what to do after the sun is fully up」
Saying that, I headed to the nearby spring.
The gushing spring water, was clean enough to see through to the bottom.
As I wash my face rapidly, the coldness of the water pierces through my body.
「…………」
After all that events that had happened, Leone, who stood up immediately, turned back and walked with her colleagues.
Chuusuke continued to follow them, but after that, it was understood that the four people were not adventurers but a travelling peddler and her escorts.
After that, they headed to Carbonheim Leaving their wagon there for the time being, they intend to go into town, using it as a base to search for us.
I won"t know unless if I were to confirm it, but they might be peddlers mistaken as the party of lady adventurers who sometimes come to the village that Minnalis occasionally talks about.
However, such a thing was no longer a major problem.
『The j.a.panese former hero』, I am positive that woman said so.
・・・・ The j.a.panese, former hero.
「Impossible……, what does this mean?」
The only time I ever uttered the proper noun j.a.pan was in the first world, and then towards Minnalis and Shuria.
And yet, how did the word j.a.panese come out.
…… An Other-worlder? would have still been disputable, but j.a.panese.
「And also, the 『former』hero?」
For the sake of argument, she managed to peg me as the hero.
She might actually possess a unique skill which allows her to see my true t.i.tle of『Hero』in my hidden status. Although the possibility is low, it can"t be written off.
However, just by looking at my status, I cannot be sure that I am not recognized as a hero right now.
「Pursuers sent by Alesia……?」
It slowly sets in, like a spreading poison.
That answer, and the fact that she uttered the word j.a.pan were linked together.
「No way, another, from Earth……,」
The conclusion which was about to be put into words is awfully cold, making me feel as if my blood froze over.
The feeling of oppression rising from the back of my throat constricts my mind.
「No, that on the other hand is what"s impossible!!」
And so, I shake my head.
They"re almost certainly Minnalis"s acquaintances, and hardly much time had pa.s.sed between when I was summoned and when I met Minnalis.
There is no way the one who was summoned after me could be an acquaintance of Minnalis.
「d.a.m.n it, what the h.e.l.l is she……」
Not enough, I lack way too much information.
I can"t reach a satisfactory answer with what I have at hand.
Either way, I cannot ignore it. Even if the ways to obtain such an answer are little..
After I"ve heard the gist from Minnalis who is still sleeping, I"ll need to devise a countermeasure.
So, what I need to think about right now is……..
「Why did I not break that summoning magic circle at that time……」
I should have been able to destroy that magic circle the minute this second world began to move.
At that time, blood was rushing to my head in delight as I was given a second chance in this world.
I won"t deny that I was drowning in a fulfilling pleasure.
But, in order to render them unable to produce another existence like me, wasn"t I supposed to have destroyed that magic circle ?
It wasn"t a difficult thing, was it?
「…… Oh, d.a.m.n, I made a mistake again」
Once the question came to mind, those words slipped out of my mouth quietly.
Just like the water surface in front of my eyes, the innermost depth of my heart was calm and undisturbed.
The strange serenity of my mind which does not feel anything, as if the time stopped only for me, however soon.
Brings along with it, a helplessly violent regret.
「Aaaaaargh!!」
It is as if all the blood flowing inside my body turned into boiling acid, and the inside of my body being stirred up.
Why did I leave that summoning magic circle untampered?
…… That"s because I still wanted to return to my original world.
Because that magic circle was the only thing left, as the sole viable clue left to me.
「d.a.m.n it, d.a.m.n it!! G.o.dd.a.m.nITT!!」
My family, my friends, even if I were to lose everything.
Even if I were to fall into despair again at the sight of that spectacle.
「Is that so bad, that"s right, I want to go back! Of course I would want to return !!」
I scream as a kept pounding my fist onto the ground.
Perhaps, If I return to my original world, I thought maybe I could go back to those warm days.
Because I have not seen the previous world where everyone was gone.
It got bleaker, and bleaker, and bleaker, ……and got broken, andyet…
Such a thought, haunted me like ghosts, and wouldn"t leave, so.
「Even if it"s just to return only to despair……, you bet I would still want to go home……」
…… So, I unconsciously capped that possibility.
That since the Kingdom doesn"t have the capacity and resource for summoning again, that there is no problem if I left the magic circle as it is.
But, it was a 『Mistake』, after all.
Because I relied on such ambiguous factor, I am going to lose something precious from my grasp.
「At what point will I learn……, stupid……」
The voice leaks out as if it was being squeezed out.
So hopeless, almost as if I haven"t grown one bit.
Again and again and again, even though I"ve seen h.e.l.l as a result, I still haven"t learned.
One drop of that sweet poison, destroys the world.
Fleeing from a slight desire, shutting my eyes towards little anxieties, pretending not to notice, like I didn"t see it.
And just like that, I keep making mistakes over and over and over again.
And now, I find myself in this position.
「Hey, me. That thought of if I can just return to my former world, haven"t you had enough……?」
Mistakes are usually irreversible.
This is also the case for this time too. I cannot go back to the kingdom after all this while, and it will be difficult to get to the summoning room because the hidden pa.s.sage would have been crushed.
「I already decided……, that day, at that time, at that place, even if I have to sacrifice everything else」
So as not to forget, so as not confuse, and in order to reliably accomplish the things that I consider as of utmost priorities.
It is still swelling within my mind, and the feeling of homesickness hasn"t disappeared either.
But, now I clearly understand, maybe because of the fact that I forcibly accepted the idea that I wanted to return to my former world within myself.
In truth, the idea of returning to my original world, couldn"t be anymore inconsequential.
「I will be sure to drag all of them down here」
With one hand, I grabbed my hair after getting wet from the fountain drips.
I tried to consciously imagine myself back to my previous world, but the words 『You Gotta be Kiddin me』ran through my head even faster than it forming a concrete image I wanted to form.
It was a matter even before talking about how to go about returning.
I still have things left to do in this world.
I"m gonna kill those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.
I am going to kill, kill, kill, kill, kill them all, and put an end to everything.
Until then, I don"t need any hope.
「I have no time to stand idle, nor can I afford to look back……」
That"s right, it"s not over yet. Nothing is over.
The only thing I possess is this dark pa.s.sion that seems like it might burn even my own body.
「…… I cannot return with this pathetic look on my face」
I washed my face again with the fountain"s waters.
☆
About two hours have pa.s.sed since I returned to my previous location and laid down beside Shuria who seemed to be sleepy.
When I was thinking about waking Shuria up, I heard a voice from Minnalis.
「Hmm……, Ugh……」
She slowly puts her hand on the ground, and then looks around while still in a daze.
「Yo, morning sunshine. Were you able to see a nice dream?」
「Master……?」
As Minnalis, who was still dazy rubbed her eyes, her consciousness gradually became firm, and her line of sight also became fixed.
「I, uh……」
「Do you remember what happened just before you collapsed?」
「…… Yes, I defeated the monster p.r.o.nto, and then I became very, very thirsty……, Ma, Master, I, what, what have I done……」
「Do you feel any discomfort in your body? Do you feel any pain or maybe feeling disoriented?」
「Enough about me, is master alright?」
「Calm down, I won"t be fl.u.s.tered by something of that level. I am in excellent condition」
I hug the dismayed Minnalis lightly and pat her head.
Minnalis traces the spot where she bit with her fingers over and over again to make sure, and confirms that there are no scars.
After doing so for a while, I tapped her back in a cuddling manner and separated from her.
「First of all, check your current condition. You are the one who had the most change, and honestly speaking, I still don"t know what happened. For the time being, do you feel anything dangerous? Confirm through your status too」
Saying that, Minnalis looks around her body.
「I seem to be all right. The thirst I felt at that time too……, Hyan!?」
All of a sudden, Minnalis uttered a scared voice with her body.
「What"s wrong!?」
「Oh, no, there"s something in my clothes……, Ahya, hey, stop that, hyuu!!」
Something was moving haphazardly inside Minnalis" clothes.
「Ah, oh, that"s right, Kuu is sleeping inside of your clothes……」
「Eh, then this」
「『Puhyuu, Ku-shii, kyauu-』」
「Kyaa!? It"s ticklish」
「『Npoo!!』 ugh, ah, Panpa-, manma-, did to Kuu」
Kuu who popped her head from Minnalis" chest, made a Ughh groan.
「……Well, anyway, so there"s nothing wrong with your body right? How much do you remember of when you a.s.similated with Kuu?」
「Yes, at that time, the depths of my body was whirling and full of power without end, and instead I was excited like when I was getting revenge. Both the energy and magic power, I felt like if I don"t release them, they"re going to burst open from inside me……」
One by one, words flowed out of minnalis as she tried to confirm the things she remembered.
「So, when I used that last magic, the energy in my body suddenly shrunk……, and umm, I became very hungry……, and right before my eyes, was stained in red and white, umm, and Master"s blood……」
Having said that, Minnalis"s face was blushed red and she placed her clutched hand around her mouth and looked down bashfully.
The manner in which she glances towards me flutteringly, somehow seems like one who is feeling embarra.s.sed rather than feeling sorry.
No, wait, wait, is that something to feel shy about?
「Does Kuu remember when she was inside Minnalis?」
「Hmm-? I don"t know, but ich was warm! 」
When Kuu says that in a lisping tone, I wonder what has gotten her so excited because she then seem happy.
「And if I say that I want you to go inside Minnalis again, can Kuu get in?」
「Yeah, I probably can」
While saying that, Kuu came out of Minnalis" chest, she followed her hair and climbed on top of her head.
「I see……, frankly speaking, I don"t know what exactly Kuu is, or what that state really is. I do think that it seems to transform one into a vampire, but it doesn"t seem to be that simple either, for now Kuu is not to a.s.similate with Minnalis arbitrarily alright」
「Al-right! 」
Does she get it or not, Kuu responds in a doubtful manner.
Although it"s slightly worrying, it seemed like it would be pointless to say anything further.
「Now then, shall we talk about the events after Minnalis collaped」
「Events after I, collapsed?」
I began to talk about the woman named Leone to Minnalis who had a mysterious face.