Episode 123
"Mmm."
Quietly opening my eyes, a familiar scene comes into view.
"...It's my room."
I'm not sure how much time has passed, but at least this place seems to be reality.
At the very least, unlike before, my mental state is clear.
Come to think of it, I seem to have had some rather strange experiences while unconscious.
The moment of curling up in a warm, cozy, dark space, and the memory of being forcibly sucked out from there and returning to a somehow familiar place.
The moment when it felt like my whole body was shattering into pieces yet somehow there was no pain, and the feeling that my body was connecting with someone.
Vaguely feeling such experiences in my unconsciousness, when I opened my eyes, the scenery of my dormitory room came into view.
How many weeks have passed this time? Or perhaps months?
What happened to Klana? If she ends up worrying about me, how should I handle the trials that will soon arrive?
What about the slave market? The penalty stacking? Ferloche's secret?
What should I do from now on?
"Sigh..."
Chewing over the countless worries that flooded my mind the moment my consciousness cleared, I let out a sigh and collapsed onto the bed.
'Why does it feel a bit harder than usual today?'
Honestly speaking, I was slightly exhausted.
From the time I first heard the prophecy from my father, back when I was still a child for whom everything looked beautiful and nothing was lacking, until now.
I had been running forward with only one goal in mind—to defeat the Demon Lord and bring a happy ending to the world.
Of course, there were times when I wanted to give up everything midway, and times when I almost succumbed to temptation.
But still, I pressed forward without yielding.
Because if I gave up, everything would end.
[Permanent Debuff: Fate of the Villain]
Description) Each time your identity as a 'Villain' is discovered, your vitality and lifespan decrease. (Special stacks only reduce vitality.)
[Stacks: 3 Special Stacks: 1]
"Hmm."
Opening the debuff window with such thoughts, I ended up chuckling softly and muttering.
"...No wonder I'm tired."
When lifespan decreases, there's no physical sensation. But when vitality decreases, you feel it immediately.
Because vitality is the very foundation that allows people to move, think, and exercise their abilities.
That's right.
The reason I was tired was because my vitality had decreased.
It wasn't that I was mentally exhausted or that everything had become difficult—I simply felt that way because my physical energy had dropped.
So, let's gather strength again from now on.
The reduction in lifespan and vitality isn't a problem.
With a mountain of things to do ahead, I can't just blame my vitality.
In the first place, didn't the ancestor say that game clear was possible up to 5 stacks?
- Theoretically, you can clear the game up to 5 stacks.
I clearly remember that passage. So, there's absolutely no problem.
- The problem is that those were just conditions mentioned by the development company. And honestly, I don't even know if that's actually possible. Even I, who was the only person to clear Blacktail Fantasy 1, couldn't clear 2. But there were definitely clear records on the leaderboard, you know? So you need to save your stacks as much as possible...
Anyway, there's no problem.
"Ugh."
Just as I was gathering my resolve and trying to get up from my seat, pain shot through my entire body.
It seems that with 3 stacks accumulated, my body has indeed been strained.
"...Hmm?"
Thinking such thoughts as I carefully tried to rise from my spot, I noticed something black sticking up in my field of vision.
- Tap, tap
Staring at that sight and inadvertently tapping it, I soon realized that its identity was Kania's hair.
"...Hello, Kania."
Watching Kania with a slight smile, I soon noticed the dark circles under her eyes and began to frown.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
With a worried expression, I stroked Kania's head, then carefully rose from my seat so as not to wake her.
"Mmm..."
From the looks of it, she had clearly been pulling all-nighters nursing me, so thinking I should let her rest for even a moment as she knelt on the floor face down.
'What's this...?'
Seeing my name engraved on it, it was almost certainly mine. I began heading toward the cane placed in the corner of the room.
"Much better."
Soon picking up the cane and examining it this way and that, I used it to support myself on the ground and muttered with a satisfied smile.
"Just as I thought, it was because my body was exhausted."
The moment I used the cane to support myself on the ground, energy started returning.
Of course, that should be the case.
Would I collapse from exhaustion just because one more stack accumulated?
To catch the Demon Lord, there's still a long way to go.
Let alone the 2nd and 3rd years, I'm barely progressing through the main quest of the 1st year's second semester... There's no way I'd get tired here.
Right, it was all because my vitality was depleted.
It's still manageable.
"...Hmm."
Thinking such thoughts as I was about to leave the room, I suddenly glanced at Kania who was lying face down on the bed.
'Sleeping like that will be bad for her back.'
Having suffered from insomnia for a long time in the previous cycle, I know from experience sleeping in all sorts of bizarre positions.
If she keeps sleeping like that, she'll definitely have back problems.
"Heave-ho."
With such thoughts, I carefully lifted Kania up.
I intended to lay the extremely exhausted-looking girl on the bed.
"...Huh?"
But then, it seemed like now wasn't the right time to lay Kania down.
The clock that came into my view as I lifted her was indicating that only 10 minutes remained until class time.
"Kania, wake up."
"...Mmm."
In the end, for the sake of Kania who hated being late to class with a passion, I chose the option of waking her from sleep.
Honestly, I really wanted to let her rest properly, but she still needs to attend class, doesn't she?
"Young... Master?
"Kania."
Waking Kania with such feelings, she, who had been held in my arms, slowly opened her eyes.
"Have you been well?"
"...Ah."
Smiling at her like that, Kania started looking at me blankly.
"What's wrong?"
"...Young Master."
"Hm?"
When I tilted my head at those words,
"If you want to rest, please say so anytime."
"...H-huh?"
Kania buried her head in my chest and spoke.
"Don't hold it all in."
Soon after, she quietly took my hand and rose from her seat, then began staring at me intently.
"...Me too."
"...?"
Then, completely unexpectedly, she said that, and holding my hand that wasn't gripping the cane to support me, she began slowly leading us out of the room.
"Kania. The work report..."
"Let's postpone it for now. I'll report everything together later. For the time being, let's just attend classes and rest."
"Then..."
"Please take care of me."
Somehow, Kania seemed to have been upgraded.
What is this?
.
- Creak...
"Cough."
To draw as little attention as possible, I naturally opened the classroom door and stepped inside.
".....!!!"
But despite my efforts, everyone's gazes immediately focused on me.
Well, if a scoundrel who had been holed up in his room after news of suddenly collapsing suddenly opens the door and walks in one day, I suppose I'd glance at him too.
"Well then."
Of course, having gone through far too many experiences to shrink from such gazes, I was ignoring them appropriately when Kania quickly separated from me and began disappearing somewhere.
".....?"
Watching that sight with slight confusion, I soon read the children's eyes and frowned slightly, muttering inwardly.
'...It feels like I'm seeing a déjà vu.'
It's like watching Klana's first appearance all over again, when she was ignored by the commoners and shunned by the nobles.
Of course, the fact that I'm now the subject is a flaw, if it can be called a flaw.
"Frey! Over here! Please sit quickly!"
"...Sigh."
Anyway, as I was stoically enduring those gazes, an all-too-familiar voice came from somewhere.
"Ferloche?"
"Partners are supposed to sit together!"
"...Alright."
Answering quietly to her subsequent words, when I sat next to her, the gazes also began following to where I sat.
Probably, the nobles are calculating gains and losses to determine how much my health has deteriorated after the rumors said I was in critical condition.
The commoners are either praising the heavens for delivering poetic justice to the villain, or wanting to see the plight I'm in.
They seem to be sending their gazes diligently.
"Lady Klana, do you have time today?"
"Lady Serena, I have a nice accessory..."
And after such gazes were exchanged, within a few minutes, the nobles split into two factions just as I had predicted.
Two factions centered on Klana, who turned pale upon discovering me, and Serena, who was looking at me with an anguished expression.
'...Wait, already?'
Watching that scene indifferently, I sensed a question and began tilting my head.
'Why are they splitting now?'
The timing I had expected for the factions to split was much later, during the 2nd year.
It would be better for me to still have some influence at this point... what is going on here?
"Lord Frey, are you alright?"
"...The dark circles have come all the way down to your chin!"
"If this continues, something terrible will happen..."
While I was thinking such thoughts, several female students began approaching me.
Unexpectedly, were there still people choosing my faction?
"You all! Step back!"
"F-Ferloche?"
"I'm keeping a close watch on Frey! Don't get in the way!"
But they were chased back to their seats by Ferloche.
At times like this, Ferloche seems quite useful in her totem role.
"Irina, want to hang out together?"
"Let's have lunch together later!"
"Uh, um?"
Quietly watching Ferloche who was smiling next to me, the commoners gathered around Irina in the back and started chatting.
But wait, was Irina that popular?
"Frey, do you have time tonight?"
"What?"
Looking suspiciously at Irina who had suddenly become popular, this time Serena, who had left her faction and approached me, came into view.
"...Frey, I love you, right?"
"Y-yeah."
Somehow feeling like I had to answer truthfully, I unconsciously replied to her, then began tilting my head.
Because somehow Serena's behavior pattern resembled the night.
During the day, she's reluctant to approach because she doesn't want to see the affectionate displays between me and Kania.
"Everyone, you're all here."
That disorderly atmosphere finally settled when Isollet entered and everyone's attention focused on her.
"Then, please open your [Theory of Swordsmanship] to page 168. Today we'll be taking an in-depth approach to utilizing sword energy."
"Yes."
As always, the children can't make a peep around Isollet.
Well, she's from the most renowned noble house among the marquis families, and the eldest daughter of a family founded by the first Sword Saint who was a member of the hero's party. Who would dare cross her?
'...Ah, I did.'
Looking at the chalkboard and chuckling at the pointless thought that crossed my mind, I slowly began lowering my eyelids.
"Frey! What are you doing! You can't sleep!"
"...Just a little, just let me sleep a little."
Ferloche is saying something next to me, but I can't fight off the drowsiness.
I guess I'll need to close my eyes for just a moment.
Just for a moment.
Just a very, brief moment...
.
"Ugh...!"
In a dark room, thick dark magic power comes billowing out.
"Cough! Cough!!"
"Ugh..."
Then, the people in the room all began coughing intensely.
"Kania... what is the meaning of this?"
Among those who had been coughing for a while, Klana frowned, raised her head, and began questioning.
"You said we would definitely enter Frey's unconscious... and make him dream of what he 'wants' most, didn't you?"
Beside Klana who spoke like that, Frey, still unconscious, was lying down.
"That's right, so... honestly, I was prepared for it."
On the other hand, Irina, who chimed in agreement with Klana's words, soon frowned and began adding to what she said.
"But why did a dream of just attending classes come out?"
"Well, that's..."
Hearing those words, Kania chewed her lips and spoke.
"It seems that at this point, what the young master wanted most... was just an ordinary daily life of attending classes at the academy."
"What?"
At Kania's answer, Klana asked with an expression of disbelief.
"But does that make sense? You said this dark magic brings out the deepest desires, didn't you?"
"...That's how exhausted the young master was."
Answering Klana, Kania added in a somber voice.
"Even though it was time for him to wake up, the young master wouldn't wake up, so we started this treatment several days ago... back then, he just slept lying down all day."
"Just... slept?"
"Yes, I was worried there might be some problem, so I called both Klana and Irina... and this is the only concrete wish that came out."
Saying that, Kania quietly looked down at Frey and spoke.
"More than anything, I, who am one with the young master, am strongly feeling it. The desire for peaceful rest."
When those words ended, a solemn atmosphere began to fill the room.
Because they couldn't even imagine how difficult a life one must lead for the most intense desire felt deep in one's heart to become a 'desire for rest.'
'...Something is strange.'
In that silent room, Kania began muttering quietly to herself.
'Serena couldn't come due to circumstances, and Ferloche wasn't allowed to participate from the start because of the risk of being discovered...'
Looking at Frey beside her.
'...Why did he appear in the unconscious?'
With a puzzled gaze.
'Could it be?'
Soon, that gaze changed to a rather sharp one.