Chapter 1: The Elf Village

Chapter 1:
The Elf Village

 

SENIOR OFFICIALS and their assistants gathered in an assembly room within the palace to discuss the matter of the Saint’s personal guard. They had a lot of complaining to do, mainly about the temple.

“That lot is getting far too carried away.”

“They seriously intend to make us finance her personal guard?”

“Then there’s Prince Julius and his friends. Who knows how they’ll react if we reject the temple’s demands?”

None of them liked that Marie had become the Saint. Of all people who could have possibly taken the title, it had to be the biggest nuisance imaginable. At least, that was the general consensus among the kingdom’s officials. Specifically, the temple was using Marie’s entanglement with Julius to push his reinstatement. The temple wanted to use him to obtain more power—that much was clear.

Vince, Angie’s father, attended the meeting, but his influence these days was minimal. Although he was a duke, his faction had declined after Julius’s downfall. He could only watch.

Clarice’s father, a plump, mustachioed earl named Bernard Fia Atlee, leaned toward Vince and whispered, “Are you sure about this?”

“Even if I opposed them, it wouldn’t overturn their decision. That’s quite obvious to me, Minister.”

Like Vince, Bernard kept his distance from Marquess Malcom Fou Frampton, the leader of the faction that was their opposition. “Personally, I owe that boy, so I’m loath to do this to him,” Bernard said, “but it’s also true no one is more suited to the role. I have no choice but to go along with the decision.”

“He’s neither my vassal nor my foster child,” Vince assured him. “You needn’t act apologetic toward me.”

Just then, Marquess Frampton spoke, and everyone went quiet. He was tall and slender, with deep wrinkles chiseled into his face. He had a prominent nose, and his beard cascaded down his chest. While his cheeks were sunken, his eyes bulged dramatically.

The man looks so pale. He must really be pushing himself. No matter how the marquess tried to hide his fatigue with face powder, Vince wasn’t fooled.

“You have all made your opinions readily apparent. Now that we have come to an agreement, does anyone oppose the decision?” Marquess Frampton scanned the faces of those present, but not a single person raised their voice in protest, Vince included.

What a farce. Vince knew the marquess’s faction had already met and decided on the matter before they called an assembly. Frampton was only confirming his victory.

“I am sure Redgrave House has something it would like to add, but this is for the sake of our kingdom,” said the marquess. “I hope you understand.”

“I never said I disagreed,” Vince replied.

A young noble from Marquess Frampton’s faction stood. “In that case, Viscount Leon Fou Bartfort will be appointed as head of the Saint’s personal guard.”

A number of nobles expressed their displeasure, but it was all directed at Leon specifically.

“I can’t believe that upstart will be in the Saint’s personal guard.”

“As long as he can serve as an alarm should any trouble arise, that’s good enough.”

“The problem is his collection of Lost Items. Shouldn’t we confiscate them before he changes sides and aligns himself with the temple?”

“But he earned them himself while adventuring, right? Taking them would violate national policy.”

“Hmph, he should just offer them to us freely.”

“Are we really okay leaving them in his care?”

Their anxiety about Leon really stemmed from wariness of Marie. In a short span of time, she had managed to beguile a number of prominent high lords, one after the other. For all they knew, Leon was next. If that happened, he might align himself with the temple over the kingdom.

The young noble supporting the marquess addressed the assembly’s unease with confidence. “I understand how you all feel. However, the viscount has beaten Prince Julius and his companions in a duel not once but twice, and his cruelty in doing so rendered the crowd silent. Given the bad blood between them, I don’t think we have to worry about him bending to the Saint.”

One of the officials chuckled. “For as much as she loves devouring men, it seems like even the Saint isn’t fond of the upstart.”

A few other court nobles snickered to themselves.

Marquess Frampton raised his hand, drawing everyone’s attention. “I sympathize with the unease regarding Viscount Bartfort. Why don’t we consider this a test to see whether the boy is fit to keep those Lost Items of his?”

Vince frowned. “What are we, vultures who would steal someone’s rightful treasure? Marquess Frampton, I cannot abide it.”

“Duke Redgrave—no, Vince—I only mean to suggest we ensure he’s fit to wield such powerful items. I haven’t said anything about taking them away. That all depends on the quality of his character.”

The other nobles nodded in agreement, whispering among themselves.

“True, it could be dangerous to leave things the way they are.”

“As long as we don’t take anything from him, I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

“Yes. But I do think it’s too dangerous to leave those items in the hands of an upstart.”

“There’s no guarantee he won’t start hoarding power.”

Again, Marquess Frampton’s faction held sway when it came to the majority opinion.

“So, no complaints then, Vince? Or do you intend to monopolize the power of those Lost Items for yourself? Your daughter certainly does seem close with Viscount Bartfort.” The marquess punctuated his statement with a glare.

So they planned to take away his Lost Items from the very beginning. Vince inclined his head. “Do as you like.”

“What a relief. I am glad you’re being so reasonable.”

With that, Vince sank into quiet contemplation. It was time to consider his next maneuver.

 

***

 

I stood on the Partner’s deck, staring at Marie and her group of followers.

“This blows.”

Luxion floated beside me. “Her ability to derive such joy out of life must be some kind of talent. That aside, why did we have to pull out the Partner for her?”

The Partner was a smaller replica of the spaceship that comprised Luxion’s main body. We portrayed this ship as the genuine Lost Item while keeping the real deal hidden. But since Luxion had created the Partner, he fussed over it as if it were his child.

Marie had suggested she and her entourage go on an adventure together, which meant she needed an airship to travel on. And of course, the first person she came to was me.

“No one else would lend her their ship, so I had no other choice. This is the worst. Having to follow her orders makes my skin crawl.”

She reminded me so much of my little sister from my last life. She’d been a real piece of work, though my sisters in this world were no less unpleasant.

“It’s hard to believe you’re the leader of Marie’s personal guard,” Luxion mused.

“Don’t say it! I’m having enough trouble accepting it as is.”

What in the world were the other nobles thinking? What had led them to assign me to her personal guard? Were they morons?

Marie was in high spirits, chortling as her minions fawned over her. Curiously, Carla was hanging around her as well, but someone else piqued my interest more: Marie’s personal servant, Kyle.

He had short blond hair and long, narrow ears, and he looked young enough to be in junior high. He had a cocky way of talking, but he seemed pretty laid-back for his age. He hung back from the crowd, grasping the railing as he gazed up at the sky.

I approached him. “What’s wrong? Your mistress’s followers steal her away from you?”

He glanced back at me. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t talk to me. I hate you, in case you weren’t aware.”

The way he said it so bluntly pissed me off. I wasn’t exactly a tolerant person. “Great! If you hate me so much, why don’t I toss you overboard so you never have to look at me again?”

Since we were drifting through the sky, I wouldn’t be chucking him into water but into open air.

Kyle snorted. “How would that benefit you? People like you don’t make a move without weighing the pros and cons first.”

He was absolutely right, and that just infuriated me more. Okay, I didn’t actually intend to throw him overboard. But if I’d thought he was a cocky brat in the game, it turned out he was even more insufferable in person.

“Tch, I won’t forget this.” I stomped off.

“Wow,” the little turd called after me, “you sound like a thug running off with his tail tucked between his legs.”

Before the blood could rush to my head, Luxion interjected, “Master, Olivia and Angelica are coming this way.”

Livia was smiling cheerfully while Angie fidgeted with anticipation.

“Leon, we can already see our destination from here!” Livia smiled. Her excitement stemmed from historical interest—she just wanted to see the ruins.

Angie, on the other hand, was showing her true colors as the descendant of adventurers. The words trip and ruins had set her off fantasizing about treasure. She could barely contain her anxiety. “We need to land quickly, set up camp close to the ruins, and then find the treasure before the rest of them!”

I tilted my head. “Angie, aren’t you’re already rich enough?”

“True, but there is still merit in finding it. I didn’t sleep at all last night.” She was normally so mature. It was rare to see her express such childlike enthusiasm over something.

“Me neither!” said Livia, “I can’t wait to search these ruins. I’ve always wondered how ancient people lived.” She brimmed with curiosity.

Their enthusiasm was the one saving grace of this trip. Honestly, if Angie and Livia hadn’t wanted to come along, I would have rejected Marie’s request.

“As long as you two are enjoying yourselves, I’m glad I brought the Partner, then.”

“I’m grateful,” said Angie. “There’s the dungeon in the capital, but it’s not a true adventure if you don’t explore the unknown.”

As I chatted with them, Marie wandered over, her head high as a haughty princess’s. She pressed a hand over her hair to keep the wind from whipping through it. “Hey, you, the island came into view, so you need to make preparations to dock. I want to collect this treasure as quickly as possible.”

I growled, pinning her with a glare.

Marie shrank back and averted her gaze. The way she acted like a small, startled animal reminded me of my previous little sister, too.

Pisses me off.

“Uh, um, I mean… It would be really great if we could make preparations to land, so…” She sure got timid without her lackeys. They all kept their distance from Angie.

Angie stared at Marie with unrestrained anger. “The Partner belongs to Leon. Do you have complaints about how he runs things?” She took a step forward.

Marie scrambled back, though she hardly needed to—Jilk Fia Marmoria and Greg Fou Seberg appeared just then. The other three love interests were apparently busy.

Jilk stepped in between Angie and Marie. He had long, green hair, and despite his serene demeanor, he was a conniving weasel. As Prince Julius’s foster brother, he was head of the prince’s own personal guard. Or rather…he had been. Julius had taken Jilk with him when he fell from power, and the guy was pretty firmly still disowned.

“Miss Angelica, might I ask what you intended to do to Miss Marie?” he asked.

“Nothing. I was simply warning her.” Angie backed down, which was a huge relief for me.

“Don’t complain,” I said to Marie. “I’ll land the ship and get things ready.”

“F-fine…” Marie agreed. Her face made clear she was still dissatisfied.

I hated that I could read her so easily.

Our little commotion had caught the attention of another guest on my ship. A slender girl with long black hair, pale skin, and red eyes glided over the deck toward us—Princess Hertrude Sera Fanoss. The kingdom’s officials had more or less forced the principality’s princess to study abroad at our academy.

“Oh, there you all are,” she said. “I was looking for you.”

Angie wrinkled her nose and mumbled, “I didn’t know she would be coming with us.”

Luxion floated closer and whispered, “She’s been searching the ship this whole time.”

“I really do have to wonder what the officials are thinking, forcing a foreign princess on me, too.” I sighed.

Miss Hertrude smiled at us, but it would have been a stretch to call her friendly. Part of that was my fault. After defeating the Fanoss army during our school trip, I had taunted them, saying things like, Tell me, how does it feel? Losing to a bunch of kids, I mean. Come on, I’m curious. Plus, I’d taken the princess prisoner. That probably didn’t help.

Which is to say, the way she subsequently beamed directly at me sent chills down my spine. “Viscount Bartfort, your airship is so enormous that I got lost within it.”

“Ah, sorry to hear that. Where are your escorts? Please don’t wander around by yourself.”

“We got separated.” The princess shrugged. “You can hardly blame me for that.”

A few academy students had been assigned to watch her, but they were nowhere to be seen. She had either shaken them off or thrown them overboard.

Luxion cut in with another whisper: “They purposefully left her alone, actually.”

Huh. I scrutinized her. This schemer didn’t know when to accept defeat; I could feel it. What’s she planning?

The princess turned away. “I’d thank you not to look at me with those lecherous eyes.”

Way to misinterpret me. I wasn’t interested, thanks. Her chest was flat enough to give Marie a run for her money. I shook my head. “Sorry.”

“Wh-why are you looking at me with such pity? What’s that about?” Her cheeks flushed.

Angie stepped forward. “Enough of that for now. We need to get ready to land.”

The Partner had arrived at the island where the elves lived. Their harbor wasn’t large enough to accommodate our ship, so we docked elsewhere as Luxion began our preparations to disembark.

 

***

 

Once we touched down, the girls on board began distributing orders and the boys hauled the girls’ luggage.

“Hey, you, don’t mishandle my things!”

“I-I’m sorry…”

Most of the girls had servants who technically should have done the work, but the servants were also the girls’ lovers. The boys knew it would only cause them grief if they tried to order the servants around, so they kept their heads down and did as they were told.

Meanwhile, I had a headache of my own to deal with.

“Commander, do you want me to carry this luggage?” Greg asked. He’d been acting more familiar with me, almost as if we were friends.

“Don’t call me that. I still haven’t accepted this.”

“Hey, if you’re leading her personal guard, that makes you our commander, too, at least in my book.” He grinned. “I’m looking forward to working with you, Commander.”

This was awful.

Miss Hertrude watched our exchange from nearby, flanked by the students that had been assigned to accompany her. “The kingdom is a cruel place indeed,” she remarked.

I assumed she was referring to the discrepant gender dynamics. “Is it different in the principality?” I asked.

“Ha, as if my country would do anything this crude.”

If that was true, I was almost tempted to defect from Holfort Kingdom and to the Principality of Fanoss. Not that I actually could.

“But the principality used to be part of the kingdom, right? How come it’s so different?”

It had won its independence in battle. Ongoing hostilities between the two nations had led to our current predicament.

“I merely sympathize with the kingdom’s people,” Miss Hertrude said. “Especially you, Viscount Bartfort. You have it rough. Whatever woman you marry will surely parade her demi-human lover in public. We don’t permit such vulgarity in the principality. If you’re willing to switch sides, I promise we’ll give you treatment worthy of a hero.”

Do you know how many other people are watching? Don’t bring that up here! You’ll make me question my loyalties.

Greg, for one, was obviously listening in on the conversation, eyes narrowed in anger.

Just then, Marie approached. “Hey, what happened to searching for treasure? I want to hurry up and get moving.”

The princess rolled her eyes. “You’re the Saint, aren’t you? How odd for you to be so fixated on money.”

It was like she’d stepped on a land mine.

“What would you know?!” Marie spat. “My family dug themselves into debt without any regard for me!”

While I did honestly hate Marie, I at least felt sorry for her in one regard: her family really did seem to be the worst. I’d heard about how they racked up all that debt in her name. What lowlifes. I almost pitied her. Almost.

Greg tried to reassure her. “Don’t worry, Marie. Julius and the others are working hard to help pay off your family’s loans.”

That solved the riddle of where three-fifths of the idiot brigade had gone.

A shadow hung over Marie’s face. “Life is rough when you don’t have money… Whatever you need, you can’t afford. Even if your shoes are full of holes, you can’t get new ones. I’ve cut down my living expenses as much as possible, and it’s still not enough. I don’t even know what’s left.”

Wait, is she actually cursed?

“Leave it at that, okay?” I said. “Even Miss Hertrude’s getting awkward.”

The princess had muttered an apology around the point Marie started going off about shoe holes.

I glanced around at the bustle of everyone disembarking. “We should visit the locals and talk to them before we head into the ruins. The only problem is finding the elves’ village…”

We knew nothing about this island’s geography.

Kyle’s hand shot up. “I can lead you there. I was born here.”

 

***

 

We decided to proceed through the forest with Kyle in the lead.

Marie, oblivious as always, seemed genuinely surprised by this turn of events. “Aw, come on, Kyle. You should have told me this was your hometown. We could have prepared some gifts for everyone.”

She probably planned to act as if she was just accompanying him on a friendly visit back home. But from Kyle’s perspective, this had to be pretty awkward; he’d been sold as a slave and was returning with his mistress. Was he seriously going to introduce her and say, Hey, guys, this is the girl that bought me!

I snorted. Yeah, I wouldn’t want that if it were me. How the heck did she not know this was his home?

“There’s no need for gifts.” Kyle walked on ahead with the same expression I’d seen when he was by himself on the Partner’s deck. He didn’t look the least bit happy to be here. In fact, he looked depressed.

Unlike Marie, who was all too insensitive, Livia had picked up on Kyle’s mood. “Leon,” she asked, “don’t you think there’s something off about him? He’s finally getting to go home. Why does he seem so dejected?”

I shrugged. “Maybe he has some reason for not wanting to come back.”

As for Angie’s attitude…

“So this is the forest where the elves live, hmm? I never knew there was a dungeon here. I can’t wait to see it!”

She was overflowing with anticipation.

Meanwhile, Marie was already fantasizing about the success of her upcoming adventure. “Everything will be fine. If we can rake in the cash here, I can erase all the debt. Maybe there will even be something left over. I could eat at one of those popular food stalls. Maybe even get dessert with my dinner! Oh, I also need to buy new clothes. The stuff I have now is falling apart at the seams.”

It was depressing just listening to her. Why was she so pitiful? Surely the temple had given her the finances to cover her daily expenses as soon as she was proclaimed the Saint. Her parents must have accrued that monstrous debt before she could even enjoy it. What kind of awful sin had she committed in her previous life to deserve such punishment?

We walked on along a single stretch of well-maintained road leading through the forest, with our little group in the front and Jilk and Greg bringing up the rear. Everyone else was in between. Mixed among them was Miss Hertrude, who shuffled along with an annoyed look on her face. I dropped back to talk to her.

“You could have waited on the ship,” I said.

“It was my choice. Besides, after coming this far, it would be a shame not to see the ruins for myself.”

Those idiots at the top who decided to let her have free rein should have their brains checked. Shouldn’t they be a little more cautious?

Luxion floated by my shoulder, scrutinizing the road with his single, red eye. “Master, what are these ‘elves’?”

“You know, a fantasy race. Why, has something caught your interest?”

“Per my data, there is no such thing as a race of elves. That means they must have suddenly appeared while I was on standby for all those years. Doesn’t that make you curious?”

I hadn’t really thought about it too deeply, so no.

“I find it even more curious that they can’t crossbreed with humans, and yet men…”

I tuned him out as a village came into view.

Kyle pointed ahead. “There, that’s where I was born.”

Marie hopped, giddy with delight. “Oooh! There are beauties everywhere!”

At a glance, it was a tranquil yet well-provisioned settlement. Most of the buildings were made out of wood, giving the place a sense of unity. Yet all the villagers were absolutely gorgeous, their toned figures bedecked in skintight clothing.

Jilk put a hand on his chin, a sure sign he was about to show off some knowledge. “Most humans consider all elves to be beautiful, but they actually have a different sense of aesthetics than we do.”

Marie and Greg looked equally shocked. “What, really?”

Yeah, I didn’t figure you’d know about that. Not that I did either.

“Quite. Their sense of aesthetics is based on how much mana a person possesses, so they have no real interest in individual appearance.”

While everyone else expressed fascination with this revelation, Kyle made no move to participate in the conversation. A shame; as an elf, he had to be more knowledgeable than Jilk on this stuff.

“You’ve been acting weird for a bit now,” I said to him. “What’s up?”

“Please don’t talk to me. Don’t try to be nice just to make yourself feel better. And don’t delude yourself into thinking I want your help just because I’m feeling down. I hate jerks like you.”

My face heated up again. “And I hate snot-nosed brats like you. I hope it’s awkward as hell when you introduce your stupid mistress to your mommy.”

Kyle sighed. “You don’t get it at all, do you? Listen, because I’m only going to explain this once. Becoming a slave is nothing more than a job to elves. The word may have negative connotations to you, but slaves here are treated really well. Certainly much better than you academy boys.”

He wasn’t wrong, but it still pissed me off to hear him say it.

“I see,” Luxion mumbled. “So the elves consider it nothing more than a job. That makes sense.”

Oblivious to our side conversation, Jilk continued his lecture. “They say elves live much longer lives than humans. A dozen years or so is nothing to them.”

So being a servant to a rich woman was just a long-term job, huh? But what Kyle said bothered me. I wondered if other slaves—servants, whatever you called them—felt the same. The word slave did have a negative connotation for humans, but all the servants at the academy were treated well by their masters, as far as I knew. In fact, the male students even envied them.

One of the elves noticed us approaching and hurried over in our direction. It was a woman with green hair, golden eyes, and an adorable face. Judging by her petite frame, I assumed she was around the same age as us. My eyes were instantly drawn to her enormous chest.

What? I’m a growing boy.

“Kyle!” She waved as she dashed toward us.

I guess they must know each other.

Kyle’s posture turned rigid as she approached. He stepped closer to Marie, who was busy chatting with Jilk. “Lady Marie,” he said, interrupting them, “this woman is my mother. Her name is Yumeria.”

Wait, what? His mother?!

Elves always looked significantly younger than their real age. Holy crap—was Kyle way older than his appearance suggested? That made us comrades, if so.

“Huh? Oh! Um, yes, nice to meet you!” Marie stammered out a greeting.

Miss Yumeria was similarly flustered and bowed her head. Marie returned the gesture, and their nigh comical politeness softened the nervous atmosphere.

Kyle, however, was matter-of-fact. “The people with me would like to enter our village’s ruins. We’re seeking the village leader’s permission first, of course, so we came here to pay our respects. If you’ll excuse us…”

“Um,” said Miss Yumeria, “it’s been a long time since you’ve returned home, Kyle. You don’t have to treat me like such a stranger—”

“I don’t have time to reminisce. I’m working.” Perhaps that was the proper attitude for Kyle to take as a servant, but it was still awfully cold.

Miss Yumeria’s face fell.

“Come on, don’t be so aloof with your mom,” I scolded him. “This is your first time back in a while, right?”

Kyle sneered at me, even more spiteful than usual. “Don’t act like we’re close. I’m Lady Marie’s personal servant, and I have no intention of being friendly with you.”

Greg’s nostrils flared. “Hey, you’re going too far. Bartfort is our commander!”

Even Marie seemed to find her servant’s behavior a bit bizarre. “Kyle, don’t get into a fight. You’re acting really weird today.”

“I’m the same as always. Come on, the leader’s house is this way.” He started forward without giving his mother a second glance.

Concerned, Livia turned to Miss Yumeria and said, “Um, Kyle’s been acting a bit strange ever since we came to the island. That is, uh, I think maybe he’s just not in a good mood.”

Miss Yumeria smiled sadly. “It’s all right. I’m the one in the wrong. The one who’s so ugly and impure.”

That word—impure—weighed on my mind.

 

***

 

The village leader’s manor was enormous. About a dozen years ago, he’d finished working as someone’s personal servant—slave, I guess?—and returned to the village with enough of a fortune to build his estate. Honestly, he still looked like a young guy in his twenties who just happened to have a beard.

“You want to visit our ruins?” he asked.

Everyone else was standing by in the parlor, so I was essentially the representative of our group. “Yes. May we have your permission?”

“I’m afraid our community considers that a holy site, so it would be difficult to grant you entry. I can’t imagine the other village leaders would agree to it.”

Several villages lay across the island, and together they were a community.

“Besides,” he continued, “our head elder is a stubborn one. I’m sure she’d be opposed to letting outsiders in.”

“Head elder?”

“An old woman who was once skilled in the art of fortune-telling. I’ve heard she used to entertain many visitors who were interested in her skills, but her power has waned over time. Most of her predictions turn out to be false now.”

I couldn’t care less about the fortune-telling nonsense, but it was going to be an issue if they wouldn’t let us into their ruins.

“I know it must be disappointing,” the leader said, “but I’m afraid you’ll have to give up. Even we don’t normally enter the ruins, and there’s no treasure to be found in there. Searching would be pointless.”

“Huh?” I stared at him.

“Elves are allowed to enter freely, and many have gone in. We’ve already searched every nook and cranny of the place. You won’t find the treasure you seek in there.”

Are things different here than they were in the game?

As I contemplated this, someone banged on the door. A female elf burst in. “The head elder is—”

Before she could finish, the villager leader snatched up the closest thing he could find and flung it at her. It struck her, and she collapsed to the floor with a shriek.

I gaped at the leader, appalled.

He ignored me and began berating the girl. “You have some nerve, running through the halls and barging through my door! How many times must I teach you before it sinks in? You know this behavior is unseemly in front of guests!” He marched over to her and kicked her where she lay.

I was so shocked that it took me a moment to scramble over and stop him. “What in the world are you doing?!” I demanded.

He shook my hand off and scowled at me. It was the same look servants gave male academy students. “I would appreciate it if you stayed out of my way. Etiquette is of paramount importance to us. If we don’t stay on our toes, we risk teaching our children improper habits. That will only reduce their value in the slave market.”

Obviously they had their own circumstances, which were far beyond my comprehension, but it still seemed cruel. I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

“Well, it’s not a pleasant sight for your guests.” It was the best defense I could muster.

“My apologies. Now, what did you come here for?” He turned back to the girl.

Tears streamed down her face, but she managed to blubber out her report. The head elder was paying a visit to the village today.

 

***

 

Elves gathered in the village plaza, all of them gorgeous. In the middle of them stood a short, elderly white-haired woman with a cane; an assistant supported her. Her back was hunched and her face so shriveled you couldn’t tell whether her eyes were open or closed. Both she and her assistant wore unique clothing compared to everyone else. The elder leaned toward her assistant, whispering into her ear. After a moment, the younger woman spoke.

“I’ll be conveying the head elder’s words to you. She said no one is to enter the ruins ever again. If they do, they risk angering the ancient demon king.”

The village leader looked exasperated. But the old woman outranked him, so he spoke more politely than he had with the girl he’d terrorized moments before. “You know we already have villagers who enter those ruins. Who is this demon king?”

Again, the elder muttered to her younger companion. The assistant relayed, “She says, ‘Do you think I know nothing? I know what you’ve been up to. You mustn’t meddle with the taboo. No one is to enter the holy grounds.’”

The other elves expressed annoyance, but both the elder and her assistant seemed entirely serious.

Even Luxion, floating by my shoulder, seemed unimpressed. “Fortune-telling?”

“What? Are you a skeptic?”

“Not at all. I know some people possess strange powers. You are one such person, Master.”

True, from his perspective, I did defy science by retaining memories from my previous life. That aside, there was a curious inconsistency in the village leader’s claims. He said elves were free to enter the ruins, but the head elder acted as though no one was supposed to approach it. And also…

“Do you know anything about this demon king she mentioned?” I asked Luxion.

“You would be more knowledgeable about that than me, Master. Did a demon king ever appear in the otome game you played?”

“Nah, nothing like that ever showed up. That’s why I’m intrigued.”

Had the head elder gone senile? Judging by the way everyone treated her, it was less like her fortune-telling abilities had dwindled and more like no one trusted her—as if they were mocking her.

Just then, Marie pushed through the crowd of elves toward the head elder. “Move aside! Your babbling is getting on my last nerve. I demand you guide me to those ruins at once! I have treasure hunting to do!”

Rude, yes, but those debts had made her desperate.

When the head elder spotted Marie, her eyes widened. She began whispering to her assistant, whose jaw dropped. She blurted, “Miss, are you the Saint?”

“Oh, you could tell? That’s right. I am the Saint. Now that you understand, hurry up and—”

Before she could finish, the assistant cut her off. “The head elder doesn’t mind if you enter. She said the Saint would bring the ancient demon king with her. She’s foretold this day for several months.”

Murmurs broke out among the elves, and Marie tilted her head to the side. “Demon king? Uh, but I don’t know anyone who fits that description…”

Well, you’re basically the final boss as far as I’m concerned. That’s close enough to a demon king—or queen, rather.

Regardless, this was a good indication that the elder’s abilities weren’t half as good as they (supposedly) used to be. The true Saint wasn’t Marie. It was Livia. The whole demon king business had to be a misunderstanding, too.

I glanced at Luxion.

He promptly offered his analysis. “Perhaps she’s referring to Julius? He is part of the royal family, and as the descendant of new humans, he does possess magic. That could be considered demonic. By those definitions, I could arguably call him a demon king.”

“Your explanation almost sounds convincing except for one problem—Julius isn’t here.”

“Yes, well, that’s not my fault. If we’re acting on the premise that her fortune-telling is accurate, then it is a possibility. That’s all I’m saying.”

Yeah, well, Julius made for a pretty pathetic demon king if even I could beat him up.

The elder’s assistant cast her gaze around the crowd and proclaimed, “The time of reckoning is at hand. Will our island be destroyed? Or will we be forgiven? You are all forbidden from hindering the Saint and her party. The head elder says you must all wait quietly for the demon king to pass judgment!”

Once she had said her piece, the elder departed.

I stared after her and leaned toward Luxion. “Does that mean we have permission to enter the ruins?”

“How convenient. Now we don’t have to force our way in or infiltrate the site in secret.”

“Wait, you seriously planned to do something that outrageous?”

“Yes,” said Luxion. “Do you have a problem?”

 

***

 

Having received permission, we entered the ruins. Sadly, everyone was dispirited the moment they saw the inside.

“There’s nothing here,” I said, stating the obvious.

There were rooms at least, and roots and ivy covered the walls and floors. It looked like an abandoned modern building to my eyes, but Livia saw it as the breathtaking remnants of an ancient civilization. She was the only delighted one.

“Amazing! Leon, take a look at this. The shape of this object is the same as what we discovered in other ruins. There’s another with a slightly different shape over here by the door. These objects are unique to ancient ruins!”

“Uh, yeah, fascinating.”

Right, so it was a card reader. You know, for scanning key cards. But they were so busted that they no longer functioned.

Luxion turned to me. “I assume I shouldn’t reveal the truth to her?”

Livia was entertaining herself by theorizing about how the ancients had used these devices. It seemed Luxion didn’t want to ruin the mystery for her.

“Nah, I’m sure she’d still be happy if you told her,” I said.

“Sometimes it’s more interesting if you discover the answer for yourself. Not that you would know, I’m sure.”

I glared at him. “You really do have a rotten personality.”

“Not half as rotten as yours, I assure you.”

“There’s no treasure?” Angie’s shoulders slumped. “I mean, I guess it will be interesting enough to tell everyone how I saw ruins like these in person, but…is there really no treasure?”

Not only was there no treasure, the whole place had been thoroughly cleaned out.

“I had my hopes up when I heard they were elven ruins,” Jilk said dejectedly, “but there’s really nothing here.”

Greg had already shrugged it off. “Come on, it’s not that easy to find old ruins still packed with treasure. It wouldn’t be any fun if you didn’t strike out occasionally. In fact, it’s almost kinda refreshin’ how empty this place is.”

Surprisingly, Miss Hertrude was also discouraged.

“What? Don’t tell me you wanted treasure, too?” I teased her.

“I did, in fact. Something wrong with that?”

I hadn’t expected such an honest answer. “No, nothing wrong with it. I’m just surprised.”

“The principality was once part of Holfort Kingdom. We share the same affinity for adventuring.”

Why did marriage work so differently between our countries then? “So you were hoping for an adventure, too?”

“Despite what you may think of me, I am a member of the royal family. I rarely get opportunities like this.” The way she averted her eyes with her cheeks flushed was adorable—and it served as a reminder that she was still just a young schoolgirl.

Aww, she’s actually pretty cute. I grinned. “You should have just said that, then.”

“Absolutely not,” she huffed and promptly walked away.

I turned my attention to the most depressed of our party—Marie. Even I hated to see her so devastated.

“No, no, no! This wasn’t how it was supposed to be!” she wailed.

“It’s okay,” Jilk assured her, “we’ll find another ruin. Next time let’s make it an even bigger adventure and go with the prince and everyone else. Okay?”

The two of them were not at all on the same wavelength. Marie wasn’t disappointed at the lack of adventure; she wanted treasure. Her expression soured as she glanced at him. “Y-yeah, I guess.”

Angie, leaving Livia to her captivation, wandered over toward me. “What are we going to do now, Leon? Pick up and take off? The village leader looks annoyed about this whole thing.”

I followed her gaze. The man hovered at the entrance to the building, keeping tabs on us. His eyes were especially cold when they turned on me.

“He’s looking down on me,” I said. “Bastard really pisses me off.”

I wanted to take a fist to his face and send him flying. Ancient or not, I couldn’t wait for this “demon king” or whatever to bring his hammer down on that village leader. Not that any such thing actually existed.

“Is this enough to satisfy you?” the village leader called. “There’s nothing to see here.”

My memories of the game had faded over time, but something kept me here. I could have sworn…

“No, we can’t give up like this!” Marie blurted. “While I’m wasting time, my debt’s only growing! I-I refuse to give up! I don’t want to spend my life paying off loans!”

Her emotions got the best of her, and Marie took off, speeding deeper into the ruins.

Angie’s face flushed with anger. “I can’t believe her, running off by herself! All she does is cause trouble for others!”

I grabbed the rifle I’d brought and started after Marie. “Come on, Luxion. Angie, you and the others wait here. I’ll bring her back.”

“You sure do have it rough, guarding her,” said Angie.

“No kidding. I wish she’d give me a break, I’m just a student.”

Livia was concerned. “Don’t push yourself too much, Leon. Uh, um…”

Was she worried I might do something to Marie? If so, she was absolutely right to.

Jilk and Greg tried to follow, but I ordered them to stay and started off after my idiot charge.

Frankly, my chance had come. Now I could finally corner Marie, and the two of us could talk one on one. We had a lot in common, after all, as fellow reincarnated background characters.

 

***

 

It was dark in the depths of the ruins.

Marie left her lantern behind and started searching along the floor.

“No, it’s not here! I don’t see the entrance to the underground anywhere!”

The bright light from Luxion’s red eye illuminated her. She jumped in surprise, peering over her shoulder at us, and scrambled away until her back pressed against the wall like a cornered rat.

I aimed my rifle at her. “So I’ve finally got you alone. I kept looking for an opportunity on the ship, but I never got my chance. Now we can take our time and chat.”

She trembled violently, reaching for her handgun.

“Don’t move. If you do, I’ll shoot,” I said.

“You’ll be in so much trouble if you kill me! I’m the Saint!”

I snorted. “You’re a fake. A thief. No, you’re going to give me answers, and detailed ones—but where to start? How about this: What are you planning to do from here on out?”

She scowled. “Huh? What are you talking about? If you want to ask me something, don’t beat around the bush.”

Still shameless in spite of her circumstances. I really would have loved to shoot her. No one would get mad if I took just one shot, right?

“Okay.” I drew in a breath. “I’ll make it simple and ask one question at a time, so make sure you answer. Did you reincarnate here?”

“If you’re asking if I still have memories of my previous life…I do. You seem to be the same.”

“Then you know that this world is based on that otome game, right?”

“And what of it?” She wasn’t denying anything. Obviously she knew what this place was, then.

“Then why did you take Livia’s place? If war breaks out between the kingdom and the principality—”

Marie laughed. “Are you stupid? You really think I can’t do the same exact things she can? I can use healing magic, too, you know. I am perfectly qualified to be the Saint. Besides, both the temple and the holy items acknowledged me.”

That was the baffling part. The temple was one thing, but I’d never dreamed the items would actually recognize her as the Saint.

“I could out you as a fraud,” I said.

“Be my guest. It won’t do you any good. At the end of the day, I’ll still be the Saint. Too bad for you.”

True, no one was likely to listen no matter how much I protested. She really pisses me off.

Luxion chimed in, “There seem to be some discrepancies here, Master. Perhaps it would be best for the two of you to share information?”

Marie drew her brows together, confused. “What? What are you getting at? Just so you know, I watched all the scenes—”

Before she could finish, tremors rippled through the ground.

“Ah?!”

And the floor crumbled beneath us.

“Auuugh!”

 

***

 

Angie stood at the entrance to the ruins, Jilk and Greg pacing nearby.

“Calm down,” she told them. “Leave it to Leon. Everything will be fine.”

Deep down, she wasn’t especially pleased about Leon showing concern for Marie. He seemed hung up on her the entire time we were on the ship, too. Don’t tell me he…?

Jilk shot her a glare. “That’s exactly what worries me. The two of them, alone together. Can you say for certain that our fears are unfounded?”

Greg glanced in the direction Marie and Leon had gone. “Don’t you think they’re late getting back? Let’s go get ’em. I’m kinda worried Bartfort might get some crazy ideas or something. He’s not exactly used to being around women, and Marie is so cute…”

The suggestion that Leon might have some interest in Marie made Angie lose all composure. “D-don’t be ridiculous! Leon’s not like you two!”

“What part of him is any different?” Jilk shook his head. “We’re all men, and Marie is an amazing woman. There’s no guarantee nothing will happen between them.”

“And this is exactly the kind of situation where a guy makes a move,” said Greg. “Wait, no, maybe he was aiming for this the whole time?!”

Angie was almost hysterical. “Don’t act like Leon is the same as you!”

“Please, that’s the last thing I want!” Jilk scowled at her. “But it is true that Viscount Bartfort tried to approach Marie while we were on the ship. I was beside her the whole time as her bodyguard, so I would know!”

Angie’s cheeks flushed. “Leon hates Marie. Both of you know that! Livia, please say something. You know he would never put his hands on her, right?”

In contrast to Angie’s emotional outburst, Livia was quiet. Moreover, her face had grown deathly pale. “Um, I just realized this, but…why did Leon have a rifle with him, of all things? These ruins are perfectly safe. There’s no monsters here, so he didn’t need a weapon, did he?”

Angie, Jilk, and Greg all stared at her, their eyes wide. Leon normally kept his distance from Marie, but for some reason, he’d been trying to approach her on this trip. He’d taken his rifle with him to search for her even though there was no need for it, and he’d refused to let anyone go along with him.

The three of them blanched.

Jilk and Greg scrambled out of the room, Angie and Livia giving chase.

“Miss Marie!”

“Marie!”

“W-wait! I know Leon can be cruel, but even he wouldn’t do something like that!” Angie shouted.

“That’s right,” Livia agreed. “The most he would do is threaten her!”

With the four of them gone, only a few others remained at the entrance: Hertrude, Kyle, and the village leader.

 

***

 

Marie was unconscious, dreaming something nostalgic from her past life.

It must have been summer, because it was humid. The sun’s rays were blinding. When night fell, the sky was dyed orange. The sight, while heartwarming, made her wistful. She remembered how hot it had been that day.

Yeah, that’s right. I forgot about that.

A little girl bawled after she’d tripped and skinned her knee. “Bubby, carry me!” she pleaded to her big brother.

The thought of him irked Marie, but for some reason, she couldn’t remember his face. Even though both he and her younger self were standing there in front of her, their faces were blurry.

“It’s not that bad,” he said. “You can walk by yourself. You’d make my back all sweaty if I carried you. Plus, you’re heavy.”

I’m not heavy! I’m super small and dainty, you jerk!

She had consciously used that to her advantage in her former life, too, which was why she was so taken aback at her brother’s brusque refusal. In fact, she was so surprised she stopped crying all together. “Eh?”

“See, you were only pretending to cry. I hate it when you put on a show like that. You’re not fooling me.”

The narrow street was relatively deserted. The girl sat there, mouth opening and closing as she tried to come up with a response. She knew she was cuter than most girls her age. If she asked, most people did whatever she wanted. Naturally, she tried to manipulate her brother the same way.

“B-but my knee hurts.”

“It’s proof that you’re still alive. Be glad.”

“I—I want you to carry me. I won’t be able to make it back home if you don’t.”

“Really? Then just stay here. If you don’t like that, then walk back by yourself, brat.”

“Jerkface!”

“I’m fine with being a jerk! If I have to choose between being your slave and being a jerk, I’ll happily be a jerk!” he declared with a grin.

He really was the lowest of the low. Probably the absolute worst—okay, well, the third worst—man in my entire life.

The man who’d abandoned her and her child took first place. Second place went to that parasite she’d dated who leeched all that money off of her. She supposed her older brother came after those two.

Marie tried to remember what happened next that night, but…

That’s weird. How did things turn out in the end? I can’t seem to recall…

 

***

 

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

Dust hung in the air like a thick curtain, and gunshots echoed around her. Marie lifted her head. Leon stood nearby, his back turned. “Next?!” His voice was strained. Their situation sounded dire.

“Two unidentified creatures crawling across the ceiling, heading our way. Master, be careful. You only have a limited number of rounds. And these are no ordinary monsters.”

“No kidding. These nasty things that don’t even disappear when they die.” Leon took aim, blowing the head off an eerie-looking beast that darted out of the shadows. It crashed to the floor, where it convulsed.

“Eek!” Marie leaped up—or at least, she tried to. “Ah, ouch!” Pain jolted through her ankle, and she crumpled back to the ground.

Leon didn’t even glance back at her, too wary of the enemies approaching. “Finally awake? Luxion will explain the situation.”

“Huh? What?”

“The two of you fell after the floor of the ruins collapsed,” Luxion said. “While you were unconscious, several unidentified creatures attempted to get the jump on us, and Master took them out.”

“What do you mean ‘unidentified creatures’?!” Does that mean they’re different from monsters? Marie glanced over at the fallen one nearby. It had the head and torso of a human, but its arms and legs were distinctly reptilian.

Marie shrieked in terror. “Noooo!”

“Shut up! You’ll distract me!” Leon barked. “Do I seriously have to protect someone as useless as you? I mean, if it were Angie or Livia, I’d at least feel motivated to take the job seriously.”

“You screaming won’t improve our situation,” Luxion lectured her as well. “Please remain quiet.”

“B-but my leg…”

“You’re the Saint. Don’t you specialize in healing magic?” Luxion asked. “Please deal with your injuries yourself. Master, the next one is coming.”

They were both so cold to her…

This jerk is just like my older brother! Urgh, he really irritates me!