Chapter 86
Volume 3 Chapter 1 part3
Now that we got permission, we set foot into the historic ruins .
However, I felt disheartened upon looking into the ruins .
“──There’s nothing . ”
There was a room with tree roots and ivy crawling along the walls and floor . It seemed to me like a modern building that grew old, but to Livia, it seemed like an ancient site packed with adventure .
Livia was the only one delighted .
“Amazing! Look Leon, objects of this shape have been found in other ancient ruins . The form is a bit different, but that thing near the door is a feature of ancient sites!”
“──I, I see . ”
That object she’s referring to was a card reader .
The machine, which would read card keys, was already broken and was only there for looks at this point .
Luxon looked at the joyed Livia and asked a question .
[It’s better not to tell her the truth, isn’t it?]
Livia looked happy wondering what kind of meaning the object could have .
It seemed that Luxon was worried about whether it should tell Livia that it was a device for reading cards .
“She might me happy if you told her . ”
[There’s also some fun in having her discover it herself . You wouldn’t understand, Master . ]
“You really are a terrible thing, aren’t you?”
[Not as much as you, Master . ]
Luxon then turned its line of sight towards Anjie and the others .
“Is there really no treasure? Well, viewing some historic ruins is itself worthy of conversation, but──is there really no treasure?”
She felt down since not only was there no treasure, but the place had already been thoroughly examined by others .
Jilk was the same .
“I had my hopes up since I heard there were some historic ruins belonging to elves, but there’s nothing here . ”
Greg seemed to have given up on the possibility of treasure .
“Did you really think that we would find ruins with treasure so easily? It’s fun because of the chances of finding nothing . Though, it’s also quite novel for us to go this far and still find nothing . ”
Surprisingly, Hertrude also seemed disappointed . ──Had she actually been looking forward to this?
“Oh? Did you actually get your hopes up?”
“I did . Something wrong with that?”
Since she answered me, I continued conversing with her .
“Not that it’s bad, but I do find it surprising . ”
“The principality can be traced back to being the kingdom’s territory . Like you people, we also admire adventurers . ”
So why in the world is the situation for marriage-searching so different there?
“So when you heard about the ruins, you wanted to venture into them?”
“Despite how things may look, I do hold such views . After all──such opportunities are rare . ”
Well, isn’t that cute?
Hertrude, who averted her gaze while seeming embarrassed, looked like a girl her age .
“All you had to do was say it honestly . ”
“──Detestable . ”
I watched Hertrude depart and turned towards the most depressed person in the vicinity, Marie . She was so down that it was pitiable .
“──I don’t want to do this anymore . It can’t be like this . ”
Jilk comforted Marie while she was in such a state .
“It’ll be alright . We can search for a different set of ruins and go on an adventure together with his Highness and the others . ”
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──There was a bit of a misunderstanding there .
Marie didn’t want to go an adventure, she just wanted treasure .
Evident of that, she made a complicated face after hearing Jilk’s words .
“R, right . ”
Perhaps leaving Livia, who was absorbed in the historical ruins, to her own devices, Anjie came over to my side .
“Leon, what should we do now? Should we withdraw at this rate? It seems like the village chief here with us is bothered as well . ”
Taking a look, I saw the figure of the village chief watching over us from the entrance of the ruins .
He gave me a particularly cold gaze .
“He’s looking down on me . Quite the annoying guy . ”
I want to knock him off his feet right now .
I don’t know if the demon lord is long gone or whatever, but I’d love to ask them to strike the hammer of judgement down on that guy .
Though, that may not be possible since the demon lord doesn’t exist .
The village chief called out to us .
“Have you had enough? There’s nothing worth seeing in these ruins . ”
──All things considered, something’s off .
Within my fuzzy memories of the game, these historical ruins should definitely have──
“We can’t give up! My debt’s increasing as we speak! I──I absolutely won’t give up! I hate a life of debt!”
Marie recklessly ran towards the depths of the ruins alone .
Anjie seemed angry at Marie, who acted out of line .
“Moving around alone as she pleases──what a troublesome person . ”
With Luxon beside me, I readied my rifle and went ahead to bring back Marie .
“Luxon, follow me . Anjie, stay here with everyone . I’ll be back in a moment . ”
“It’s hard being a commander, isn’t it?”
“You’re still a student . Don’t push yourself . I’ll be back soon . ”‘
Livia was worried about me, but…
“Leon, please don’t do anything rash . U, um──”
Did she think I was going to do something with Marie? ──Well, she’s right .
After telling Jilk and Greg to stay put despite wanting to come along, I chased after Marie .
──An opportunity has arrived . Now I’ll be alone with Marie .
──Finally, we can have a talk between fellow reincarnators .
The depths of the ruins were dark .
With her lantern placed on the floor, Marie looked for something .
“Not here . Not here! There’s no entrance to the underground layer!”
Luxon’s eye, serving as a light, shined on Marie, surprising her . Marie turned around and stood with her back against the wall as if she were a cornered criminal .
I had my rifle ready while speaking to Marie .
“You’re alone at last . Even in the airship, I didn’t have the chance to talk with you, and that caused me some trouble . With this, we can have a leisurely chat . ”
As Marie trembled, she tried to pick up a handgun she brought for self-defense .
“Freeze . Any movements and I’ll pull the trigger . ”
“I, if you kill me, you’ll become a big criminal! I’m a saint!”
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“You’re just a fake who took the position of the saint from Livia though . Now then, how about we hear what you have to say for yourself? What do you plan on doing from now on?”
I wanted to know what reason she had for the risky deed of stealing Livia’s position as the saint .
“Huh? What do you mean? Tell me what it is that you want to hear from me . ”
However, Marie acted bold, even in this situation .
I really want to shoot her . I wonder if just one shot would be fine .
“In that case, I’ll ask you some questions one by one, and you’ll make sure to answer me . Are you a reincarnator?”
“Yes . I am . If you’re asking whether I have memories of my previous life, then that’s correct . It seems like you’re one too . ”
“Are you aware of this world being the same as ‘that’ otome game?”
“What about it?”
She’s not denying it . Marie indeed knows about this world being the same as an otome game, that otome game .
“If so, why did you take Livia’s position as the saint? When there’s a war with the principality──”
Marie laughed and answered before I could finish my question .
“Aren’t you an idiot? You think I can’t do what that girl can? I can use healing magic . I have plenty of talent for being a saint . Besides, the temple and saint items all recognize me . ”
That’s weird . Leaving the temple aside, I didn’t think that the saint items would recognize Marie .
“So it’s alright to expose you if you turn out to be fake . ”
“Try it out for yourself . No matter how much of a racket you make, it won’t change the fact that I’m the saint . Too bad for you . ”
──Indeed, even if I kick up a fuss about it, nobody would listen to me . What an irritating person .
Luxon suggested something to me .
[There is a discrepancy when comparing this to your information, Master . It’s advisable to mutually share information . ]
Marie was a little bewildered .
“What? What are you trying to say? Let me say this, I’ve seen that otome game’s sce──”
Before Marie could finish speaking, we felt a rumble as the floor dropped out .
“Wha?!”
“Aaaaah!”
Anjie, who stood at the entrance to the ruins, looked at a restless Jilk and Greg .
“The both of you, calm down . Let’s leave it to Leon . ”
Deep down, Anjie couldn’t tolerate Leon having to take care of Marie .
(Even on the airship, Marie seemed to be on Leon’s mind, but──could it be?)
Jilk’s gaze sharpened .
“That’s why I’m worried . He’s alone with Marie . Can you say with certainty that no mishap will happen?”
While staring at the ruins, Greg also spoke .
“Aren’t they taking a little too long? Let’s go find them . I’m worried about whether or not Baltfault will do anything strange . Since he might have a hunch that Marie isn’t a woman yet, and since she’s so cute──”
Hearing about Leon’s interest in Marie, Anjie got flustered in a different manner from usual .
“D, don’t say such foolish things! Leon is different from you people!”
“How are we different? He’s the same as us, a guy . Furthermore, Marie is a great woman . It’s impossible for any mishap not to happen . ”
“It wouldn’t be strange for any boy in that situation to make a move . No wait, maybe this was his aim?!”
In response to the two’s opinions, Anjie felt more worked up than usual .
“Don’t lump Leon in with the likes of you!”
“I don’t want to be likened to him either! Besides, Viscount Baltfault was trying to approach Marie on the airship . I know that since I was beside her as an escort!”
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Anjie’s face turned red in response to Jilk’s objection .
“Leon loathes Marie . You all should know that! Livia, say something too . There’s no way Leon would lay his hand on Marie . ”
However, unlike the agitated Anjie, Livia went a bit pale .
“U, um, I only noticed it now, but──why was Leon carrying a rifle? It’s not necessary since monsters won’t appear in these ruins, right?”
Anjie’s, Jilk’s, and Greg’s eyes widened .
Leon, who usually kept a distance from Marie, was now trying to approach her .
Furthermore, Leon refused to let other people come along as he searched for Marie while carrying the unneeded rifle .
The three went pale as they imagined the scene of Leon shooting Marie to death .
“My fair Marie!”
“Marie!”
Jilk and Greg rushed into the ruins .
Anjie and Livia chased after them .
“W, wait! Even he wouldn’t go that far!”
“Right! He’d only use it to threaten someone at most!”
The four left the vicinity, leaving Hertrude, Kyle, and the village chief .
Marie had a dream .
A dream about her fondly remembered past life .
The summer sun was strong and it was humid .
During the evening, her surroundings were dyed orange, making for both a nostalgic and sad scene .
Marie remembered the heat of that day .
(Oh, right . This was also a thing . )
A girl stumbled, crying over her scraped knees .
‘Brother, carry me on your back . ’
The one she asked help from was her older brother .
Though she recalled that her brother ticked her off──she strangely couldn’t remember his face .
Even though the two were in front of her, their faces were a blur .
‘If it’s that small of an injury, you can walk by yourself . Carrying you will make my back heat up, so no thanks . Besides, you’re heavy . ’
(I am not heavy! This guy really infuriates me! I have a very slender figure!)
Even in that point of time──she was cute in her previous life .
She was aware of it in that life as well . That was why she looked up in confusion at her brother’s reply .
In her surprise, she stopped her fake tears .
‘Huh?’
‘See, you were pretending to cry . I hate how you fake things like that . You won’t fool me . ’
In the vacant street, her previous self gasped .
By this time, she knew that she was cuter than the girls around her .
Understanding that people around her would do anything she asked for, she tried to order the boy, her older brother, around .
‘M, my knees hurt . ’
‘The pain is proof that you’re still living . Good . ’
‘I, I want you to carry me . I can’t get home . ’
‘Oh really? Then stay here . And if you don’t like that, then walk, nitwit sister . ’
‘──Stupid brother!’
“I’m fine with being stupid! I’d rather choose to be stupid than do what you tell me to!’
Seeing her older brother say that with a smile, Marie thought about something .
(This guy really is the worst . Remembering him now, he’s the number one──no, number three most heartless guy . )
Number one belonged to the man who abandoned her and her child .
Number two belonged to a leech who associated with her .
After those people was Marie’s older brother .
Marie then tried to recall what happened after this incident .
(Huh? What happened to me after that?)
She slowly came to her senses .
Her surroundings were dusty and she heard the sound of a gunshot .
Shells dropped to the floor and there was a metallic sound .
As she lifted her head, there stood Leon with his back facing her .
His voice seemed to carry an air of tension, perhaps due to a sense of urgency .
“Next!”
[An unidentified creature crawling along the ceiling is approaching . Master, be cautious about your remaining bullets . Furthermore, these things aren’t monsters . ]
“It sucks that they won’t disappear when I kill them . ”
Leon readied the rifle and pulled the trigger, creating the sound of a gunshot as a bullet pierced through the head of a mysterious creature appearing from the darkness .
The creature dropped from the ceiling and spasmed on the floor .
Marie jumped and tried to get up, but──
“Aah! O, ouch!”
She couldn’t stand up, perhaps from an ankle injury .
Leon maintained the same stance, only his voice reaching Marie .
He was cautious of approaching enemies and couldn’t turn his head around .
“Are you awake? Luxon will tell you the situation . ”
“Huh? What?”
[The floor of the ruins collapsed and we fell down underground . While you were unconscious, Master has been killing unidentified creatures coming out of the passage . ]
“What do you mean by unidentified creatures?!”
Marie, who wondered if they were different beings from monsters, looked at the creature from just now .
Its limbs were different from those of humans, but its torso and head looked the same .
Seeing what seemed like a reptile taking a human form, Marie screamed .
“Aaaaaah!”
However, as for Leon and Luxon──
“You’re distracting me, so shut up . Damn it, is it hopeless unless I get this useless charm to do something? If it were Livia or Anjie, I would have been determined and serious about defending them . ”
[Screaming won’t change the situation . Be still . ]
“Huh? But, my leg──”
[As the saint, your specialty is healing magic, right? Heal yourself . Ah, Master, the next one’s coming . ]
──Both took a very cold attitude .
Marie thought to herself .
(These guys are like my older brother, aren’t they?! Now I’m really pissed!)