WG – Chapter 190: Lapse of Memory, Isolation, and…

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After finishing dinner, I returned to my room and collapsed on the bed facing up. 

“…To think the day would come where I would pass the day in such a leisurely fashion.” (Souma)

A lot has happened since entering the world of Nekomimi Neko. 

Perilous things one after the other that didn’t allow me to catch a break, and I feel like I was running about the whole time to solve them. 

But after defeating the Demon Lord and crushing the plans of the Mage Guild, there’s no threats that I have to hurry and solve.

Even today, I may have fought monsters, but it was solely for the sake of leveling up against lower level enemies.

I think it isn’t good to lower my guard, but there’s honestly no fear of dying. 

Even though I wished for peace, now that it is here, I feel like something is missing. 

But even if I say that…

“This isn’t bad either.” (Souma)

Days of nothing, but not boring ones. 

If I have the comrades I have made in the arduous days until now, everything can change into lively events. 

I honestly think they are wasted on me. 

“If I had to put it in a way, it is like they have more of a normal view, or like, I would like them to learn common sense.” (Souma)

The faces of my comrades that lack common sense in a variety of ways surfaced in my mind and I ended up chuckling. 

*Knock Knock*

The sound of someone knocking on the door rang. 

Looks like my day is not ending yet. 

“I-It is Sazan. Can I come in?” 

The voice of the mindbroken that was on the other side of the door…no, the mage, startled me. 

“W-Wait for a moment!” (Souma)

I hurried my way to the door and opened the door a tiny bit after hesitating for a moment. 

“H-Hey there, if it ain’t Sazan.” (Souma)

“…I said it was me…” (Sazan)

Sazan faced the other way in a bad mood, but that gesture of his looked vibrant.

It seems like he stopped shutting himself in his room, but it seems like the shock of the dam destruction incident is still affecting him.

“And so, what brings you here at this time?” (Souma)

I asked this while blinking, and Sazan spoke in a sullen manner.

“W-What brings me here, you ask?! Obviously the continuation of yesterday!” (Sazan)

He looked as if he realized something after saying that energetically, and lowered both hands as if protecting his lower half. 

“T-That’s not it! Don’t think anything weird! I may be talking about continuing what we were doing yesterday, but I am not referring to t-that, okay?” (Sazan)

“I know!” (Souma)

What is this guy saying? 

Or more like, what is he referring to by continuing? 

“I-I won’t make that mistake again. I have made a variety of preparations in my own way for the sake of that.” (Sazan)

“I-I see.” (Souma)

I don’t know what to respond with.

I just chimed in with whatever and Sazan began explaining as if embarrassed.

“Yeah, I tried not to drink too much, and I even went to the t-toilet before coming here. A-Also…I chose clothes that are easy to wash this time.” (Sazan)

“You are already thinking you will fail!” (Souma)

“I-It is just in case! Just in case!” (Sazan)

I can’t see because of the mask, but Sazan said this with a bright red face and tried to peek in my room as if trying to play it off.

“A-Anyways, please let me in. It would be a pain if someone were to see us talking here.” (Sazan)

“Eh, n-no, my room is currently a mess, and there’s no place to sit…” (Souma)

“The bed is fine. We are beginning immediately anyway, and that would be easier…” (Sazan)

“Y-You…!” (Souma)

I raised my voice unconsciously. 

Sazan tilted his head as if wondering if he said something weird, but there’s something called phrasing. 

I would like him to stop using words that might cause a misunderstanding. 

But it seems like Sazan misunderstood it in a different manner. 

He was taken aback and spoke angered. 

“C-Could it be that you don’t want to because you think I might dirty the bed?! I am not the one at fault!

If you were to get pierced all of a sudden from behind like that, a-anyone would—” (Sazan)

“Idi—! As I said, you—” (Souma)

I hurriedly tried to cover the mouth of Sazan, but it was too late. 

“Wa?!” 

A slender hand extended from the shadow of the door, and my shoulders were grabbed tightly. 

And then…

“Hey, Souma, what were you two doing yesterday? You will tell us, right?” 

From the ceiling, the inside of my bag, from below my bed, from the corner of my room; my comrades that are watching our state stealthily have surrounded us. 

“…In other words, the two are not in that kind of relationship?”

I nodded strongly at Maki who was hiding in the shadow of the door. 

“Obviously! I don’t have a taste like that!” (Souma)

Those words…

“…Hn. I believed…in you.” 

Ringo, who fit in the corner of the room, nodded several times.

Despite her saying that, I feel like she was looking over here with a cold gaze, but I won’t pursue the topic. 

“Were you two really just watching the video of that stone slate? Leila-san suddenly appeared at that time and Sazan-san…‘spilled his drink’.” 

It seems like Mitsuki, who was sticking to the ceiling just now, still hasn’t been convinced and pursued it.

“T-That’s right! R-Right, Leila?” (Souma)

I directed my gaze and Leila, who had gone below the bed, nodded lightly. 

“Y-Yeah…something like that…I guess?” (Leila)

Leila answered with an unconvinced tone. 

Seeing this, the Bear, who was hiding inside my bag a few minutes ago, grinned.

…The ones who knocked on my door after dinner were Maki and the others. 

They apparently heard from Leila that my relationship with Sazan was suspicious, involved Ringo and the others who were there, and came to question me. 

Also, the Bear brought tea for us in the middle of it and joined up.

This plushie is so considerate it is scary. 

Of course, there’s nothing to feel guilty about no matter how much they ask us, but I had no choice but to keep silent about the broken dam incident of Sazan to protect his pride.

However, when I try to explain it without that part, I can’t help but create inconsistencies.

While Leila and I were troubled about what to do, Sazan had come right in time.

Things ending up like this can’t be helped, so we told pretty much everything to them honestly. 

Even with that, I replaced the dam breaking with spilling a drink, but people like Mitsuki, who are sharp, might have noticed the truth.

That said, the suspicions of me being homo were cleared, and I am now free…is what I thought.

“That’s not fair! I want to watch that together with Souma!” (Maki)

This time around, Maki pointed at the stone slate and was selfish about it.

“You…didn’t you dislike it when you watched the 1st chapter?” (Souma)

“T-That’s true, but…but if it is together with you, I will be fine!” (Maki)

“What’s with that?” (Souma)

I don’t get that logic at all. 

However, I know more than anyone else that Maki doesn’t withdraw after saying something. 

I try to persuade her peacefully so as not to tick her off.

“N-Now, wait there, Maki. Weren’t you busy recently, Maki? This can only be used once a day, so maybe when you have a bit more time…” (Souma)

Maki said she was busy with a mountain of work from the aftermath of the Mage Guild.

I used that as my shield to have her change her mind.

“Hmm, well, there was a lot of trouble there, but…” (Maki)

The momentum of Maki loosened up. 

I throw words in as if hitting that opening.

“I see, that’s true. Speaking of which, you went to the Mage Guild together with the Knight Order, right?” (Souma)

“Ah, yeah. That was a real pain…” (Maki)

I diverted the conversation and Maki, who easily rides the flow, began talking about the Mage Guild. 

According to Maki, the incident caused by the Mage Guild’s guildmaster, Kemona Iaski, apparently caused big ripples in the surroundings.

First, all the executives of the Mage Guild that were cooperating with Iaski on his ritual were apprehended, and the Mage Guild has stopped operations for an indefinite amount of time. 

It seems like the Knight Order investigated the Mage Guild’s headquarters and the Sorcery Tower, but the results were apparently not that good.

“The magic circle there doesn’t make sense after all.” (Maki)

“Aah.” (Souma)

You can move rooms with the teleportation circle there, but the place you get teleported changes over and over depending on the number of times teleported, the time of the day, moreover, the phase of the moon too.

I wouldn’t have been able to explore it properly without looking at the Wiki, so it must have been pretty tough for the knights that are first timers.

“There’s a whole lot of weird tools lying about, and they would explode all of a sudden if they are touched! Also, all contraptions are nasty in nature! 

When night came, the eyes of the skulls at the entrance would shine and it was really scary!” (Maki)

Maki talked on and on as if completely into it. 

However, from what I know, there shouldn’t be a mechanism like that that makes the eyes of the skulls in the Mage Guild shine.

If it is not actually the deed of ghosts, the people of the Mage Guild might have done something to the skulls as a parting gift. 

“I see. There are people who do some crafty pranks.” (Souma)

I said this indignated and…

“No, that’s…” (Mitsuki)

Mitsuki was about to say something, but when she made eye-contact with me, she sighed and said ‘…It is nothing’.

Her reaction makes no sense in its own way.

“Also, the Grand Church was a big issue.” (Maki)

“Aah, the magic circle of the city, huh.” (Souma)

There’s a mechanism that takes mana from the magic circle to gather mana little by little from the people of the city to create a light pillar, and the Mage Guild utilized that.

The roofs of the city were repaired quickly under the orders of the king, and the Grand Church now has the splendid light pillar back, but it is not like everything is back to how it was.

It is now known just how the light pillar of the Grand Church works.

That light pillar was called a miracle light in the past, but I doubt there are many people who are happy that their mana has been used as fuel for it without their permission.

It seems like protests from the citizens flooded onto the Grand Church.

Within the people that went to the Grand Church to protest, there were those who would complain that they were not feeling well, and the King decided to close the Grand Church temporarily. 

Even if the magic circle of the city absorbs MP, it is only a little, so I doubt that would hamper their health, but the nocebo effect does exist. 

It might be a bit of an overblown reaction, but the Grand Church is the one who has profited from the ‘miraculous light’ until now. 

This is what’s called getting your just desserts.

“But if it is causing such a ruckus, doesn’t that mean you are still busy?” (Souma)

“Hmm, yeah, but Father seems to not want me to be in the castle, or like, he wants me to be by your side, Souma.” (Maki)

“Huh? My side? Why?” (Souma)

The talk suddenly was thrown to me, and I asked back in surprise.

But it seems like Maki doesn’t know the reason well either.

“Who knows. But he said that he had something important to talk with you about, so to come with you next time to talk.” (Maki)

“Alone with the king?” (Souma)

What’s that? That sounds like it would be extremely awkward.

“An important talk, huh…” (Souma)

There was no such event in the game.

Could it be that there’s a big incident brewing that didn’t happen in the game?

That said, it bothers me a lot that he is trying to make Maki stay by my side.

The important talk of the King and the unnatural attitude of Maki.

How do those two relate? I can’t even begin to imagine.

“Ah, that aside, he also told me about inviting you guys to our home.” (Maki)

“Home, you say… You are referring to the castle, right?” (Souma)

“Yeah, the castle.” (Maki)

Maki nodded easily. 

“You know…it seems like something bothers him about Ringo-chan.” (Maki)

“…Me?” (Ringo)

Ringo tilted her head.

But I feel like I know the reason why the King is interested in Ringo.

If not for the wish of Maki to the tanzaku, Ringo would still be the princess, in other words, the daughter of the King.

The memories should not be there, but he might have felt something from Ringo who is his actual daughter. 

“There really is a lot going on.” (Souma)

I tried to wrap it up nicely like that, but…

“Wait, I was this close to being deceived there! More importantly, the stone slate, quick! Let’s watch the 2nd Chapter with me!” (Maki)

Looks like I couldn’t wriggle myself out of that one. 

Maki dug out the topic again, and grabbed my arm as if telling me we should watch it at once.

The one who got angry at that was Sazan.

“D-Don’t joke around! Souma will be watching the 3rd Chapter with me! W-We promised to!” (Sazan)

He said this and grabbed the opposite arm. 

We can watch the video together even with only one finger touching, but Maki and Sazan were grabbing my arms tightly. 

“You people…” (Souma)

“Y-You two, stop it.” 

I was about to warn them, but Leila unexpectedly admonished the two.

She tore me away from the surprised Maki and Sazan, and…

“I-I am the one who will stick to S-Souma!” (Leila)

She shouted nonsense while clinging tightly onto my arm she stole away.

“T-The arm of Souma has been my designated seat since long ago!” (Maki)

“Give it back! That’s mine!” (Sazan)

“No, it is mine.” (Souma)

My retort rang in deaf ears and my surroundings grew noisy with those 3.

“…The Evil God Great War, huh. I am a bit interested in it myself.” (Mitsuki)

“Mitsuki?!” (Souma)

Even Mitsuki, who would normally enter to mediate things in these occasions, had her eyes shine vividly and her cat ears were flapping in interest. 

The Bear grinned…but let’s ignore that.

I looked at Ringo who is my last hope, however, she is still expressionless but looking somewhat jealous.

It seems like the stone slate of the Evil God Great War is more popular than expected.

“Aaah, geez, I get it!” (Souma)

There will be no end like this.

I grabbed the arms of Mitsuki and Ringo, no questions asked, and pulled them to me forcefully.

“U-Uhm…” (Mitsuki)

Mitsuki, who was leaning completely against my body, looked at me with her cat ears flapping nervously.

I take out the stone slate from my bag as if to answer that gaze of hers.

“Now that it has come to this, let’s watch it all together! However, from the 1st Chapter!” (Souma)

Complaints will occur no matter who I see it with anyways.

In that case, it would be better to watch it together with everyone. 

I tell them this clearly. 

“Y-Yeah, I think that’s a truly great idea… Yeah.” (Mitsuki)

Mitsuki’s cat ears nodded in agreement while she was within my arms.

There were no objections from the 3 that were arguing, and the moment they heard what I said, Maki grabbed my right arm, Sazan my left, and Leila leaned onto my back.

The Bear climbed onto the top of my head.

It seems like preparations are complete.

But there was one…

“…Is it…okay?” (Ringo)

Ringo alone looked up at me as if uneasy. 

“Okay as in what?” (Souma)

“…You say everyone…but…” (Ringo)

The beautiful blue eyes shook uneasily.

Eyes as if she were asking me whether it is okay for her to be here. 

Ringo would sometimes look at me with those lonely and frail eyes as of recently.

But I don’t really get what’s making Ringo uneasy here. 

Even so…

“Do you not want to, Ringo?” (Souma)

When I asked this, Ringo grabbed my clothes.

“…I am happy being together with Souma, but…” (Ringo)

“In that case, you don’t have to worry. It is okay.” (Souma)

I don’t know if my words really reached the heart of Ringo, but…

“…Hn, got…it.” (Ringo)

Ringo nodded weakly but clearly. 

That’s plenty enough.

“Then, let’s begin.” (Souma)

And so, I extended my hand to the stone slate and touched the letters.

…Without a clue that that would be the start button of a tragedy. 

 

The next morning.

The center of our conversations when we were gathered at breakfast naturally became that of the Evil God Great War recording of yesterday. 

It seems like experiencing the past of a historical figure is apparently a pretty big happening for the people in this world.

Even the expressionless Mitsuki had her cat ears twitching in excitement as she spoke about the video they saw yesterday. 

Everyone gets along well normally, but the conversation really livens up when they have a topic in common.

The dining room was around 50% more lively than normal, and I would join in the conversation every now and then, as I thoroughly enjoyed this peaceful morning.

It was at that moment…

“They are getting pretty heated up here. What is everyone talking about?”

Someone spoke behind me. 

I looked back with a smile and…

“Aah, Ina. It is of course about last night’s…” (Souma)

I spoke that much and froze.

…Last night? 

Speaking of which, last night, Ina and I…

“Ah, thank you very much for tagging along with my training yesterday! I haven’t been able to sleep at night because of so much happening, but thanks to your help, I slept like a log yesterday after eating… Ehehe… Hm? Souma-san?” (Ina)

Ina thanked me with a cheerful smile, and I…no, we couldn’t say anything.

—The night that day.

It goes without saying that we ended up having to watch the 1st Chapter again.

—–

Author: The people who seriously forgot about Ina, raise your hand without shame! 

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