Author: pareido

Ending: Second Half

I adjusted my breathing.

In retrospect, his words had been highly passionate, but this was the Knight Commander we’re talking about.

Maybe it was just jargon with a different meaning than what I thought it meant.

“Uhm… So you mean like marriage or something?”

“Yes, that’s right. That would be best.”

Huh… Why are you so calm, Knight Commander?

Did he just propose to me?

I couldn’t get my thoughts together, so I just expressed the doubts that came to mind.

“But the King said I couldn’t marry you.”

“Yes, I know.”

What a calm reaction!

This was the King of the whole country we’re talking about!? The lord to whom you’ve sworn allegiance, right? Were you really okay with that? Proposing to me after it’s already been forbidden!?

“I consulted with my master about what to do, so don’t worry. It’s perfect.”

…It sure doesn’t sound perfect.

Though… I’m glad, he asked around in advance!

Did he threaten him… or did they threaten him… That’s all I could imagine.

“I’m not so good at politics, so I consulted with the Crown Prince as well.”

The Knight Commander said he had been offered titles to bring me back from the other world.

I can’t even imagine what kind of titles that evil god would grant.

Ah… He must have told Sara-chan as well!?

She hadn’t said anything when we had tea yesterday! But looking back on it, maybe there was something in her eyes.

The Knight Commander’s expression was solemn as he watched me dig through my memories.

“I like you, Rururia. I’ll ask whoever I have to, to be at your side.”

Huh…

The Knight Commander’s words went in one ear and out the other.

Huh!? What… What did he just say?

“…Uhm… Now… Juuust now… Did you… Did you just confess to me!?”

“Hm? Oh yeah… I guess?”

“What do you mean ‘I guess‘? This is a big deal!”

So he did.

Was I taking this all wrong?

Confessions were supposed to be sweet and lovey-dovey, at least they were in romance novels. This wasn’t how it’s supposed to be, right!?

The Knight Commander’s complexion did not change, so I placed my hand on my heart.

To tell the truth, I couldn’t feel my heart beating.

I was worried it had stopped from the heavy load the Knight Commander had just dropped on me.

“…What do you think, Rururia?”

“…Ah.”

The Knight Commander started to fidget.

Oh… Oops! I was supposed to reply, wasn’t I?

I looked squarely at the Knight Commander.

At his infinitely expressionless eyes, at his twisted mouth signifying as though he’s enduring something, and lastly, at his fidgeting despite being said to be an iron-skinned man.

…Things were different than when we first met.

I wanted to say how I’d seen his bloodlust come out, how I felt about him inviting me here, how I’d learned to make a magic circle, how I’d ridden a dragon, and what kind of people we’d both become…

But instead, I couldn’t help but smile.

At some point I realized, he had become the one I could depend on.

I could feel the needed words and attitude coming to me.

But I’m not like the others. I’m different from Solan-kun or Irene-sama, or Sara-chan.

They all came to save me, they’ve all encouraged me… But I’m just a dummy.

That’s all I could think of, so I let out a puff of air.

I tried to think about what else was different, what made him special to me.

I couldn’t come up with any real reason.

It was just everything about him.

…I recognized my honest feelings and let them fly out of my mouth.

“I… I like you too, Knight Commander.”

After saying that, I looked right at him.

His mouth hung open with a slightly dazed expression… Love must be some force to make him look that way.

Lionel-sama snapped out of his daze to give me a huge smile, picking me up right after.

I felt panic as if his emotions would overload and I’d be thrown in the process.

“Put me down! Put me dooown!”

“Sorry… I’m just thrilled.”

Lionel-sama lowered me down, however, this time, onto his lap.

That’s not what I meant by put me down!

I wanted you to put me back in my seat!!!

“…It’s a bit weird to be on your lap.”

“Hmm…? But my master always said it’s important to keep the things that matter close to you?”

Vidika-san apparently holds her husband in her lap sometimes, with him loving it.

‘He always covers his face with his hands pretending to be embarrassed,’ Lionel said.

…I think I could understand that exact same feeling.

Lionel-sama seemed to not pick up on my complex expression as he confidently kept speaking.

“Leave it to the Crown Prince. He’ll definitely persuade the King.”

“No way…”

Surely he must be mistaken.

Lionel was trying too hard to get ahead on his own, trying to control everything.

“There’s two of us. I should be involved, too.”

Lionel-sama clammed up a little as I said that. Huh? Why’d he tense up?

Well, at least now I have space to think about what to do.

This was the ruler of a country we’re talking about.

Although I was in a high position, it was not nearly high enough to bend the will of His Majesty, the King.

Would it be the King’s weak point to ask Vidika-san for help, then ask someone with knowledge of politics like the Crown Prince, or Sara-chan, or Irene-sama, and leave the negotiations to Lionel-sama?

…And I’ll have to do what I can as well…

“Oh, I’ve got it! We spread a rumor that if anyone marries me, they’ll get carried off to another world! Hehehe… No one would want me to be their bride then!”

That’s it!

Perfect!

You can’t become my husband unless you know how to bring me back from another world, otherwise, it will be hopeless. No one else could possibly propose to me, right?

The King won’t tell me to pick someone else… Oh, I’m so clever!

When I shared my perfect idea confidently with Lionel-sama, his hardened expression cracked into a smile… Aha!

“Good one, Rururia! That’s perfect.”

“I know, right!? Hey, you can stop squeezing my cheeks now! My heart!”

I struggled as he clung to me when I heard someone clear their throat from the opposite side of the room.

“…Are you are done talking now?“

…Ah.

I totally forgot that the Heavenly Dragon was still here.

He was fidgeting awkwardly like he didn’t know what to do with himself.

I was still being clung unto by Lionel-sama. I was wondering if I should start resisting to get back to my seat when I heard the Heavenly Dragon sigh.

“I thought you were already a pair, was I wrong?“

“My master taught me that it’s important to put these things into words.”

Lionel answered without hesitation.

What does he mean pair!?

No one ever said anything about that before!?

I was trembling at his words, but Lionel and the Heavenly Dragon continued speaking without noticing my reactions.

“Words may be necessary, but aren’t actions more so?“

“So I’ve heard. What would be a good gift? I’ve got a unicorn horn that broke off when one stabbed me a while back.”

Lionel withdrew a shining horn as he said that. If he was speaking truthfully, then the thing he’s holding would be a legendary unicorn horn.

Why did he have such a thing in his pocket?

And what kind of a person talks about presents in front of the person they’re going to give them to?

I have no idea how much a unicorn horn was worth. It must be more expensive than dragon scales, surely. After all, it is a legendary artifact.

…That’s not the kind of thing you just give away as a present!

I was screaming internally, but that didn’t stop the two of them.

“Hmm, it certainly does sparkle beautifully in 7 different colors, but rather than just the broken horn, wouldn’t it be better to have it made into something new?“

“You’re right! I’ll place an order immediately.”

“Gifts are good, but daily care is necessary, too.“

“Right. That’s right.”

So they’ve already decided to give it to me.

And yet they’re ignoring me just so they could keep rambling on with each other.

I was frustrated so I grabbed Lionel-sama by the collar.

I looked him dead in the eyes and spoke sternly.

“…Since this is a gift for me, please listen to me.”

‘If you don’t listen, I’m going home right now, so nod and show you understand.’

…Huh? Wha… What’s happening?

Before I had time to be stunned by my own sudden burst of outrage, I felt my own body floating into the air again.

A lot higher than last time.

“My bad, Rururia!”

“Oh, it’s fine! Just put me down!”

“Sorry…”

“Ugh…!”

“I can’t stop my hands for some reason!”

“Wh… Why!?”

I was being lifted higher and higher as he kept apologizing.

Lionel seemed happy as he kept apologizing.

The Heavenly Dragon had a warm look in his eyes as he kept sipping his wine.

…But I’m done with this.

I’m being serious right now.

Can’t you see I’m serious!?

My screaming echoed throughout my entire body.

“…That’s it! I’m going home! I’m going back home!“

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Ending: First Half

It was a beautiful and pleasant afternoon.

…The perfect weather for making tea outside.

I, Rururia, am here in the East Wing of the Royal Castle with nothing to do.

“…Thank you for the abrupt invitation, Knight Commander. I’m surprised that you came to my house and brought me here.”

The Knight Commander, the other half of this tea party, sat across from me. He was very content with the situation, just sitting there; simply accepting my complaints.

I had reached out to accept his invitation letter, and he just took me by the hand and led me all the way here.

So I couldn’t help but be a little sarcastic about all of this.

…I also felt quite embarrassed.

Ever since we shared that hospital room, I have no idea how to look at me now.

Help me, brother…! But of course, there was no response from my phantom brother.

How terrible.

The Knight Commander took in all my complaints and did not change his jovial expression… Tsk!

“My bad. I had heard from Lady Sara just now that you didn’t have any plans.”

Sara-chan..!

So she’s the culprit…!

What the heck!? She betrayed me.

I remembered my mother and father smiling at me just before I was taken… Just smiling at it all.

Will my brother, who’s current out on business, be okay with this? The butler had said he’d inform him.

But since I’m already here, I have no other choice but to enjoy the fragrant tea in front of me…

Ah. Delicious!

“‘Just now’ isn’t really how you should word things when talking to girls. Maybe you should apologize.“

The Heavenly Dragon suddenly gave the Knight Commander advice as he tilted back his wine glass.

…What’s he doing here?

I looked at him inquisitively, and all he did was smile as if he already knew everything there was to know.

It seemed like I won’t get an answer if I don’t ask.

“…So you came again, Heavenly Dragon?”

I ignored the Knight Commander as he nodded, but the Heavenly Dragon was too focused on his wine to answer.

He didn’t seem all that dignified as he drank with high spirits.

The last time I had seen him had been in that space. And after that, he had suddenly popped up at my house.

The other Talbots had been frightened as if they had recognized him. I can still remember their confused gazes, fresh in my memory.

…Since he came by, he should have brought my dragon or Kongoryu-sama with him.

I tried to keep these thoughts quiet in my mind, but the Heavenly Dragon read them and replied in a stunned voice.

“They were supposed to have already explained to you that they’re in a different world and don’t have the power to cross over here.”

…Well, of course, they explained that.

I had been waiting, wondering where they were, when it was explained to me that they didn’t want to appear half-formed.

…They were staying out of this world to protect the Knight Commander and me.

Even with that explanation, I wasn’t convinced.

After that, Solan-kun established a group to study the other dimensions together with Irene-sama, the Chief Magician, and some other famous scholars that I don’t know about. They’re really taken off.

I’ll have to talk to them soon!

So now, this was the second time that I’ve seen the Heavenly Dragon.

It was because I had chosen to come home.

…That was the right choice, wasn’t it?

“So then…“

The Heavenly Dragon gave me a meaningful smile.

…Maybe he doesn’t understand things. Clearly, I should report that to Solan-kun!

I felt happy, and my hand suddenly started moving as if to pet something.

Even though I’m here, I still have this habit of petting my dragon. Was this a sign?

The Knight Commander stuck out his head towards me… Huh?

“If you want to stroke something, you can stroke me.”

“No, no, no! Leave me alone!”

I pushed him away without hesitation.

He seemed dissatisfied. However… Why would I ever be petting the head of a grown man?

As I tried to push his head away, I heard a cold, resounding laugh.

“…How amusing!“

It was the Heavenly Dragon.

Sorry to bother you when you’re clearly enjoying yourself, but could you do something about the Knight Commander that keeps on trying to get me to stroke him?

He looked so pitiful that I couldn’t just tell him a straight answer.

However, the Heavenly Dragon, despite reading my thoughts the whole time, did nothing. Why?

We stared at each other. He smiled as I begged for help when the Knight Commander suddenly came in between us.

“It’s not nice to leave out your friends, Rururia.”

“…Well, I wouldn’t exactly call us friends.”

“I suppose girls don’t like shallow men?“

The moment the Heavenly Dragon said that the Knight Commander snapped his attention towards me.

“Was I being shallow just now!?“

No, no, no! Don’t look at me with such a shocked expression!

Ah… I guess there’s no choice but to deny it.

“…No. Not really.”

My words came out choppy, but the Knight Commander seemed to not care and was relieved.

I wasn’t sure what to think about that reaction, but at least it’s better than if he were to ask me over and over.

…What’s the deal with the Knight Commander anyway?

He’s trying to get his head stroked and he even shoved himself in front of the Heavenly Dragon.

On top of that, right now, he has a somewhat sullen expression.

Speaking of which, this was the same face he made when I was making my choice.

He thought I would choose to stay with the Heavenly Dragon and got jealous because he liked me.

“…Ahhh!”

I screamed… I screamed as hard as I could.

Hey! Wait a minute! What was I even thinking about!?

My partner’s that meathead Knight Commander!? The ideal partner to defeat a dragon or something!?

Fuuu!

Okay… I’ve calmed down a little.

“…What happened?”

“Rururia screamed a lot.”

Stop acting as if you knew me better than I do!

Even though I tried to calm down, my heart rebelled against me.

I guess I’ll just have to fight right back!

I also wanted to change the topic, so that’s two birds with one stone!

“…Why aren’t you using honorifics to address me, Knight Commander? You used to.”

He quickly answered my question.

“I just wanted to… That’s it!”

It was a shocking remark, yet he said it very casually. And after, the Knight Commander seemed about to continue talking.

What… What was it? I’m getting a bit full with your…

“Call me by my name.”

I was too shocked to feel anything.

It was too horrifying for me even to say I couldn’t.

…It’s alright, Rururia. It’s just a name.

Same as with Sara-chan, Solan-kun, and Irene-sama. It’ll be the same as how I call them by their names.

If anything, people who don’t use names were more conscious about it, so I should try to say it smoothly.

However! I wish he wouldn’t look at me so expectantly!? Knight Commander!?

Feeling his amazed gaze on me, I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down.

“Uhhh… Uhm… Li… Lionel…sama.”

There, I said it! I said it! I did my best in overcoming my fears! I’m awesome!

Even so, the Knight Commander complained that I shouldn’t say “sama” too.

…What a guy! Even though it already took a lot for me to say his name in the first place!

“I can’t just not use honorifics… Lionel-sama.”

I compromised with him halfway and just used the Knight Commander’s name.

Although it hurt me to go that far, I bluntly rejected his request to use just his name alone.

He smiled, seemingly satisfied with the outcome.

There it was again… What was with that happy face?

My heart was giving out, and I couldn’t move my head either.

…Why was this happening?

“…Why do you smile like that? Why do you want me to use your name so much?”

“Rururia.”

I spat those words out in confusion, but he simply answered me with a smile.

“I’ve always wanted you to call me by my name… And I’ve always wanted to be the first to come to your aid… I want to be at your side always… Just as I’ve said before.”

As the Knight Commander talked about his feelings, his eyes began to shine until he seemed about to collapse.

“My world is a world with you in it, Rururia. So let me stay close to you.”

I can’t with this…!

I’m already at my limit… Cut it out!

---

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Dragon felt excluded.

“…These two are able to flirt in front of me, but why are they still so awkward?“

---

Rururia: My heart! My heart! My heart is…!

Knight Commander: Yes! She finally called me by my name!

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The Knight Commander was lying down, gently sighing with no signs of waking up.

I was crushed under him with no way out, too weak to push him off or crawl away.

Even though we were safely on the ground, coupled with the fact that I could hear people around us, no one came to help. Why wouldn’t they?

I adjusted my position, breathed in the fresh air, and finally took a look around.

“…Oh dear!”

“Wow… Wow!”

“…Is that… Ria?”

They were all closer than I had thought.

Three people were crouched down around the Knight Commander and me.

“Nice landing, eh, Ria?”

“Indeed so… I have to agree!”

“Ria… It’s Ria!”

They were holding back tears.

In front of me were a grinning face, an excited face, and a stunned face all lined up.

…Uhm, would you mind rescuing me from being squished? I mean, I just got here.

As if understanding my complaint merely from my gaze, Sara-chan and Irene-sama glanced at each other.

“That’s it, then?”

“I guess so.”

“She’s safe… Ria’s safe.”

They turned back around, one with a nasty smile while the other had a brilliant smile.

Next to them was a crying Solan-kun. It was to the point that it seemed like his eyes were melting.

What was I even supposed to say in response to that?

I guess he won’t be helping me either!?

Well, since no one wanted to help me, I’ll need to get out from under the Knight Commander on my own.

“Knight Commander! Please wake up! Look! We’re home!”

“Snore…”

It was of no use.

I yelled loudly in his ear, but I wasn’t surprised it didn’t work.

“He spent five days preparing without sleep before he headed out.”

I heard another excited-sounding voice join the mix.

It was none other than the Chief Magician smiling and relieved.

…Well, unfortunately, I still needed to wake him up.

“…Is that it? That’s the face you make after being gone for five days?”

“Hey, Sara-sama! That’s just how my cheeks look!”

Even when Sara-chan laughed, she still looked like an old dark dragon that had caught some wayward thief!

Irene-sama and Solan-kun laughed amusedly as they watched us.

I felt moved to have them all waiting for me to come home, but I’m still being crushed over here?

“She’s looking well.”

“Hmmm, that’s good, isn’t it?”

I heard another bantering voice with a separate familiar voice.

Raising my face, my cheeks no longer squished, I saw the King and the Crown Prince beside the Chief Magician.

…These two showed no signs of helping me either.

Behind them, Michelle-san was looking on quietly. Lennard-san, on the other hand, was holding a handkerchief over his eyes.

…Naturally, those two weren’t coming from behind His Majesty to help me either.

“Hey! It has to be said! Why isn’t anyone helping me!? A weak lady is stuck under an adult man over here!?”

After I made my appeal… And a moment of silence… Everyone began trying to speak in turns.

“ I wouldn’t call you a lady anymore,” Sara-chan said, bemused.

What… Well, that’s rude!

“Well, like, I mean…” Irene-sama said, blushing.

Wha… What was with them?

“Yeah, it’s impossible for me,” Solan-kun said with a dry laugh.

Why… Why!?

“It’s just so funny,” The King and Crown Prince said, both amused by the situation.

…But there’s absolutely nothing funny about this!?

“What? Did you want help?” the Chief Magician said as he had only just noticed.

…A bit late there, weren’t you?

“Well, I’d be afraid of what would happen next,” Lennard-san said as he blew his nose.

…What’s so scary? Huh?

“…The Knight Commander is wrapped so tightly around you that I don’t have the strength to peel him off.”

It took me a while to understand Michelle-san’s calm words.

“…What?”

I looked down, terrified.

His arms were wrapped firmly around me… He was clutching me!?

“Ah, Michelle! No one else was going to say it!”

“Oh, was that so?”

I imagined myself as a third party watching Lennard warn Michelle.

…I was only concerned about being crushed at first, but if we’re in this position, then…

…My face flushed hot.

I felt a warm pressure on my back, his sleeping breath on my neck, and a feeling like I’d been hit in the stomach… No, this won’t do at all!

My heartbeat was intense. I don’t want to be here. I felt like my heart was about to give out!

It’s not like that… It’s not like that!

“No, no, no… It’s just like, to get here, we couldn’t let go of each other.. That’s it! So he just held onto me for that reason. There’s nothing else going on…”

“Really? Or was it because you didn’t want to let go of him, Rururia?”

“Knock it off, Irene-sama. I’m telling the truth.”

Sara[-chan seemed to understand the situation perfectly, whereas Irene-sama appeared to have no idea as she excitedly and incomprehensibly responded.

I said it’s not like that!

Stop crying, Solan-kun! Back me up here… Back me up!

“So they’re officially engaged now?”

The Crown Prince was speaking like an ancient evil god watching a sacrifice being performed.

…I don’t care if the Knight Commander hasn’t slept for five days.

“Why…!? Hey, Knight Commander! Get up! Get up and clear up this misunderstanding!”

No matter how much I struggled, he did not wake up, nor did his grip loosen. What’s with all this!?

A true knight would be chivalrous and would get up for me. How was he sleeping so peacefully!?

“So you’re his bride…”

I heard three voices say accusingly in a quiet manner.

I saw my family standing out amongst the crowd.

…Hey!

Why do you all look so pale and unhappy when your daughter’s back safely?

My brother stepped forward, fully seeing my miserable situation.

“So the Knight Commander is my brother-in-law!”

“Brother!”

He threw up blood… So much blood.

My brother fell over and was carried away by doctors on a stretcher.

My parents also passed out wordlessly, making the stew even more of a scene.

As my whole family was carried away quickly, unlike me, the air had become more relaxed.

…No!

No, no, no, no, no!

Why was everyone acting like this was all resolved? There’s a poor maiden being crushed by an adult man over here.

Someone! Anyone! Help me out here!

---

This… Something’s wrong.

I was now lying on a bed in a quiet room.

That’s right. I was finally helped out of the Training Ground, where I was being crushed.

But… Something’s wrong.

What? You asked what…?

Because it’s been decided.

I’m still stuck with the Knight Commander! What does this even mean!?

…They couldn’t pry him off of me, and people weren’t sure what to do until the King made a decision that decided everything.

“Carry the two of them together.”

…No, no, no! Wasn’t that a terrible idea? I’d rather they cut off the part of my clothes he was holding on to!

But no one cared about my opinion, so, while still being held by the Knight Commander, we were carried away on a stretcher.

I was placed on the bed, still being held by the Knight Commander, and that was where I was now.

…No, no, no, no, no! What were they thinking, putting a man and a maiden in the same bed?! Oh, my heart!

I tried to take it easy but felt stifled, itchy, and wanted to scream.

Oh, that’s right! No one cares if my heart were to burst, I guess.

For now, at least, my brother was asleep in the next bed over, groaning like a zombie, as were my parents in another.

Sara-chan, Solan-kun, and Irene-sama were pulling back the curtain to look at what was going on in the room.

Wasn’t it a problem that we didn’t have a private room? Shouldn’t this problem be dealt with?

…This needed to stop. The more I thought about it, the more I felt disadvantaged.

The Knight Commander was heavy and warm, as well!

I put my hands over my mouth so I wouldn’t scream from embarrassment too loudly.

When I yelled, the person that came to check only grinned, so that wasn’t enough!

“Uhhh… Your brother… No…”

I heard my brother groan painfully in his sleep.

At that moment, I felt my head calm down.

…Somehow, it seemed only people with the wrong ways of thinking had been involved in this situation.

“…Sleep.”

I tried muttering that to myself to make it happen.

But my own heart was rebelling against me and kept beating too intensely. I don’t know if it will burst or not!

Even so, my body was quite tired. I felt drowsy as I closed my eyes.

I reached out my hand habitually.

…Where did Dragon and Kongoryu-sama go?

I hadn’t seen either since we got back.

…I need to beg His Majesty for a bunch of honey and jewels.

…Deep in the back of my consciousness, I felt as if I heard a reply to my muttered words.

---

Inside Story: Since Sara-sama’s emotions couldn’t be fully conveyed. However, this may seem a bit redundant.

“…It’s annoying, Your Highness… the Crown Prince.”

“That so?”

“…Wasn’t the gentlemanly thing to do at such a time was to leave them alone?”

“Well, perhaps…”

“…You’re leaving a bad taste in my mouth.”

“…It’s good. Isn’t it, Sara? That Lady Rururia was back.”

“…Well, you can say that without patting me on the head, can’t you?”

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Had the problems in front of me gone away for the time being?

For some reason, I had ended up choosing the whole world. Was that really me?

I had understood it all until just a bit ago, but my memories were rapidly fading.

…Huh…

Was this whole year going to go away in a blur for me…?

….Crack!

I heard an unpleasant sound from above my worrying head. I looked up at the source fearfully.

Wow… There’s a massive crack in the ceiling…!?

There were distorted holes in the starry dome, making noises as the crack started spreading little by little.

I tried not to think about what would happen as I turned to look at both dragons… Was this their doing?

“Precisely. This is the place of choices, so it is no longer needed with the choice having been made.”

“Indeed. That is so. Hence, why it’s collapsing.”

“…Tha… That! That’s a bit of a problem!”

I shouted without even thinking, as loud as I could.

I was hoping one of them would send me away somewhere after making my choice!?

I looked imploringly at the Heavenly Dragon, who looked back at me with a smile.

…I guess not. That’s just how it is.

It’s confirmed then. I’ll need to find my own way out of here.

No, no, no. This is weird. Why was everyone here except me so calm?

Especially the Knight Commander! We’re both humans, weren’t we? Wipe that smile off your face and be worried about me!

As if my wish had come true, the Knight Commander’s face returned to its serious expression as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Calm down, Rururia.”

“Is this supposed to make me feel calm? I chose to go home, but now we’re being abandoned to die here…”

“It’s okay.”

The Knight Commander spoke so confidently… What was he thinking?

“If I made it here, then we can make it back. Probably.”

“Probably? Did you say probably? That one word makes me really concerned!?”

He said he could make it here, then he can make it back.

But that’s not right… For him to get here, he needed help from Solan-kun, Irene-sama, the Chief Magician, Sara-chan and many other geniuses, didn’t he?

I’m not at all convinced… The more I think… The more anxious I become!

I was screaming inside, unable to vocalize it. However, the Knight Commander ignored my concerns, he simply looked up at our collapsing surroundings calmly.

“…Is it over there? No… Maybe a bit to the right? No, I think it’s lower than that.”

…I need to pray.

The only way out was to pray.

Oh, merciful goddess Vishnu! I sincerely apologize for not being an avid believer. I will make offerings to you once I get home. What do you want? Some seasonal fruits or something?

…So I’m begging you! Oh goddess! Somehow… Make the Knight Commander’s intuition right!

“You won’t get far praying to a faraway goddess.”

I heard a calm and ruthless voice.

…Faraway? I wouldn’t know, Kongoryu-sama… Just don’t take my hope away like that!

Kongoryu-sama snuggled up close with me.

“Well, don’t worry about it. If it’s physical protection, I can still take care of it. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Oh thank you! Kongoryu-sama! What can I offer you in return!?”

When I asked him that, he happily replied, “Some jewels would be lovely.” That’s more expensive than I expected.

…Jewels… Maybe if I asked His Majesty…

“Kyuru!”

“So Dragon… Will you do your best, too?”

At some point, my dragon had appeared on the opposite side of Kongoryu-sama.

When we get back, I’ll have Manya prepare lots of honey for him.

If we make it out of this, I’ll use my power to get him as much as he wanted!

“Kyuruuu!”

“Huh? Do you want the same thing as Kongoryu-sama? No way, since when were you so into expensive things!?”

I felt like a parent betrayed by their child as the Knight Commander approached.

“Let’s go, Rururia. This place won’t last long.”

We both looked up.

The ceiling had already collapsed, leaving a dark blank space above.

Even the edges of the ground were collapsing in. The room trembled at its own end approached.

Even if I cuddled my dragon or had Kongoryu-sama pat me comfortingly, it wouldn’t be enough.

Any time before now, I would have been terrified, closed my eyes in terror, and just ran for it.

…But I wasn’t like that anymore.

Because now I knew what future was waiting for me.

This knowledge closed off specific options forever.

I looked up at the Knight Commander.

He was looking back at me with an enviably calm expression.

I hugged my dragon tighter… Yeah, it’s decided.

I’ll believe in the Knight Commander… That he can take us home.

I reached out my shaky hand, and he held it tightly.

“…Let’s go.”

“…Okay.”

The Knight Commander held me in one arm as he pointed his sword up ahead with the other.

With the dragon on his left shoulder and Kongoryu-sama on his right, he bent his knees and jumped vigorously.

…Woah! I almost bit my tongue!

Looking back, I saw the Heavenly Dragon standing alone in the collapsing space.

His once starry eyes had turned brown, the aura around him fading… He looked just like an ordinary boy.

I wanted to say something to him, but nothing came out when I tried to find the words.

“Oh… Uhm! Uhhh… See you later!”

Huh? ‘See you later?‘ That wasn’t right…

This will probably be the last time I’d see him. Was I that dumb!?

We rose higher and higher through the air from that jump. The gravity started to get distorted.

…As the collapsing space grew further and further down below, I felt the Heavenly Dragon looking at us the whole time.

---

At the end of the jump, we arrived in a strange, colorless space.

I could tell we were moving forward, but there was also a terribly painful and oppressive feeling like we were going through a dense wall around us.

I felt the Knight Commander’s powerful arm around me.

I looked up to see him clenching his teeth.

His hand trembled as he held his sword to the point where his knuckles turned white.

It seemed like his strength would give out. I had never seen him like this before.

I don’t like it.

I don’t want to be held.

I want to feel like I’m helping at least a little… That we were going home together, so I reached out my hand to him.

Just that movement made my arm hurt like it was being torn.

Despite the pain, I reached out bit by bit to support his arm.

…We’ll definitely make it back, to where everyone was, to our world.

Above my head, I sensed the Knight Commander smile a little.

I felt like that gave me strength, so I tugged at his sleeve.

I saw a small light ahead.

The Knight Commander clutched me as if squeezing out the last of his strength.

And then…

We passed through the light to see a blue sky.

---

We flew up into the sky as if we were thrown by something.

And after a momentary pause, we started falling as if we had just remembered how… We were falling!

“We… We’re falling!”

I could see clouds below, which meant we were high up.

At this rate, we’ll die on impact.

What were we going to do!?

…No, no, no!

Calm down, Rururia.

It’s okay, Rururia…

You’ve got the one and only Knight Commander with you, right?

We won’t keep falling like this, right?

“Snore…”

“…Huh?”

Huh… Huh?

Did I just here him snore? Was he… Was he sleeping? Now? Right here… At a time like this?

“Wake! Wake up! Please, Knight Commander! We’re not home until we’re safe on solid ground!”

I shook him with all my might. However, due to wind resistance, I don’t think it ended up being that hard.

I didn’t know what was wrong with the Knight Commander, but he showed no sign of waking up.

What was all this…

We made it back only to end up dying anyway!?

We passed through a cloud.

This was bad… Really bad. The ground was getting closer.

Although it was still distant, I could make out the familiar sight of the Royal Palace, the Knight’s Tower, and the Castle Town.

I felt no joy at coming back, not in the slightest.

What do we do… What do we do… What am I going to do!?

While I was panicking, we were drawing closer to the ground, where many people had gathered.

Wait… Was this the Palace’s Training Grounds?

As if they had noticed us, someone pointed a finger, making everyone look up collectively.

…No!

Nooo!

Help!

Help us!

I tried to wave my hands, but the wind pressure had only just made them stretch out, and despite my desperate attempt to send a signal, there was no discernible response from down below.

No… This wasn’t right!

I’m not waving ‘hi‘ over here!

The Knight Commander had fallen asleep!

I was close enough now to make out the faces of Sara, Solan-kun, and Irene-sama… I just closed my eyes in resignation.

Plop!

I felt no hard impact. After feeling like my stomach had already floated away, we’d stopped falling.

I opened my eyes to see myself being held by the Knight Commander on the ground.

He had woken up and landed just before we crashed.

That… That’s good… I thought we’d fall to our deaths.

This was a relief, really…

I leaned against the Knight Commander in relief.

“…Gaaah?”

“Snore…”

Before I even knew it, me, a poor weak maiden, was crushed under the weight of an adult man.

You’re kidding me… He’s asleep again?

No, no, no!

I’m begging you…

Wake up, Knight Commander!

---

Meanwhile, the people on the ground…

Knight A: Hey, what’s that?

Knight B: Hmmm? Isn’t it a bird?

Mage A: Idiot! Hadn’t the Chief Magician himself set up the emergency barrier? No bird should be able to fly over here!?

Knight A: Well… Uhm, what’s with that black shadow then?

Mage B: …I’ll cast some telephoto magic to look, just a sec… Oh, right there! Isn’t that the Knight Commander and Lady Rururia!?

Mage A: Oh! Oh man! It can’t be, Chief Magician! They’re back…!

Mage B: That’s odd… They’re falling way too fast…

Knight A: You lot were with the Knight Commander, weren’t you? Is he alright?

Knight B: He is! Ah, she’s waving her arms! Hi there, Lady!

Mage B: Hmmm… I see… But I mean… It just seems too fast…

Everyone, in unison: No way! He was asleep!?

The Knight Commander really was incredible! To be able to land while sleeping…!

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I couldn’t hide my frustration from the Knight Commander, making me purse my lips.

…Why wouldn’t he just give up? Why won’t he agree with me?

I hurriedly tried to think of a way to persuade the Knight Commander that my choice would lead to a better future.

What I saw reflected in my eyes was an expressionless face, halfway between human and monster.

I saw myself at the end of that future path… The horror of it turned my fingertips cold.

“…If I stayed around, you would become stronger… But you will also suffer.”

“…? That’s just my lack of training. Once we go home, I can further temper my spirit.”

The Knight Commander spoke clearly without hesitation.

No. That wasn’t what I meant.

It was frustrating not to get through to him… I turned my gaze again to his future.

…A country overrun by demons, blood, and smoke, filled with the voices of resentful people.

It was all too much to put into words… Letting that future come to life would fill me with such deep regret that I could cry just thinking about it.

“If I make even one mistake, it could start a war! Don’t you understand that we won’t always be able to live in peace like how we do now!?”

“…If that happens, I’ll do all I can to stop it… If that is what you wish.”

He spoke so confidently that no words could come out of my mouth.

I wanted to just crawl away and hide…

I tried to struggle…

I desperately searched for the answer that would me steer clear of any unfavorable future…

What, why am I…

A dry, devastated world with no humans… Where only giant monsters roamed around.

It was all the result of my choices… All of them inevitably connected.

…This was not something I can avoid.

I couldn’t stand to see this darkness in front of me.

“…Everything might be destroyed… The whole world… Solely because of my actions! Because of my wrong choices!”

“The world will be destroyed?”

For the first time, the Knight Commander casted his eyes down, as if in thought.

…At last, he seemed to understand.

Although I was getting what I wanted, I felt a pang of loneliness in my heart.

I looked at the Knight Commander deep in thought and realized this would be the last time I saw him.

He had come closer to me at some point, and I looked at his face.

I couldn’t tell what that familiar face was thinking about, but it seemed more intense than usual.

…I thought that his eyebrows, a silvery-white color like snow, were stunning.

When he noticed me staring at him, the Knight Commander raised his gaze, tilting his neck inquisitively.

That gesture shouldn’t look good coming from an adult man, but somehow it suited the Knight Commander… I smiled unintentionally.

He looked back at me with surprised eyes… A hot intensity that made me cringe.

“It cannot be guaranteed that you could save this country… Let alone the entire world.”

The Knight Commander said as he drew closer.

He was so close that I could touch him… He took up most of my field of view.

“I will do anything I can, request help from anyone I have to, and use all my strength…”

He spoke sincerely and earnestly.

He gently took my hand.

“…So please, come home with me.”

My feet swayed loosely.

I thought I made up my mind. I thought had settled my intentions.

But his grip was so warm that I felt my heart melt.

“…Why… Why won’t you just give up…?”

I couldn’t bear it, starting to spitball questions at him.

His voice was quiet and distorted to the point that it should have been hard to hear… But the Knight Commander spoke anyway.

He talked sloppily, struggling as he chose my words.

About his father, the environment that had made him who he was, and the time he met Vidika.

He gripped me more firmly as if to show he didn’t understand either.

He said that his life before he met Vidika wasn’t anything he could call good, constant suffering and being looked down on.

But there were good moments, too, he said.

‘Master Vidika‘ was someone he respected deeply.

‘The Chief Magician‘ was very reliable.

‘The subordinate knights‘ needed his guidance.

‘His Majesty, the King‘ held his pledge of loyalty.

“Everyone trusted and turned to me. It’s the important life that I’ve led.”

…But everyone had kept their distance since he had become an adult.

He didn’t shake nor show any disturbance in his voice, but rather spoke with a tinge of loneliness.

“…But somehow, you have always eased my heart.”

The Knight Commander said no one else had made him feel that way, making it so that he couldn’t take his eyes off me.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him either…

“Your words made me uneasy, and if you left, it would pain me exceedingly.”

“…I’m so used to your presence that I can’t let go anymore.”

As if to embody what he was saying, the Knight Commander squeezed my hand in a firm, but gentle grip.

I felt like I was being told not to let go either.

Despite my intentions, I felt my heart tighten.

…Ah, wait a minute… How unfair.

“So why don’t you choose me… Choose us… Over those other people?”

I felt a slight tremble pass through my body, originating from his warm fingertips.

Was he afraid of me not coming home?

His serious face faltered for a little bit, his blue eyes shifting in confusion.

I felt my feet tremble as if the world would crash in on me.

…Ah no…

I’m losing resolve…

I’m starting to want to go home…

….It’s okay…

I just needed to close my eyes, erase my emotions, and shut my ears.

I should go down the path that most people would go with if they were in my position, the path that would benefit those they held close to their hearts the most.

That’s the right decision after all.

I let go of his hand.

I closed my eyes and shut my ears as I felt that voice come to me in whispers again.

I felt pain in my heart.

But it doesn’t matter… I just needed to tuck the pain away… Making it smaller… And smaller… So that I won’t fold.

I kept chanting that to calm myself down gradually.

It’s okay.

This was the correct choice.

No one will get hurt this way.

I won’t get hurt, either.

My heart calmed. I slowly opened my eyes and stared directly at the Knight Commander.

I opened my mouth slowly… My voice came out in a whisper, “I’m making the right choice. I am.”

“Rururia,” the Knight Commander met my eyes, “I don’t care about what is or isn’t the right choice. You can choose whatever.”

The Knight Commander had a quiet, yet visible intensity through his whole body.

He interrupted me with a low, passionate voice, glaring sharply.

“My world is a world with you in it.”

Those groaning words made my heart sink.

The feeling got bigger and bigger… When I tried to suppress it… It just kept coming back, over and over again…

“And that’s why Rururia…”

I felt goosebumps on my neck.

I realized the Knight Commander was already pointing his sword at my throat.

It was a familiar posture. He seemed taken by the blood… But why?

“…I won’t allow Rururia to be erased.”

I felt his intense gaze and violent intentions overwhelming me with immense pressure.

The impact of it helped me snap out of my daze and think clearer.

On the contrary, the whispering voice in my head seemed far away, just a meaningless noise now.

…Ah, what was I thinking about? I felt like I was going backward… Ah, no, before that…

I glared at the guy in front of me who was pointing a sword at my throat, staring like he wanted to eat me.

“…That’s why…”

I lifted my leg, which felt strangely heavy… It felt like it would tear off as I shook it.

“I said I wouldn’t let you fall to senseless bloodlust!”

I swung my leg as hard as I could, aiming at the Knight Commander.

Well… I wasn’t aiming anywhere in particular, but it seemed I hit him in the shin.

…But he seemed completely unfazed! My foot felt more pain than he did!?

Going with my heart… My face revealed my personal feelings of regret.

As if intimidated by me, the Knight Commander hurriedly sheathed his sword while uttering defensively.

“Senseless… What… No!? I was just trying to persuade you.”

“What kind of blood-thirsty idiot uses a sword to persuade people!?”

That was senseless!

He was clearly feeling bloodlust!

At my legitimate argument, it appeared as though the Knight Commander had nothing to say.

For now, at least, I tossed him my handkerchief to stop the bleeding on his head.

The Knight Commander was stunned like a child as he grasped my cute handkerchief.

He seemed surprised and confused as I silently pointed at his forehead.

…Huh? Had he not noticed it yet? But isn’t that such an extensive injury?

I’ll leave him for now since he’s still muttering excuses.

I turned around towards the Heavenly Cragon.

…He really was a tremendous presence to behold.

The area around the little boy was distorted, stars swirling around in his eyes.

In his unusual existence, he was waiting for me to make my choice… To decide who I would become.

I gently closed my eyes.

I didn’t want to become illogical and make a mistake.

This is the right path to choose for the world… Leading to praise and appreciation– But something was wrong.

It shouldn’t be wrong. It must be good to choose a path where most people have a high probability of living good lives– But it felt terrible for me.

I don’t want to choose for someone else’s world… For someone else’s path.

That wouldn’t be my world anymore– That would be wrong, and a life full of suffering...

I mean…

There were people that I didn’t want to upset.

People hoping I would come home.

People that just wanted to see and be with me.

These personal matters that tugged my heartstrings were trivial compared to the whole world, but…

I’m not a hero, a saint, nor a masterpiece. I’m just Rururia.

I remembered the Knight Commander again and laughed softly.

Even if I made a mistake, I have people that would stand by me.

Even if I were to get lost, I’d have people that would struggle with me.

If I think that would be the best for the world, then that would be what I choose.

After all, I’m me…

…Only I can give my answer.

My course settled… I opened my eyes and steadied my shaking feet, opening my mouth that felt like it was shrinking.

“I want to live in a world guided by a path I have chosen. I want to walk together with everyone in such a world.”

“That’s why even if I make the wrong decision that would make things go badly, then I’ll just keep fighting until the end.”

“…I want to live in the world that I chose to live in.”

At this point, I stopped speaking and took a breath.

I tried to take a step towards my chosen path, but noticed that I couldn’t move my legs. I felt insufficient, but that didn’t matter.

It might be scary and wrong to make a bad decision, but even so…

While taking in everything, I forced myself to make a slippery half-step.

“I choose to go home! Back to my world.”

At hearing my choice, the Heavenly Dragon slowly closed his eyes wordlessly.

I heard something like a clicking sound, far away.

“Kyuruuu!”

“It seems as though you have made your choice.“

I heard a voice I had not heard in a long time as something heavy landed on my head.

“Kongoryu-sama! Dragon! I’m just a weak maiden, so don’t jump on my head like that!”

“Kyuruuu?”

“…A maiden?“

I thought my complaints were reasonable, but both dragons seemed in disbelief.

Speaking of which, where were Kongoryu-sama and Dragon this whole time? I could have used their advice… And I was worried!

But first things first… He was heavy!

You’re a heavy dragon! My neck… My delicate neck… Will break!

I struggled to peel him off me. Suddenly, my head felt lighter…

I turned and saw that the Knight Commander had caught the Dragon.

…But his face was expressionless.

I was a bit… I mean… Very scared…

“…Turn…”

“Huh?”

“You said you’d return?”

“Yes. I did. So?”

What did he mean by repeatedly confirming what I had just chosen to do?

He was just trying so hard to persuade me to change my mind… But he didn’t even hear me say all that? He was kidding, right?

I was about to complain, but at that moment, the Knight Commander had glared at me.

But then, he smiled.

He seemed incredibly happy… Happier, even… Than ever before… As he smiled.

I could hear my heartbeat pounding as I looked at him.

…No, no… Nooo! I looked at him… All that destructive power turned into happiness and roses before my eyes.

What happened to the severe, stone-cold, Knight Commander?

Bring him back!

I averted my eyes since I couldn’t stand it anymore… And out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kongoryu-sama approach the Heavenly Dragon.

“It’s been a while, Heavenly One.“

“It certainly has, Diamond One.“

The Heavenly Dragon responded in kind to the Diamond Dragon.

Speaking of which, what was all this stuff around us? Information on the world? I couldn’t read it… Couldn’t feel it anymore.

“This world has been confirmed.“

“Ahhh. Indeed, it has.“

The two Dragons exchanged simple, but multilayered, words and it felt like much more information was being conveyed.

It didn’t contain any emotion, and I was too timid to get in between them… The Heavenly Dragon turned as if he had read my mind.

“…As I had said, there was no right nor wrong choice.“

“…The Heavenly Dragon seemed lonely as he spoke.“

---

I, the Knight Commander, tried to persuade her as hard as I could, but in the end, I got angry at Rururia.

I was desperately trying to recover and say why I needed to use intimidation, but the more I spoke, the more I realized I was in the wrong… It seemed like she wasn’t listening and wouldn’t come home with me. I felt so insanely impatient.

However, in the end, Rururia said she’d come home!

I did it!

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Drops of red flood dripped from the Knight Commander’s fingertips.

He was wearing a thin, white shirt, not his usual thick knight’s uniform… He was also bleeding everywhere.

He was injured.

Even when facing the Fallen Hero in that vision, he hadn’t been that bloody.

He did not attempt to wipe the blood off his forehead… He just walked up to me calmly before stopping abruptly.

He glanced at me and then drew his sword, pointing it at the Heavenly Dragon.

His stance was threatening.

“What did you do to her?”

The Heavenly Dragon seemed unfazed and answered with a comfortable smile.

“I’m just getting her used to being here, that’s all.“

The Knight Commander didn’t seem to like that brief answer, his body tensing up in response.

The Heavenly Dragon remained unconcerned as he smiled.

“There’s no escaping it. I’m half of you– Why don’t you join us, too?“

“I refuse.”

The Knight Commander didn’t even flinch at this revelation on the secret of his birth, but immediately refused.

I felt a fiery pressure blow through the room.

If I were anyone else, not being wrapped up in all the information of the world, I would have passed out from the weight of this magical pressure.

The Knight Commander saw my expression, hardening his stance as if itching to slash out at anything thrown at him.

“If I go with you, can Lady Rururia go home?”

“If you choose to stay here, it means you choose her.“

“…What does that mean?”

He spat out as if he didn’t understand what was being said.

He lowered his sword as he walked towards me, but did not sheathe it.

He came within a few steps of me, looking me straight in the eyes…

When I returned his gaze, he bit his tongue, grimacing.

“…Is this puppet-like figure… Lady Rururia?

He groaned through clenched teeth.

I neither confirmed nor denied anything, making his grimace expression more intensely.

“She is who she is. It’s just not an expression you could ever recognize. She is the one who chooses. We just accept it.“

“…”

The Knight Commander continued to stare at me silently, not really listening to what the Heavenly Dragon was saying.

Suddenly, he grabbed me by the chin.

In the back of my head, I tried to think of something to say in response.

But I thought that would be meaningless, so I stopped. The difference in physical strength between him and me was apparent.

Even if I resisted, it would be no obstacle to him.

I just looked at him as he held me, making him bite his tongue in anger.

In contrast with the force he had used to grab me, he was gentle as he let go.

His face seemed twisted with emotion.

…What does that mean? What part of this place, where the future of the world was chosen, offended you?

I cocked my head in confusion and started to glare at him for some reason.

“…Surely, Lady Rururia, you don’t intend to choose this guy?”

I see… He doesn’t understand.

So now I have to choose between the Heavenly Dragon and the Knight Commander.

…But I’m not sure why he was the other option.

The blood continued to drip.

Looking at him, the bandana that was usually wrapped around his head was gone, revealing his torn, bloody skin.

Although it looked painful, he neither wiped nor compressed it.

It was very reckless of him to come here.

I have to explain to him how impulsive that was.

But then again, he came here all on his own, so maybe no explanation was needed.

Besides, trying to explain things to him won’t change anything. I still needed to make choices for the fate of the world.

I slowly opened my mouth as the Knight Commander painstakingly waited for my response.

“It’s not about choosing or not choosing the Heavenly Dragon. I need to make good decisions for the world.”

“…? What do you mean?”

He showed a surprised expression that meant he did not understand what I said.

It’s all too difficult to explain to someone not in touch with the world’s information. For some reason, I didn’t want to give it all up.

So I tried to explain it as simply as possible to him.

About the past, that wasn’t chosen…

About the impact that would have on the future…

And then… About the future my upcoming choices would build.

“…That’s why… For the good of the world… I need to stay here.”

“For the good of the world…”

The Knight Commander repeated what I had said…

“It may be hard to understand, but for a better world, for everyone–”

“Who do you mean by everyone?”

His question stopped my thoughts.

Then my mind started racing… I’m not wrong, I…

“…Well, of course, all the people living in the world.”

“You’re doing this for random people you don’t know?”

“No, not just them. The people around me are included as well.”

“Is that so? Because your friend Lady Sara begged me to bring you home.”

The Knight Commander’s eyes were hollow.

A glimpse of Sara-chan’s face popped into my head, but I squashed it down– Don’t waver.

“…No, even if she doesn’t know, I’m doing this for Sara-chan, too.”

“The entire time I was waiting for preparations to be made, Solan was at my side crafting his plan for your safe return.”

The Knight Commander had a bitter smile. It seemed he understood less than half of what was happening.

I was starting to re-evaluate the situation, and as I made the decision to reject him… The words I had meant to say was caught in my throat.

“Lady Irene was there, too, using complex words to explain as much as she could to me.”

The Knight Commander seemed about to cry as he spoke… A far-off look in his eyes.

So, Irene-sama was using terms from her previous life again… And he’s crying about it all.

That does sound like them.

I almost murmured something, but I stopped myself.

This is all pointless.

I must not make a mistake.

I didn’t want to hear anymore, but the Knight Commander kept talking…

…About the Crown Prince, who had coordinated information collection and developed a large magic circle… About His Highness…

…About Leonard-san and the Chief Magician, debating the differences in their plan… Or about Michelle rushing in to mediate between them…

…All the materials on dragons the Royal ambassador had sent over to help…

I just wanted a space to think quietly… To answer him theoretically… But the Knight Commander’s words were scattering my resolve more and more.

“And your parents and brother got on their knees, heads on the ground as they begged me to bring you home safely–”

“If I…!”

I had no choice but to scream.

My heart was overflowing with muddled emotions.

“If I returned, everyone will suffer!”

I could no longer remain calm.

My eyes were filled with visions of Sara-chan’s emotionless face, Solan-kun’s desperate face, Irene-sama’s resigned face in the past I didn’t choose– As well as the crazy, beastly face of the Knight Commander.

I was relieved not to have chosen that path, but terrified that it could have existed.

“If I’m there… Things will happen.”

I squeezed out the words.

I can’t go back to the me that didn’t know these things.

As the decision-maker, if I chose to go home… The world I returned to would be at a crossroads, and those closest to me would be impacted the most.

What if I went back and make a mistake that would bring them a worse future?

“That’s why… That’s why I can’t go back! The reason why I don’t want to go back! I don’t want to make that choice!”

My words were harsh like blows as I spat them out.

I don’t want to make a mistake.

That’s the issue.

If it’s good for the world, then it’s not a mistake– A voice whispered to me.

If not for that voice, I’d be fine, but now I’m hesitating.

The Knight Commander was dragging me down, making me feel so terribly weak and selfish.

I glared at the Knight Commander angrily as he stared back with his incredible, blue eyes.

“So that’s how it is…” he muttered.

He didn’t accept nor deny my reasoning. I stopped talking and just exhaled.

As I paused, he spoke again…

“I haven’t suffered.”

My heart sank again.

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I noticed my cheeks were wet.

My eyelids felt heavy and instinctively closed as tears welled up.

Sara-chan was falling to degeneration…

A lonely Solan-kun…

A desperate Irene-sama…

And the Knight Commander driven to madness…

Those images I’d been made to see bounced around my head.

“This was the future that was not chosen.“

The Heavenly Dragon put what I had been thinking into words.

A voice whispered in the back of my head– This was the future and world that ‘I’ didn’t choose.

As I felt the warmth of the tears on my face, I was relieved that the future I was shown would not come to pass.

But even so…

The voice kept asking me in whispers, “Was any of that really true?”

What about everyone else…? The whole country…? Can you honestly say that your choices will be best for them, too?

The voice was calm as it told me not to make judgments unless they come from a comprehensive-based perspective.

It was a cold, inorganic, and disturbing voice.

I looked at the Heavenly Dragon as conflicting thoughts rolled around in my head.

He looked down at me as he continued speaking…

“Half of the world will be destroyed, but a unified nation will rise out of it, leading to a glorious future without war.“

“There will be a rift with the magicians, and the world will change direction towards scientific advancement… Leading to an age of prosperity.“

“The people will rise, the monarchy will be abolished, and it will go down in history as the world’s first democracy.“

“The bloody war will cull the demonic population, leading to an era of peace for humanity.“

I was wrapped up in the whirlpool of information the Heavenly Dragon had given me.

A vibrant country where many ethnic groups and races could come together in equality.

Masses of people living in large buildings that touched the sky.

People actively discussing their opinions with lively expressions.

A city of people in loose clothing, beautiful music, and constant laughter.

…The future I didn’t choose.

I heard a mocking voice in my ear say, “Look at what you just gave up? Was that really the right choice?”

I couldn’t firmly deny it.

I wanted to say, “At least everyone is safe.”

I kept thinking as I tried to process this massive amount of information I had been given.

Had I made the wrong decisions?

Had it really been that wrong?

“Selection is neither good nor evil, just a crossroads for determining the future.“

Even with the Heavenly Dragon saying that, I couldn’t shake my fears. Ah… This is so scary… So, so scary.

I…

I didn’t know what kind of decision I needed to make.

I didn’t know choosing how the future would turn out was like this.

It’s so…

…Why me?

As doubts welled up in my head, I could hear mocking laughter inside my ears.

When I looked back at the Heavenly Dragon, he returned my gaze with merciful and compassionate eyes.

“The earth is like a flowing river. But if it continues to flow wantonly, it becomes a raging force. That is why someone must choose a route for it to follow.“

And that someone… Was me?

I understand that ‘the one who makes the decision‘ was needed.

And that it was me about to choose what direction this world will take… But even so…

…Why?

“…Why me?”

I heard my voice leave my mouth, no longer a whisper.

I didn’t think I had spoken.

Was this me from the future I didn’t choose?

“Well, I’m not sure,” a voice replied instead of me, though it really felt like it was me.

Putting my confusion aside, I turned back to the Heavenly Dragon.

“I wonder if you can tell me why it had to be me?”

The Heavenly Dragon was perplexed as he opened his mouth like it expected me to know the answer already.

“The moment you were born, no, the moment the stars split apart, you were already born.“

“In that instant, it was determined that you would inevitably be the one to decide the flow of this world.“

…Could that really be true?

“It was just a coincidence, wasn’t it?”

Just a chance of probability that those two events happened together?

Deep in my heart, I felt a low voice say, “It would have been better if it wasn’t for you.”

I didn’t want to listen to that selfish voice.

“…That’s what made you into ‘the one who decides’“

My surroundings swirled around me as he spoke.

I blinked…

I reached my hand out to my Dragon as he was wrapped in black.

I didn’t want him to disappear, and I wanted him to go home with me, too.

I felt a horrifying force on the edge of my hand, so I lowered it so that I wouldn’t die.

I felt power building up in my body. I wanted someone to blame as I looked up at the sky.

…But there was nothing there.

I felt the faint bond that connected me and the Dragon fade away… I screamed the surprise I felt up to the sky.

Scanning my surroundings, everyone I knew was all around me.

Some had stifled their expressions…. While others were shedding tears… Some also seemed filled with regret.

Despite the somber atmosphere, I felt satisfied and calm for some reason. I was happy.

I looked around in slow motion. I couldn’t see clearly.

They may have seemed cold, but they were warm and friendly. They’d helped me a lot.

As I sighed, I felt the last of my life force spill out. 

I couldn’t open my eyes any longer– I’ll just sleep a bit.

Just outside of my dimming view, someone was calling my name.

I couldn’t really understand their words, but they seemed despairingly sad.

…I slowly opened my eyes.

My final tears spilled out and disappeared.

My eyes were dry again.

There was nothing left.

“As a mere human child, the choice was too much for you.“

The Heavenly Dragon spoke to me– Was this how this ends?

“Ah, you were able to play your part and get some rest… But you did choose. It was a narrow road, but it was this one.“

I understood his words impersonally, like I was someone not connected to the situation.

The scene I had just viewed earlier appeared to be the end of my life, at the end of the best possible choice.

In the back of my head, I wondered who that ending was good for, but that doubt faded away.

…That’s for the world to decide.

I saw the overlapping futures and pasts, those I’ve chosen and those I’ve not, rippling, flowing, and swirling around.

I was adrift in a whirlpool of information and felt like some part of me was being washed away little by little.

It may have been an emotion, or a piece of my heart… It might have even my humanity.

Regardless, I kept looking… Dazzled.

I tried to pick apart only the necessary information, and I found that my conclusions had been correct.

should have chosen a calm end without saving my Dragon.

But that option had already gone away. So now I had to think about my next move.

I wracked my brain, and the conclusion came quickly…

I shouldn’t go back.

If I go back, I’ll have to make more and more decisions. That will be my existence.

Eventually, that will lead to a turning point where my existence will be consumed– And I’ll die.

There’s probably no hope i me having a calm and peaceful death.

Because I didn’t choose that path.

Furthermore, by reading this flow of information…

If I stayed here side by side with the Heavenly Dragon, I can be a link between people and dragons.

This will impact the world and allow magic to develop dramatically.

If I don’t stay here, the world that would collapse and then will be revived by science… And everything sad will come to pass.

Of course, there were better things about that option, too—a peaceful world without conflict.

However…

Looking around… More and more branches were leading off to a devastated world. I whispered, “What if I reason?”

The answer was clear.

If it leads to a slightly better world, then I shouldn’t return.

I concluded my thoughts, looked up, and saw, not a dragon, but the human form of the Heavenly Dragon in front of me.

A smile appeared on his innocent, boyish face, extending his hand out to me.

“Come with me then… If that is what you choose.“

I leaned forward to take his extended hand.

A crack ran across the world.

Soundless vibration echoed through space as the world tore itself apart.

A black shadow passed by at a tremendous speed from the cracked spaces, falling to the ground.

I looked at him as he stood up slowly.

It was the Knight commander… Covered in blood.

---

“I wonder if he reached her safely…”

“It will be alright. They’ll be back soon.”

“We have to make preparations for when they get back.”

“…Sounds good…”

“Maybe add some more weird titles, or something?”

“Or build a statue in the square?”

“Fufu. Ria would hate that.”

The three began to hold hands as they stared at the wedge in reality…

…Hoping that she would come back soon.

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I passed through the door and entered a terrifyingly large space.

I looked up to see a large, transparent, domed ceiling with hundreds of millions of stars twinkling through it.

My line of sight was drawn to the beauty of the starry sky.

I looked back down at the floor, which was reflective like a mirror, before taking a breath and going forward.

I reached the center of the room.

“So, you’ve made it, child. It’s time to make a decision.”

The Heavenly Dragon was there.

He was not in the shape of the child that he usually took, but his proper dragon form… Wrapped in a terrifying aura of gravitas.

His wings weren’t so enormous compared to the starry sky, but it still felt like they were wide enough to wrap up everything in sight.

…I couldn’t feel my feet.

Without realizing it, my legs were already moving on their own, taking me closer to the Heavenly Dragon.

I felt a strange sensation like my body was off somewhere far away.

…Am I forgetting something…? Oh, that’s right! I need to get home, uhm, back to my friends.

I tried to focus my hazy thoughts and just concentrated on my objective.

If I didn’t strive now, I feared this place would swallow me up.

I reached out my hand as if to touch something sneaking up on me, but my hand just cut through the empty air.

…Was someone supposed to be there for me to touch?

The Heavenly Dragon squinted a little and lowered his long neck to look at me.

“Don’t get drunk. This place has that effect on the human body. Let me try to fix it.”

As he said that, the Heavenly Dragon let out a puff of air that wrapped around me– Immediately I was able to take a breath.

…Ah, that’s right! I came here so I could get home… To everyone I know.

I gathered my thoughts a little and looked up at the Heavenly Dragon.

“The effects seem to have subsided. Now let me ask, what have you come for that you stand in front of me now?“

I felt goosebumps on my skin.

I felt like a lost sheep.

The determination that I had just felt was now faltering again… Huh?

Who was it again…?

My thoughts were lost and scattered in all directions. Even the things I understood before were starting to grow fuzzier.

I wanted to say that I yearned to go home, but the words were caught in my throat and didn’t come out.

I struggled, clenching my teeth, trying my hardest to squeeze out my request.

“I came… To make a choice. My choice.”

My voice was low and shaky as it came out but still echoed through the room.

I was about to continue and tell him my desire to go home, but the Heavenly Dragon raised his hand to stop me.

“So, scaleless one… Allow me to show you ‘the path of choices’”

“It is on after that you can make your choice,” he said, spreading his wings slowly.

The stars sparkled brilliantly against the inside of his wings, the harsh light dazzling my eyes.

I blinked…

In my line of sight, off in the distance, was Sara-chan.

This was in the garden of Sara-chan’s home on the day I first met her.

With her black eyes, inorganic like a doll’s, Sara-chan opened her mouth and said, “I’m going to destroy this country.”

…If I recall correctly, I answered her, “Would that be fun for you?”

But my mouth moved on its own, saying, “You’re scary,” as I trembled.

Immediately, Sara-chan’s black eyes deepened and darkened. She said nothing, nor revealed anything, in her expression. She turned her back and walked away– Wait, come back, I was wrong!

I reached out, but it was the bony arm of someone else.

Sara-chan leaned back in her chair, bored, in a dimly lit room illuminated by the flicker of her candlelight.

A large number of people lay on the ground by her feet, piled up high.

Their eyes were wide open and dark. I couldn’t move nor avert their eyes from the sight, filled with the smell of blood.

Sara-chan sipped her wine emotionlessly, not caring about the blood covering her cheeks.

I heard noisy footsteps, the door to the room flinging open violently… It was His Highness, the Crown Prince.

His face was distorted by hatred, utterly lacking in the confidence and personality… I had known him to be the exact opposite.

He was swayed like he had seen a ghost as he approached her, saying, “…Give me back this country,” as he swung the sword gripped tightly by his hands.

He was aiming for Sara-chan’s neck– Watch out, Sara-chan!

However, Sara-chan did not even attempt to avoid him and just stared with her disinterested eyes.

At the last moment, she spoke in a soft voice, her statement not directed at anyone in particular.

“This wasn’t very fun after all.”

I blinked again…

I saw Solan-kun at the center of a space somewhere, distorted by too much magical power.

This was the Training Ground where I came to learn magic when Solan-kun lost control of his power.

…I remembered headbutting Solan-kun while saying, “Don’t be so clingy to Irene-sama.”

But I was much too afraid of Solan-kun’s magical power, the empty look in his eyes boring into mine, so I stepped back without saying anything.

Solan-kung stayed there, not looking at me, just muttering “Irene” desperately. My vision went white– What just happened? Was Solan-kun okay?

My eyes adjusted to the glare and saw the whole area coated in pure white snow.

There was just one distinct point, a dirty lump. A white head that had turned gray was shaking.

…It was Solan-kun.

In front of him, the Chief Magician was red in the face as he shouted, “Solan! Come back!”

It seems like he had come to save him.

His hair, clothes, and breath were all ruffled and ragged, his rough voice filled with love for Solan-kun.

…But Solan-kun was reaching down to touch the ground… It was like nothing existed around him…

The stump of his arm was charred black, and it sagged down slowly.

Without a glance at anyone else, Solan-kun embraced Irene-sama with his remaining arm.

I took a few steps through the snow to get a better look, careful as to not touch anything.

Solan-kun, at the limits of his physical strength, collapsed and stroked Irene-sama, who was silent and still as if asleep, on the cheeks, his fingers trembling.

“You’re all mine now, Irene.”

I blinked…

“Countess Rururia Dalton!”

The high-strung voice of the Crown Prince echoed beneath the glittering chandelier.

This was the venue for the graduation party.

…I was called here to testify about Irene-sama’s innocence.

I had hesitated to step forward, humbled by the power of the Royal Family, bowing my head to avoid everyone’s gaze as I answered, “Yes.”

When I said that Irene-sama had…

My answer was met with silence in the Great Hall.

When I raised my frightful face-up, I saw Irene-sama in front of me, closing her eyes as if resigned to losing her life.

In the next moment, people started trying to catch Irene-sama, everyone trying to save her trampled over each other– I found myself in the middle of the angry crowd.

The lively and bright Royal Capital burned down, the sky turning gray because of the smoke illuminated by the fires of war.

Beyond the screaming crowd, there stood a gallows in the square that wasn’t supposed to be there.

The platform trembled as if it would collapse under the people’s enthusiastic footsteps.

Up above, Solan-kun, the School Director, the Duke of Dilaver… And all the people that were Irene-sama’s supporters, had been beheaded.

Now Irene-sama was being dragged on to the same platform.

Irene-sama bent down without anyone prompting her to, sticking her head out– Get out of there, Irene-sama! Get out of there!

Irene-sama was usually a cry baby, but now her eyes were dry, lethargically putting her hands together to pray.

Surrounded by the roaring crowd’s manic voices, Irene-sama muttered inaudibly.

“I can’t live.”

I blinked…

“Kill him!” I heard my voice shout hatefully.

When I saw that man… I just couldn’t stand him, making my voice spill out.

Blue eyes looked at me imploringly, asking if it was really alright, and I responded angrily– “This is natural! This is justice.”

When I finished screaming, I was terrified by the harshness of my own words.

As I tried to take back what I said… In front of me, the Knight Commander, was nodding like this was all normal… He nodded.

He turned his back without hesitation… I couldn’t reach him as I stretched out my arm.

Within a collapsing cave, the Fallen Hero and Io, the Spirit of Death, fought the Knight Commander, all of them being smeared with blood.

Someone’s roaring voice echoed, and suddenly, I was carried away by the Chief Magician, reaching out my arm fruitlessly… The sight of the fight growing further and further away– My vision was covered by black and red smoke.

The eye could see dead people and demons, and I could hear high-pitched metallic sounds, growls, and screams.

The Knight Commander was expressionless, blood-soaked, crazy, and beast-like.

The blood covering him had no time to dry as he slashed left and right, delivering killing blows to everything that touched his sword, dodging attacks all around as he dealt stabs and kicks…

Unbelievably, the onslaught of demons around him stopped advancing, and the area grew quiet.

Not a single person nor demon moved.

It was like the whole world had died.

The Knight Commander was not his usual self as he slowly looked up to meet my eyes– He was no longer the Knight Commander I knew.

“Who’s next…?”

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“Even so, I can’t see in front of me…”

“Kyuru?”

I took a deep breath and exhaled, trying not to get too annoyed.

Hey… It’s me… Rururia… Just walking and breathing…

My Dragon was flying around me, with no annoyance and full of curiosity, and Kongoryu-sama was gracefully slithering through the air above.

…I envy their ability to fly.

I was only just having a meeting with my friends… Why… Why did I have to get attacked by that black object?

Why does a weak and ordinary girl like me have to walk through this pitch-black space down an invisible corridor?

It’s so troublesome. I’m tired of walking. There’s no end in sight, just more walking and trouble.

Can’t someone just break this corridor off in the middle and make it shorter or something?

…I felt someone looking down at me.

I’ll just ignore that.

I kept walking through this mysterious space, the sound of my footsteps echoing.

With nothing better to do, I turned my head in all directions to catch the sound of the echoes, but I just ended up more confused, so I stopped.

As I turned around, I saw a window in front of me.

White light swirled around it and was sucked in before reappearing again… Looking at it made me feel dizzy.

“…Please don’t stare at it too much. You’ll lose your ability to return.“

“…Ah.”

Kongoryu-sama’s voice snapped me out of my wandering thoughts, and I hurriedly looked down at my feet.

…I have this strange sense that I’m in danger…

I hesitated to take a step and felt something brush against the nape of my neck.

What the hell was that…?

“Hmmm, the phenomenon you’re currently experiencing… This was the area where matter faded in and out in this plane… Some of it just fully disappeared.“

A soundless impact radiated out from the window, but that appeared to be all for now.

If this was the phenomenon Kongoryu-sama had mentioned, it might radiate out to where we were.

…Hmmm?

Huh? I’m not sure I really understood the nuances of what he said…?

“Kyuru!”

My Dragon flew overhead, coming closer to me as if he was worried about something.

…Huh? What’s wrong? You look unsteady. Are you okay? I’m the one who couldn’t fly away if things were to get dangerous here, so what do you have to complain about!?

I turned to glare and refused him when our eyes met.

…And then my Dragon seemed to understand something.

“Kyuuu!”

“…Waaah! Wha… Dragon! Hey! Your scales are rough! Stop rubbing me against me!”

The Dragon suddenly clung to me firmly.

No, no, no! You can’t do that! Even if you’re small… Even if you’re the size of a dog… If your scales were to rub up on my skin like that… Huh? It doesn’t hurt?

I peeled him off me and examined him. Sure enough, he was covered in the same old scales that I was used to stroking.

…They felt the same as when I usually touched them, but… Wait… Was something wrong?

When I touched him, it felt like I was just tracing a memory of touching him or something…

“…Don’t think too deeply about it. Or you won’t be able to maintain your shape.“

…My thoughts were pulled back to the present.

I immediately felt horrible.

…It’s okay, it’s okay. The outline of my fingers holding the Dragon was just a bit blurry… That’s all. I just hadn’t noticed.

…This place really was dangerous. I don’t know what would happen if I stayed here too long.

I can’t really explain why, but it’s dangerous.

I released my Dragon back into the air and turned to face Kongoryu-sama.

“Kongoryu-sama! Let’s hurry forward! Let’s take a shortcut! Please, let’s just go!”

“…My Lord… I see… Was that your instinct to flee… But you haven’t given up hope yet, have you? If you did, you might not be able to be awakened from this realm.“

I thought I had come up with a pretty good idea, but I was met with a very unwilling gaze and response from Kongoryu-sama… What did I do?

I turned away and kept walking, not wanting to keep getting stared at like that.

Since entering this black space, I felt like I’d been blown away somewhere. I felt so unkempt. I felt like I wasn’t really here.

I needed to rush to get out of here as fast as I could!

With my determination renewed, I looked back one more time at the depths of the corridor I was heading down.

…But humans quickly lose their motivation when they couldn’t see what they were striving for.

“…Kongoryu-sama, does this corridor move on its own?”

“It doesn’t.“

“I thought so…”

At being cut off and denied so vehemently, I lost some of my motivation…

But my instincts kept telling me, “It’s okay! Hurry and escape!”

I exhaled and gathered my strength, beginning to run at full speed.

…Please!

Let my destination be close!

---

…A heavy gate, about the height of the Royal Palace main gate, stood in front of me.

“What… Was this it…?”

“Kyuruuu?”

It took several hours of continuous running through the endless corridor to get here.

On the way, I doubted myself several times, but from overhead, I felt Kongoryu-sama staring at me, saying, “Are you sure you want to stop?” and I managed to push forward and kept running.

As a result, I was much more tired than a dignified lady should be.

…Whatever!

I don’t care… I don’t care!

I made it, and that was all that mattered!

I tried to stifle my ragged breathing and looked up to see Kongoryu-sama floating above me.

How was I supposed to feel about this? He could have let me ride him, or something like that! Maybe I should have asked him!?

“…Don’t you know that I can read your thoughts? You just kept going on and on about how you’ve arrived. You’ve made it here, was what mattered.“

This world was all about momentum.

Even the gaze of this disappointed Dragon, even something like that, was the momentum that pushed me forward!

I just needed to concentrate on what’s in front of me. I’ve recovered more from breathing and looking around now.

I carefully observed the door, which was so tall I had to look up to see it.

…Hmmm, this gate appeared to be very heavy and made out of stone.

Closely, it appeared to be covered in carvings made by both people and Dragons… Just looking at the details made my eyes hurt.

Looking at it so intensely made it seem like it was coming closer or doubling in size, so I took a step back.

That instinct that had urged me to run forward was now nowhere to be found… I couldn’t rely on it forever.

“…Uhm… Was this really our destination, Kongoryu-sama?”

I caught my Dragon as he flew around me and stroked him to calm my nerves as I looked back at Kongoryu-sama.

…It was then I first noticed that the walls and window had vanished.

Spreading out left and right was that black space I had first seen. I looked down at the floor, knowing I mustn’t look at the blackness.

As I clutched my Dragon… Kongoryu-sama, who until then had been behind me, passed by to the front of the door, almost like a gatekeeper.

…The air had become tense.

“I cannot take humans beyond this point. It is a multilayered place of choices and futures.“

Kongoryu-sama’s familiar voice now sounded strange, like it overlapped on itself multiple times, echoing through space that shouldn’t exist.

As he stared at me from above, I trembled at the smallness of my own existence.

“You have a choice to make. Go forward or turn back.“

Kongoryu-sama looked at me directly as he asked. There was no ridicule or disbelief. He just asked me.

It appeared I had to make an important decision.

What did ‘a place of choices‘ even mean…? I don’t get it.

…It’s all so scary.

I want to run away.

I need time.

In my head, I thought, “What if I just ran away?” and I was at a loss for words.

My thoughts that had been flowing smoothly not long ago but were now tangled and confused. What am I doing, and what for…?

As I became lost, my body reacted on its own, taking a step back.

…Rururia.

I shifted my leg back at the sound of my name being called. Without even realizing it, I had almost chosen to turn back.

Take a deep breath…

Just calm down.

Calm down.

…I’m not sure what to do, but I definitely don’t want to be forced into making a hasty choice.

Honestly, I wish I could talk to someone, as I’m not sure I understand any of this. I can’t keep up, and I don’t want to be forced into the wrong choice, but that’s not possible.

It was just me, my Dragon, and Kongoryu-sama here.

I must choose to go forward or not.

If I go forward, then it’s through that door… I don’t know what’s there or if I can even really go home.

But on the other hand, if I turned back, there won’t be an escape there.

…Hmmm? Ah… I think I have the answer.

I tried to wring the jumbled thoughts out of my head, leaving just a feeling of wanting to go home.

That’s what I told Kongoryu-sama.

“…I’ve made my choice. I want to go home where everyone I know was.”

My voice wavered a bit as I took a step forward… My footsteps echoed strangely.

His eyes seemed a bit friendlier as they squinted down at me.

Kongoryu-sama stroked his scales as he drew close to the gate. He let out a breath.

…But it was like a quiet roar.

The shapeless voice was quiet and deep as it radiated through the air.

The weight of that roar had me questioning my existence as it made my whole body shake.

As I tried to steady my body, I felt a slight vibration.

…Little by little, the gate began to open.

It indeed seemed to be a heavy door, and I bit my tongue as I watched it open, wishing desperately to leave and not be swallowed up by this place.

The slight gap opened steadily until, eventually, it was fully opened, the doors ground to a stop.

The silence filled the area.

It… It was okay to go through here, right…?

I should have been able to see beyond the door, but I couldn’t. I tried to shake off the concerned feelings I felt.

My feet will move back on their own if I let them. It’s only my willpower that kept me here.

Kongoryu-sama was coming towards me… Huh? Had he gotten smaller?

His body had been the width of a carriage, but now he was small enough for me to wrap my arms around.

“Kongoryu-sama, your body…”

“Don’t worry about it. My presence in this realm simply reduced a bit… I didn’t even plan on staying here this long.“

‘I didn’t mean to stay this long…‘

Was that because I pulled him here with my Dragon Crest?

I didn’t know how to return him, so I cast my eyes down, but I heard a sound around me.

Surprised, I turned to see Kongoryu-sama’s tiny face.

“I said don’t worry about it… This was unexpectedly enjoyable, spending time by your side.“

I was relieved to hear the happiness in Kongoryu-sama’s voice.

So he enjoyed being at my…

Huh? By my side…?

Does he mean he had been watching me for a while now!?

Well, I guess that’s how it’s always been since I got a Dragon Crest!

I thought about this and that in the Empire and the remote areas I’d been to, and I heard my Dragon excitedly squawk.

“Fufu. You seem to have relaxed a little.“

As he spoke, I felt my shoulders sag a little.

“Thank you, Kongoryu-sama.”

My Dragon, who had landed on my shoulder at some point, snuggled closer… Yep, I’ve calmed down more and more.

Beyond the door, I saw nothing but swirling darkness.

I was still confused by this situation, full of anxiety and fear as if I was standing on a cliff blindfolded.

Even so…

I wanted to go forward…

I wanted to go back home to everyone!

So… Trembling step by trembling step…

I went through the door.

---

Meanwhile, in the other world…

Crown Prince: I have gotten permission from Headquarters to put these countermeasures into the National Budget.

Sara-chan: I’ve finished recruiting people and making preparations.

Solan-kun: …Well then, if we applied this theory…

Irene-sama: Hmmm, wouldn’t that cause an issue?

Chief Magician: Hey, do your best to keep that wedge in space stable…! And Li, you should take a break.

Knight Commander: …

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The sound of rain did not cease.

She, who had been sitting in the rain, had gotten up and left. Despite her feelings of helplessness… She had regained her composure and left.

I was left still standing here.

I also know that as the Knight Commander, I should stop hesitating and call my subordinate…

…But I can’t move.

In the back of my mind, all I saw was Lady Rururia’s eyes and the sound of her voice calling for help.

She asked for my help…

But I failed.

It was an unpleasant and unbearable feeling… I couldn’t control the urge to hit myself.

So this was how regret felt like…?

I processed my thoughts like I was an entirely different person… But that stops here.

I’m not some kid that just stood around confused whenever things went wrong.

I turned my thoughts to the ground that had swallowed up Lady Rururia and how I could get her out there.

---

If asked what my very first memory was, I would have to say it was my father’s back.

I don’t remember seeing his face clearly… I had lived with my servant for as long as I could remember, so it felt odd even to call him like that: father.

It seemed that my so-called ‘father‘ only appeared to give me enough money for a place to live and food, but there was no contact other than that.

So to me, the man calling himself ‘my father‘ was just a random person with a label.

But people always felt some type of way whenever I tell them that story.

Some sympathized… Some showed anger… Some held immense feelings of superiority, while others had distorted their faces into mocking sneers.

…I can’t really understand what evoked those emotions in them.

“A mo… Monster!”

That word had been yelled at me so often that I had become familiar with it.

I fixed my eyes on a boy older than me, his arm swollen red.

The three boys surrounding me retreated as if frightened… What one earth was going on?

“Yo… You! Don’t think I’ll let you get away with hurting Azel like that!”

“…Hey, your older brother was in a vigilante group, wasn’t he…? Call him over here.”

“Huh, what were you planning on doing?”

“It’s been decided, hasn’t it? We’re getting rid of this monster!”

That’s what the boy had said as he pointed at me and laughed distortedly.

“…Oy. What happened?”

“Ah, brother!”

Having heard our voices, four adults pushed through the bushes and drew near us.

Among the four was a red-haired man, whom the boy that confronted me ran up to cling to.

The adults seemed confused with the boys’ story, unable to get the point, but their expressions hardened when they saw the branch in my hand.

…It was then that they recognized that I was their enemy.

One of them loomed over me as he reached to take my weapon.

No one should let an enemy disarm them, so I kept it out of his reach.

That was just common sense.

“Ugh! You brat! Hand it over!”

“One must never give their weapon to an enemy.”

At his aggressive voice, I simply put my thoughts into words, and his face became even harsher.

“You’re the one the broke Azel’s arm!”

…Azel. He must be the one from the last conversation… The one I hit with my stick.

I had no idea I broke his arm. However, if he had said so, then I can try and believe it.

“That’s right.”

As soon as I affirmed what he had said, the four adults grew tense all at once… Was this their blood lust?

One of them menacingly twitched a baton he held in his hand, apparent hostility visible in his mannerisms.

As I looked into his delirious eyes, I caught the baton he had swung down at me, jabbing out with my stick in response.

…Gah!

“Guhhh…”

I saw a long black-haired person in my field of view… A woman?

Whoever it was coming from behind, the man confronting me had his arm twisted by her.

…When had she gotten here? I hadn’t seen it.

“What were you assholes doing to that child?”

The other three men retreated at her extreme anger. They tended to the man who she had attacked, twisted about while moaning… They screamed to her about me.

“He broke the arm of one of the village children.”

“The kids were all scared.”

“He called us his enemies. That makes him dangerous.”

In response to their claims, she replied bluntly.

“They started it, didn’t they?”

She scanned the scene, looking at the well-dressed boys… And then, to me, covered in dirt and scratches.

She gave a silent look as if to ask, “Are you okay?” so I opened my mouth in response.

“I was just going for a walk when a rock hit me. They said they could do whatever they wanted to an outsider kid with no parents, then they jumped out and kicked me.”

“Was that so…?”

“Well, then… You lot…”

At the snap of her fingers, I felt an immense pressure radiate from behind her, and I reflexively stepped back.

The boys were all trembling, and even the adults were in tears as they doubled over.

…They had only just been my enemies a moment ago, but they didn’t seem as threatening anymore.

“Are you ready for this?”

As soon as she finished speaking, their screams echoed throughout the forest.

---

I rubbed my aching forehead.

After knocking down each adult with a single punch, that woman, who they referred to as the Knight Commander, turned to the boys and me, giving us a choice to either get struck in the head or do chores for the Knights.

I had chosen to get hit, and when they saw how hard she struck me, they all volunteered to do chores instead.

…Were their eyes shining at least a bit as they looked at me, or was that my imagination?

The woman offered to walk me home and said I had to hold her hand while we were together, so I held her hand and guided her down the road.

It was my first time walking side by side with someone, and I wasn’t sure where I was supposed to be looking, so I just stared at my empty hand.

My hand was only empty because the stick I had been holding was now used as a splint for that one kid’s broken arm.

She asked me questions, and I told her how I always walked down that path and spent every day going through the forest.

Eventually, we reached my house, which stood alone in a clearing in the woods.

I wondered what to do at this point, and when I looked up at her, she seemed to be thinking about something.

“…By the way, I didn’t give you my name. It’s Vidika. And you?”

At her smiling face, I could only answer truthfully.

“I don’t know my name.”

“…Huh?”

“My caretaker only ever calls me master.”

“…And what about everyone else?”

“Besides the nurse, no one ever talked to me. Those kids were the first.”

“…What about your father?”

“I don’t know what he looked like.”

“…Can you come this way a bit?”

“…? Okay”

I didn’t really understand what was going on, but I moved as she had said and could hear the sound of deep breathing.

“…!”

She barked out a sound I had never heard before.

It sounded like a raging storm, and I reflexively squeezed her hand.

In response, she didn’t let go or say that it hurt but instead squeezed my hand right back.

When she finished barking, I asked her what she had said; with a smile, she said it was something in her country’s language, but something a child was better off not knowing.

“…Lionel.”

She suddenly said, and I wondered what kind of a word that was.

What was it…? Another foreign word? I turned to her, and she was showing me an expression I had never seen before.

“It’s your name… Lionel.“

I couldn’t get used to that word. Being told my name was something I’m not sure I could understand. All I felt was confusion.

…But she squinted her eyes and said it like it was necessary.

“…Lio…nel…”

I tried to get my mouth to pronounce it.

Strangely, it started to feel like a word that really belonged to me.

As it rolled off my tongue, she bent down and looked me in the eyes sincerely.

…And then…

“Come with me, Lionel.”

---

“…Li! Hey, Lionel!”

Someone shook me by the shoulder as they spoke sharply.

The shock brought me back to reality… The reality of having lost Lady Rururia.

I brushed my annoying, rain-drenched bangs out of my face to see Lady Irene clicking her tongue as she looked at my face.

“You don’t plan on just sitting here like a coward, do you? Hmmm?”

“Hey, Chief Magician! Can you stop with the magic, please!?”

…Her expression seemed quite severe.

Lady Irene shook her fist that was still surrounded by magical energy.

The magicians let out a sigh of relief as they dispelled it, not wanting to disturb us.

“We’re trying to open up an entrance to wherever Lady Rururia was taken.”

“I’ll give it to you straight; there’s only one way to save her… Someone needs to go through there and bring her back.”

“…I’ll go.”

I answered even before I realized it.

I didn’t need a long explanation nor any details.

I didn’t even need to think.

I just decided.

Lady Irene looked at me ponderously.

…Judging by the situation, it would make more sense for a magician to go. Obviously, the chances of success were higher if someone skilled at magic went into such an unknown space.

…But even so, I can’t give up on this task.

I solidified my determination as I waited for Lady Irene’s response.

“Solan is trying to drive a wedge into the space where she is supposed to be, but there’s no guarantee she’ll be there. We don’t have proof of where she is, or even if it’s a dimension she can survive in, let alone return from.”

“You still want to go?”

“I’ll go.”

Lady Irene stared at me for a few moments more as my assertions to go started to pile up.

She then started to laugh diabolically, had she misheard me… What was with the current situation?

Without changing expression, she drew her sword and pointed it at me.

“Well, I’m glad I made this prototype from the Margrave’s Hammer. It’s the least I can do… So, just wait for a second!”

Her actions radiated gratitude as she put her fists together.

I took the sword she offered, and we walked to the place together.

When we arrived at the wedge, Lady Irene had pointed out a variety of people working on it.

A significant event like opening such a space was quite the spectacle. You can’t miss it.

…It’s a good thing they didn’t open it while I was still out of sorts.

I took a deep breath and prepared my heart.

I drew the sword Lady Irene had given me, sharpened my senses, and swung it in a familiar motion.

The edge was so black it absorbed the light, and I pointed it at my objective.

All my regrets and confused emotions were calmed as I focus on thoughts of saving Lady Rururia.

Whenever I’m at her side, I feel courageous…

Whenever I thought of her, I’d smile…

And when she was gone, I feel disturbed…

Would she squeeze my neck and tell me I’m crazy? Will I be able to persuade her like I did when I recruited Knights? Or will she just kick me without asking any questions?

As thoughts of Lady Rururia appeared in my head, I couldn’t help but smile.

I’m sure her reaction will, as always, be outside expectations.

…But first…

“…I’ll need her to call my name.”

---

It’s me… Rururia… I was just walking down this hallway…

“No… It’s so… Endless…”

“Kyuruuu!”

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