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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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I felt like I was trapped in a dark room. I couldn’t see anything, and when I reached out, there was nothing to grasp.
‘This is a very unpleasant dream.’
It wasn’t a nightmare, but it wasn’t exactly a pleasant dream either.
“I can’t see anything, but I’m sure there’s a way out.”
I started walking, a sense of unease settling in my chest. I could hear faint voices in my head. They were too clear to be dismissed as auditory hallucinations.
“Luna? Estia?”
Even in my dreams, these two wouldn’t leave me alone.
I tried to ignore their chattering, but their voices grew louder, and then Saten’s voice joined the chorus, sending a jolt through my mind.
‘Run…! Help…!’
‘If you’re caught… you’ll die…’
Thump, thump!!
Faint voices and the sound of running footsteps. Every thump felt like someone was hitting my head with a hammer.
So this is what it feels like when someone runs inside my head.
“This is why people commit murder because of noise complaints.”
I clutched my head and shouted,
“Estia! Saten! Stop messing around and go to sleep! It’s noisy!”
“…”
“…They can’t hear me. This is a dream.”
Even in a dream, being trapped in a dark room with the Hero’s party running around inside my head was unpleasant. My sleep-deprived nerves were on edge.
Then, a different voice whispered in my ear.
‘Jun, I told you I don’t like vegetables.’
‘I told you to use honorifics with your master.’
‘Do you want to die? Talking back to your master?’
‘J-Just give me the vegetables. My mouth hurts. Hurry up, Jun.’
A scene flashed through my mind. Preparing breakfast. Eating together. Sharing meaningless but enjoyable conversations.
‘…Damn it.’
Why did I forget?
I forgot something I shouldn’t have.
Even though there were blank spaces in my memory, I remembered the woman I had forgotten. And the feelings I had for her.
“Nerdia Aina.”
The first person to help me in this world.
My master.
The woman I shared happy memories with.
How could I forget?
A wave of regret and forgotten emotions washed over me, and the darkness began to recede. It was time to wake up.
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“Where am I…?”
I opened my eyes and saw a familiar ceiling.
“Damn it, my head hurts.”
I sat up, ignoring the throbbing pain. Faint breathing sounds came from below the bed.
“…So that’s why I heard voices in my head.”
Because of them.
I looked down and saw the Hero’s party lying on the floor.
“Are they sleeping? They’re not moving. And why are they here?”
I didn’t understand. I got out of bed and approached Luna. She was sleeping with her mouth slightly open.
“Hmm… hmmm… uhhh…”
“…She looks so stupid.”
Luna frowned in her sleep, as if having a bad dream. I couldn’t let her sleep on the cold floor, so I picked her up.
“U-Ugh… I’m sorry… I made a mistake…”
“What are you muttering about? Be quiet.”
What kind of dream was she having?
I didn’t understand, but I placed Luna on her bed and left the room.
“Why were they all sleeping on the floor…?”
I still didn’t understand. I went back to my room to move the other children to their beds.
‘Hmm?’
The situation had changed while I was in Luna’s room.
“Ugh… my head hurts. That sneaky Saintess.”
“You’re awake, Saten.”
“Ugh… Saintess. You’re dead to me.”
Saten seemed to be consumed by rage.
Having never learned to control her emotions, she couldn’t stop herself. I grabbed her arm as she lunged towards Estia.
Grab-
“…Mister?”
“Saten, calm down. What are you doing in the middle of the night?”
“Mister, this is a misunderstanding. Estia betrayed us, so I’m going to punish her.”
“Betrayed?”
Nod-!
Saten nodded, looking aggrieved. I didn’t understand what she meant by ‘betrayal,’ so I released her arm and asked,
“Estia betrayed you?”
“Yes, she betrayed the Hero’s party. She deserves to be punished.”
Saten’s eyes burned with rage. Estia groaned, seemingly regaining consciousness.
“Ugh, my head… you didn’t tell me this would happen, Goddess…! My head hurts…!”
“…Estia is awake. I wanted to punish her without causing her pain, but it seems she’ll have to suffer.”
“Calm down, Saten. I’ll handle this.”
What did Estia do to make Saten so angry?
I felt a surge of… something… at the word ‘betrayal,’ but I couldn’t grasp the memory.
I had a headache.
I tried to hide it and asked Estia,
“Are you okay, Estia?”
“N-No…! My head hurts! Not enough to die, but! It hurts!”
“It’ll get better if you rest. But they said you betrayed the Hero’s party… is that true?”
“W-Well!”
Estia flinched.
Did she really betray them?
‘I need to hear her side of the story.’
Conflict within the Hero’s party wasn’t good. I had to resolve this. Another wave of undefined emotions and missing memories caused another headache, but I tried to remain calm.
“Estia.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Explain what you did.”
Estia, flustered, started rambling.
“W-Well, it was betrayal…! But I didn’t betray Brother…! Actually, the others betrayed me…! Anyway, I’m not a traitor! I’m a savior! I’m the Saintess!”
“That’s a lie. Estia betrayed the Hero’s party.”
“…So you disagree.”
One said she didn’t betray them.
The other said she did.
They couldn’t reach an agreement.
‘This won’t be resolved until Luna or Hare wakes up.’
They would be biased if it was about them. I was bothered by the word ‘betrayal,’ but I decided to postpone this discussion until Luna woke up.
“…It’s late. We’ll talk about this tomorrow morning.”
“You have to believe me! Brother, you have to believe me! I was so brave!”
“But that doesn’t change the fact that you betrayed us. You traitor. You lied to us.”
“Stop it.”
It was too noisy for the middle of the night. This was the most crucial time for the children’s growth. They needed sleep. I lifted Estia and Saten onto my shoulders.
“Eek! What are you doing, Brother! Are you abandoning me!? Without even listening to my side of the story! You’ll regret this! You’ll regret abandoning the Saintess!”
“As expected, Mister. Abandoning the traitor is an excellent choice.”
“Both of you, be quiet and go to sleep.”
We’ll talk tomorrow.
I carried them to their respective rooms.
Slam!
Their protests continued.
“B-Brother! If you leave me here, Saten will kill me! Help me! Let’s sleep together!!”
“I can’t stand this anymore, Mister. Let me deal with the traitor-“
“I told you to be quiet.”
Throb-!
Another wave of fragmented memories and emotions caused another headache. But I couldn’t just stand here and do nothing.
“…I’ll let you out tomorrow.”
Click, click.
‘I’m glad I installed these locks for emergencies.’
I locked their doors to prevent them from meeting.
“Let me out, Mister! I have to punish the traitor!”
“Yay! Thank you, Brother! Don’t forget I helped you! I’ll heal you!”
Two completely different reactions. Well, at least they won’t see each other tonight.
‘What if Estia is dead when I open the door tomorrow morning?’
It’s not like a locked-room mystery…
That wouldn’t happen, right?
I locked them in their rooms and returned to my own, intending to put Hare to bed. But Hare was already awake and standing there.
“You’re awake, Hare.”
“…”
Hare didn’t answer, her head lowered. The atmosphere was strange. She clenched her fists and said, her voice filled with determination,
“…Mister.”
“Yes, Hare?”
“I-I’ll… fill all your empty spaces…! J-Just trust me…!”
Hare spread her arms and lunged at me, like a flying squirrel.
What was she doing? I stopped her by grabbing her forehead.
“Hare.”
“Y-Yes…?”
“You must be sleep-deprived. Go back to sleep. There are no empty spaces.”
“…Okay.”
Hare’s shoulders slumped as she walked towards the door, muttering something I couldn’t quite hear because of another headache. And I had a lot on my mind.
‘…I’ve been too relaxed while I had no memories.’
I shouldn’t have wasted my time like this. I had to move faster. But first…
“…Option 1.”
I had to see Minerva, whom I had forgotten.
I wasn’t sure why my memories were returning, but… I had to face Minerva, who was probably furious that I had forgotten her.
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