Episode 66
"Serena? What are you doing right now?"
"...Follow me."
So surprised that I was even breaking out in cold sweat as I asked, but Serena just held my arm and headed forward.
"Why are we going to the window?"
"We used to always sneak out through the window when we were young, remember?"
Upon reaching the window, Serena sat on the windowsill and extended her hand to me.
"Here, take my hand."
"No, what is this..."
"Hurry."
As she urged me, I hesitated for a moment before sighing and taking her hand.
It was an unavoidable choice, as the moon's mana was rising, emitting toxicity that would have me groaning in pain for a week if even a little entered the room.
- Fwoosh!
The moment I took Serena's hand, she pulled me through the window while still holding my hand.
Though startled, I soon remembered this was a prank Serena often played when we were young, so I gently closed my eyes and let her guide my body.
"Was it fun?"
"No."
Landing on soft moon mana that Serena must have prepared on the grass beforehand, I answered gruffly to Serena who was crushing me beneath her, then pushed her away.
"I'm not in the mood to play around with you right now. So..."
"If you don't play along with me, I'll disqualify you as commander."
But as she looked at me with pouting eyes and spoke, I gazed at her and fell into thought for a moment.
'...This is too different from her recent attitude.'
To erase the love Serena held for me, I had been displaying affection with Kania in front of her whenever I had the chance.
That's why our relationship had been quite awkward lately... but her current attitude seems like she's returned to the past.
"Well, disqualify me then. Even if I get disqualified, I have nothing to lose."
Of course, I couldn't let myself be swayed by her, so I answered gruffly, but Serena just watched me with a faint smile.
"...Touch the back of your neck."
After staring at me intensely for a while, Serena spoke in a calm voice.
"Ow, that stings!"
At her words, I unconsciously touched the back of my neck, and my finger was pricked by something and started bleeding.
"You've been poisoned."
"What?"
"If you don't drink the antidote I give you before this morning... you're as good as dead."
As Serena smiled brightly after saying that, I finally understood what she had done to the back of my neck earlier.
"So, what do I need to do?"
Of course, since she was under the 'Absolute Obedience Magic,' I could simply command her to give me the antidote.
But I was too curious about why she was suddenly acting this way, so I decided to follow her instructions for now.
"Tonight, go on a date with me."
"What?"
But hearing Serena's following words, I started breaking out in cold sweat and wondering if I should just command her to give me the antidote and leave.
It seems tonight will truly be a long night, just as she said.
.
"Do you recognize where this is?"
"This place is..."
Serena, who had put me in a black carriage while I was flustered, first headed to her regular dessert café.
"You used to eat cake here with me every day and got cavities, remember?"
Of course, I remember that very well. Thanks to that, I didn't even look at sweets for a while.
But thanks to Serena apologizing while crying, I started coming here again before long... and thanks to that, I got cavities again and got thoroughly scolded by my parents.
"You're not still holding a grudge about that, are you?"
As I frowned slightly recalling that memory, Serena looked at me with a slightly worried expression.
"...Let's go in."
Of course, I wasn't holding a grudge, I just vividly remembered the tooth pain from back then, but I deliberately treated her coldly as I entered the shop.
"Welcome, customers!"
It had been quite a while since I visited, but most of it was exactly as I remembered.
Decorations and colors giving off an unnecessarily lovey-dovey atmosphere, small and cozy furniture, employees always walking around smiling, and... the fact that it operates 24 hours.
"Um... animals aren't allowed!"
As I was about to walk with those thoughts, a voice came from behind.
Wondering what was happening, I looked back and saw an employee blocking Serena after seeing the owl perched on her shoulder.
Actually, since Serena was a regular and a big spender at this shop, they used to quietly overlook her pet owl's entry... but that person must be a new hire.
"This is a doll."
"A doll?"
"Yes, touch it and see."
The employee started poking the owl's face, but it didn't even blink and stood rigidly on Serena's shoulder.
"Oh, it really is a doll. I'm sorry."
The employee who had been poking the owl for a while bowed and apologized to Serena, and she smiled gently and stood beside me.
"Praise me."
"Suddenly?"
When Serena blinked her eyes and said something I couldn't understand, so I frowned and asked back, she made an hurt expression.
"You used to always praise me when I used my head when we were young, right? So, praise me."
"Why on earth are you acting like this?"
Unable to understand her intentions at all, I asked with an annoyed expression, and Serena answered with a slightly sad smile.
"...Because I want to set everything right, even if it's now?"
"What is that supposed to..."
"Let's go inside and talk first."
Having said that, Serena entered a pre-prepared room, and I sighed as I watched her and moved my reluctant feet.
"Wow, this room hasn't changed at all."
Upon entering the room, a quite familiar scene came into view.
"Look, the graffiti we did when we were young is still here."
As I was looking around the room lost in memories, Serena pointed at graffiti written in the corner of the room.
- Frey ♡ Serena
"...Right."
Staring at the graffiti I had written myself when I was young, I sighed, sat down, and asked.
"Now tell me. What's your true intention."
Then Serena, who was petting the owl perched on her shoulder, looked at me intensely and spoke.
"So, what's the reason I shouldn't worry about you?"
".....!"
Hearing those words, I started to space out for a moment.
"Don't worry, it's night right now."
"...What?"
Serena, who was looking at me as if I was cute, leaned her head toward me and spoke.
"I'll worry about you at night, and I won't worry about you during the day. Do you understand?"
"...Ah."
The moment I heard those words, I could roughly understand how the situation was working.
"So you have erased memories during the day, and memories that aren't erased at night?"
"Something like that."
"Why exactly?"
Then Serena opened her eyes sharply and spoke.
"Actions during the day are monitored by the Sun God. So, to screw over the Sun God, I have no choice but to scheme at night. That's why I separated my day self and night self."
"...What!?"
"Don't you know too? The system and the Sun God's..."
As I was listening intently to Serena suddenly pouring out important information, she suddenly closed her mouth and looked out the window, whispering.
"The moonlight I briefly shook off earlier has brightened again."
As she said that and looked around, I spread star mana in all directions and started detecting suspicious presences.
'The Moonlight Family's assassination squad.'
Given that Serena specifically called them moonlight, and that she, who wouldn't blink at ordinary threats, urgently covered my mouth, these presences were likely the assassination squad sent by the Moonlight Family.
Then I understand why Serena came to me.
She probably came to save me, or came to pretend to kill me due to pressure from the Council of Elders.
"So, how many cakes are we ordering?"
"5? No... I should order about 7."
"How sweet?"
"Very sweet."
Thinking this, I calmly asked Serena about the number and skill of the assassins, then picked up the order form and pen beside me.
"Ordering verbally? Or using the order form?"
"Let's use the order form."
As Serena smiled and spoke, I opened my mouth with a calm expression while writing on the order form.
"By the way, what exactly is this behavior?"
[Is written communication within allowed limits?]
After writing that and turning the paper, Serena began speaking with a faint smile.
"What do you mean? It's a reconciliation gift for you."
[It was within allowed limits until now, but I just received an order to open the window. It seems it won't work.]
Looking at the paper she carefully handed me after finishing, I said with a scrunched face.
"What reconciliation?"
[Then, what should we do?]
At the same time, as I wrote on the order form and handed it to her, Serena started smiling.
"Are you really going to be like that?"
[It's okay. There's a way. I'll protect you.]
Reading what was written on the order form she handed me, I started letting out a hollow laugh.
It's been quite a while since someone protected me.
.
"Your ordered cakes are here!"
"...Did we really order this?"
"Yes! That's correct!"
A giant cake appeared before my eyes.
Not just a big cake, but a super giant cake.
- Flap
As I was staring blankly at the cake, Serena suddenly opened her fan.
[First question: Does your lifespan decrease if your good deeds are discovered?]
Inadvertently looking at the fan, I started letting out a hollow laugh seeing what was written inside.
"Why are you laughing like that?"
"No, just... the cake is too big."
I wondered why she ordered such a huge cake - it was Serena's calculation to create a blind spot.
She really is clever when it comes to using her head.
'...Is it safe to tell her?'
Anyway, about to answer her question, I paused and started staring intently at Serena.
According to what Serena said earlier, she would have different memories during day and night.
Then, would she still be under the 'Absolute Obedience Magic' at night?
"...Serena, smile brightly."
"Hehe."
As I gave the command with that thought, Serena immediately started beaming.
Since it was a genuine laugh, not her usual elegant or faint smile, I noticed the Absolute Obedience Magic was still effective, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
That's because, due to the command I gave her, no matter what I say, Serena wouldn't be able to 'confirm' my words... so there would absolutely be no penalty.
"That's..."
- Flap!
I opened my mouth with those thoughts, but Serena, who had been beaming and examining my expression, turned her fan without even hearing my answer.
"To continue what we were talking about earlier... do you really prefer that butler over me?"
[Second question: How many years of lifespan do you have left?]
Seeing that action and realizing she had figured out the answer to her question just from my expression, I clicked my tongue and cautiously made the number '2' with my hand while speaking.
"It's not just Kania, there are plenty of women better than you everywhere."
"...Grr."
Serena, who was staring blankly at my hand gesture, quietly ground her teeth and grabbed my hand.
"...Frey."
Soon Serena started making a very sad expression.
But that sad expression soon mixed with anger to deceive the watchers outside, and after a while, even suspicion was mixed in due to the command I had given.
Watching her silently, I wanted to cancel the command not to jump to conclusions immediately, but that would be ignoring her who had worked so hard to prepare all this, so I held back.
[Third question: Who are your current allies?]
"For example, tell me. Who is better than me? Not just among women, but I doubt there are many among men either."
As I deliberately maintained a calm expression, Serena opened her fan again and asked.
"The Kania and Irina I've been keeping around lately - you're settled with them. So, how about facing reality now?"
Answering her in a cold voice, Serena made an expression as if she knew that would be the answer.
"As expected, there was a reason you were so good to them? When exactly did you fall for them?"
"Kania for about 3 months, Irina recently. And, I didn't fall for them, I'm just playing with them."
"How absurd."
Having roughly shared information with her, I nodded and deliberately turned my gaze away from Serena, who was looking at me with suspicious eyes again under my command's influence.
'That looks delicious.'
Then, the delicious-looking cake before me entered my vision.
Having been conditioned to like sweets because of Serena when I was young, I unconsciously reached for the spoon, but...
[Danger]
Reading what was written on the last part of the fan Serena urgently opened, I stopped my movement.
'...Tch.'
Cursing the damn assassins who dared to put poison in a delicious cake, I glanced out the window, then turned my gaze at the sound of the fan flapping.
[Fourth question: There are certain emotions I or others shouldn't hold toward you, right?]
"Do you dislike me that much? Frey?"
As I was about to answer the question before me, Serena urgently opened her fan again.
[Surely it's not love? If that's correct, the memory trick I'm using right now would be useless. Because the love held for you can never be erased.]
"Answer properly. Do you dislike me that much?"
Seeing that, I answered while feeling considerable cuteness from Serena, who was trembling slightly with fear.
"Don't 'worry' too much. When I get tired of the toys I'm playing with now, I'll come pick you up again."
Hearing those words, Serena sighed and answered.
"...That's a relief at least."
After saying that and sighing for a moment, Serena inevitably started flapping her fan again with suspicious eyes due to the command's influence.
[Last question: Is there a way for you to be revived?]
"Are you really not going to abandon me?"
I was about to answer with a smile, but I hesitated due to a thought that crossed my mind.
The continuous errors in the prophecy book, diverging memories, the unknown system, and even the unnatural 'early termination' from the recent trial...
Things I had believed were correct or taken for granted are going astray one by one.
Then, is it true that I can make a wish to the Sun God when everything ends?
Or rather, is the Sun God even a trustworthy entity to begin with?
The split sun that the unidentified man who appeared in my unconscious had shown, the phrase 'Split Sun' I saw when infiltrating the church's underground with Ferloche, the 'Demon God' Ferloche mentioned.
And, according to what Serena said earlier... she is conducting some kind of business while avoiding the Sun God's surveillance.
Then, the Sun God is indeed...
"F, Frey?"
Lost in thought for a moment, I quickly came to my senses at Serena's voice and started looking at her.
"Y, you won't abandon me... right...?"
"Huh? Oh... I won't abandon you. I won't."
Anyway, according to the prophecy book, it was true that there was a revival method, so I calmed my mind and started giving her hints that revival was possible, but...
"Y, you... don't tell me... there really is no method..."
"No, I said there is. There is a method."
Serena, who had already read my wavering mind, seemed to have firmly misunderstood.
"Serena, calm down. I won't abandon you, and the method definitely exists."
I tried to salvage the situation by grabbing both of Serena's hands, but her expression only grew paler.
"Alright, I'll tell you the method later. So just calm down first..."
"One person at the right window, two through the left door, two from the ceiling, one from the floor, one person watching the situation."
"What?"
Just as I was throwing out random words to somehow calm her down, Serena, whose face had become extremely pale, frowned and spoke.
"Prepare yourselves."
Saying that, she started emitting moon mana from her entire body.
"...Damn."
Sensing the presence of six people rushing into our room, I sent star mana throughout my body, tensed my muscles, and fell into thought.
'Damn old bastards.'
It seems I'll need to give a proper gift in return to the Moonlight Family's Council of Elders soon.
.
Meanwhile at that time, at a palace of a small nation in the Western Continent.
"What does that mean?"
"As I said, Your Highness. The ship carrying the First and Second Princes and Princesses has gone missing."
"So I'm asking what that means!!"
The kingdom's princess, who had been excited about entering Sunrise Academy next year, was trembling after hearing the shocking news brought by the servant.
"Now, Your Highness is the sole heir to our kingdom's throne and its only hope."
Hearing those words, the princess sat down on the spot with a panicked expression.
The main quest 'Slave Market Liberation' mission was beginning.