CH 17.2

017 PART 2

She knows of a game route that I don’t know of.

That kind of talk can only be understood by the two us.

[Fumu, even now she seems to be muttering incoherently. You know what it’s about?]

[Yes, I will explain once I get back.]

[You must for certain. You must certainly return. Also, get the numbness off Jule already since he looks like he’s going to charge in at any moment.]

Rather, it’s probably better for my brother.

While laughing bitterly, I asked Bellom-sensei to clear out everybody.

[Considering how dangerous Lydi is, there’s nobody else here but us and the guards…. Could it be, them, too?]

[In case of an attack, please evacuate.] (TN: In case they, too, will get sick.)

[I will go together with Sheryl-kun.]

[Noe can’t.] (S)

[Why!? My body won’t be able to live anymore without you, you know?]

I feel like the way he said it sounds so wrong.

Although there’s no mistake that if I didn’t do the treatment on his body then he won’t be able to live.

[Noe and I who are suffering from the Dreaming Illness can be easily affected by her. I can counter that by activating magic, but it’s impossible for Noe, right? The me right now doesn’t have the leeway to take care of an extra you.]

[No way….]

Towards my words that sound like a blunt rejection, Noe was shocked.

Bellom-sensei who was unable to watch any longer grabbed Noe’s arm.

[A teacher doesn’t make his student take in extra labor.]

[However…]

[I’m telling you it’s also important to wait for his return.]

[….Sheryl-kun, you must absolutely, absolutely come back, okay?]

With how Noe is looking at me with teary eyes, I feel as if I’m being cursed to not be able to return.

[Yeah, if you wait for me like a good child, I will give you a reward.]

[I will be looking forward to it. Nicole, Sheryl-kun…](TN: He’s asking Nicole to look after Sheryl.)

[Leave it to me.]

After Nicole’s short response*, he gave Noe a long kiss.

The adult Bellom-sensei got them out from my sight.

[Well then, I will evacuate the soldiers. Sheryl, you be careful.]

[Yes.]

We saw off Bellom-sensei and Now left the research building together with the soldiers.

Until the end, Noe kept looking back as if his hair was being caught by something.

[Nicole might also get the Dreaming Illness, you know?]

[Once I get sick, the similarities I have with Sheryl-sama will increase. I can already imagine Jule-sama’s frustrated expression.]

[Nicole really is a fool for your master.]

[Is that a compliment?]

While dishing out frivolous talks, we headed towards the laboratory she’s in.

The soldier has left the key in Nicole’s care a while ago.

[When Sheryl-sama said that we matched when you were cutting your hair before, it felt like I climbed to heaven. Grandfather, too, was happy when you said you looked the same as him back when you had long hair.]

[I didn’t know that.]

It’s a nostalgic story.

It was when I still have no knowledge about the outside world.

Compared to those days, I wonder how much I have grown now.

[I will open it.]

[Yeah.]

Nicole unlocks the door.

When we entered, her crying face was dyed with amazement.

She was looking at me as if she’s looking at a ghost.

Under her eyes were big shadows.

Her hands were being tied behind her, and although she’s sitting on a chair, but her feet seemed to have chains attached to her so she could only do no more than the necessary movements.

Even I’m shocked by their security which was more than I expected. Is it really necessary to go this far just to detain a single girl? Did they see her as dangerous to that extent?

[You were, alive….?]

[I may look like this but I’m unexpectedly sturdy.]

When I answered, I invoked a magic spell.

[Hii!!! Do, don’t kill me…!]

[I won’t do something so dangerous. This is a counter-measure for Dreaming Illness.]

As I bitterly laughed at her who was being completely scared, I let one ice flower bloom on the wall.

There should still be a distance between her who’s being restrained in the innermost part of the room and me near the entrance, but I can feel her Mana slowly affecting my body.

[Because I can activate magic like this, I can survive even if the Dreaming Illness’ symptoms appear.]

[Is, is that so…. Hey, can you please also tell them? Nobody will listen to anything I say. I need to get into Noe’s route or the harem route, or else Noe will die!]

She probably realized that I don’t want to hurt her, the words she spoke also came out with momentum.

[Yeah, that’s also what I’ve come to talk to you about that. Do you have any knowledge regarding the cure for the Dreaming Illness? On Noe’s route, Noe will overcome the illness, won’t he?]

[…………]

While I was asking the question, I wasn’t expecting an answer.

If she has a clue about the cure, she should have already told Earl Boirmortie and she wouldn’t have asked me about it.

I just wanted a topic to start the conversation.

[I, I don’t know.  Because Noe will notice something and discover it himself. The game didn’t give a detailed explanation, either. Rather, don’t you also know what it is?]

[The him from my previous life only made it up until the Big Brother’s part. He hadn’t played any route other than my brother’s.]

I could tell Nicole gulped a mouthful of air.

I haven’t talked about my previous life yet, even to Nicole.

[The him, from the previous life….?]

Her lips trembled.

In the midst of our conversation, I made another flower bloom. Objects created magically will dissolve into the air together with Mana and disappear without leaving any traces behind.

To such me, she’s looking as if she’s seen me for the first time.

[Who are you?]

[I am Sheryl Bashral. The second son of Baron Bashral, a resident of this world.]

[Are you, different from me….?]

[I don’t know if we’re different or not. I have memories of the previous life, but it seems I didn’t inherit his character. Hey, Lydi, tell me your name. Your real name.]

Her eyes wavered.

I wonder if she established her life in this world as Lydi, all the while hiding her true self.

She spoke to me when she looked back at me after avoiding meeting my gaze.

[….It’s Miwa. Takeuchi Miwa.]

[Miwa, for you, is this world only a game?]

She should have been living.

Miwa up to this day, in this world.

When I asked her, Miwa’s face distorted. And then she shouted with all her might.

[IT’S A GAME! IT’S OBVIOUSLY A GAME!!! I won’t accept this world as real! Everyone died, they all died, you know!? My father, mother, my younger brother and sister, even my childhood friend died, they got sick with Dreaming Illness and died!!!]

The rumors seems to have been true. And, it’s a cruel reality.

The same with Rafael and me, did the ten people who were by her side fell with Dreaming Illness?

[I hated it! The house was run-down and dirty, the food was not delicious at all! And I hated the family who was laughing happily! There’s no way I can be happy, we don’t even have any money to pay the doctor when we get sick!!! ….. But, but I! I never thought I wanted to die even once!!!]

It can’t be said that the game’s heroine didn’t have such a past.

It’s just that the heroine had a strong will to not look back to the past.

[Sheryl-sama….!]

As I stood up and headed towards the screaming Miwa, I place my hand on the restraint on Miwa’s arms.

During that time, flowers are blooming around Miwa and after undoing her restraints, I hugged her shoulders and brought our heads together.

[I believe Bellom-sensei will do another funeral for your family. It must have been painful. It must have been sad. Still, you did your best and got this far.]

[You’re right, but, it’s over….. I’ve reached the Bad End, everybody is going to die.]

[That means the Karma value is high? What will happen if it the Bad End?]

[…In the Bad End, my Mana will once again run out of control and it’s finished. Rafael and all the other noble descendants who are in high school will get caught in it and die. And my name will remain in the history as the witch of disaster. It’s better for you to look at this Karma value.]

Miwa said as she took out the hand mirror from her breast pocket.

Numbers were aligned in the hand mirror that was shown to me, Karma value can also be seen.

Miwa’s Karma value was 80, close to the upper limit of 100.

It’s certainly a dangerous figure.

[Can I take a look?]

[Go ahead.]

I hold the hand mirror to take a look.

When I did, the Karma value displayed was -40 as if the measured target has changed.

[This is….?]

Karma should have been given depending on her moral values.

I don’t remember doing things than can be considered bad, but is it possible to be given a negative value?

The lowest numerical value in the memory was “0).

Perhaps, the Karma value is not solely based on morals….?

TN:

* – The original is “After Nicole said that one word,” which was; 「任せろ」 or makasero.