Chapter 1.12
01. Visitor from Another World
1-12. Fading in a Dream
"I see. So, you've successfully escaped from the brainwashed state,"
Rain remarked with an astonished tone. Kururu, without much to say in return, simply nodded.
It took a few dozen seconds for His consciousness to fully return, and it was Shia who shook her awake.
"What... happened to me...?"
"Hime-Tama!"
Even though the two of them held her tightly with overwhelmed with emotion, her head remained foggy and unclear for a while, she not quite sure of what was happening. But... before long, she snapped back to reality.
It was a sudden awakening, akin to a shock from on a neuronal level. A violent flashback surged, recalling everything. The events leading up to this moment, and even the circumstances that brought them here.
"Noooooo!!!"
The shock and terror that surged through Kururu in that moment were immeasurable. Realizing that up until now, she was under mind control, and their actions that had seemed insane were actually meant to save Kururu was more than enough to shock him. However, what was even worse was...
"This is bad, this is extremely bad!"
The root of the problem still remained unresolved. The fact that the boy from another world, whom she had brought in, was now comfortably resting in the same room. Overwhelmed, she cried out towards the heavens, clutching her head.
However, she quickly shook her head, correcting herself. She needed to calm down. There was no use regretting what had already happened. What she needed to focus on now was how to gloss over and conceal the problem that had occurred. That was all.
Unable to stay like this, Kururu promptly stood up reminding herself sternly. Clenching her fist tightly with a determined heart, she knew that hope hadn't gone yet.
"Thank you both! I'll be right back!"
Once again, she rushed back along the same passage. It was like a hero heading into the final battle, having risen from the depths of despair.
"Alright, take care!"
(Tn: ganbatte)
Supported by the encouraging voices of those who had always stood by her side, they waved her off energetically.
"But, if by any chance I start acting strange again, sorry but, I'll need your help once more!"
Kururu departed from the scene. Leaving behind such a request, just in case.
There wasn't much to discuss ahead. Rain, surely have watched everything.
When she hurriedly returned to the room, she found Naota, thankfully, gazing at the sunset through the window.
He seemed unaware that the mental manipulation had been lifted. Therefore, Kururu made up her mind. She cautiously approached from behind and leaped decisively onto his unguarded back. She judged this to be the most reliable way to avoid meeting his eyes.
Of course, it wasn't without its embarrassment. If anything, Kururu is a bit of a clean freak, and up until now, she had never initiated such contact with anyone, let alone someone of a opposite gender. It required immense courage and resolve to take such action.
Yet, she pressed forward because she could no longer afford to be hesitant. As long as it wasn't something extreme, Kururu believed she could handle it at this moment. If there was a chance to reduce the incident to minimum, she'd take it. At this point, she was prepared for a last stand with no retreat.
With that resolve, she leaped with full force. After leaping, her face immediately turned a shade of extreme embarrassment. She somehow managed to endure it and proceeded to the next action. It was a physical examination carried out under the pretense of a somewhat questionable health check.
She had heard about it from Noah, the god, before. When using Regalion, if the subject had even a single pebble of this world on them, there was a chance the teleportation array wouldn't function correctly. So, she carried it out reluctantly, just to eliminate that possibility entirely.
It was unavoidable. Even if it was just for a few minutes, there was no guarantee he hadn't concealed something odd in his pocket. That's why she needed to press her body closely, inspecting Naota meticulously from top to bottom.
Especially when she was examining the pocket of his trousers, she almost let out a scream upon the strange object and its true nature. She bit it back with sheer determination, enduring it somehow. This was a consequence brought about by her own carelessness and overconfidence, a lesson to be learned while praying even to the gods.
So, that's the truth of the matter. Every action Kururu took was done out of necessity to ensure her own safety and to safely return Naota to his original world.
There was absolutely no trace of any indecent implications. Well, leaving that aside for now, the fact remained that it was still a bad idea.
Therefore, this wasn't some sort of scoop or anything of the sort. It was an utterly outrageous accusation. Instead, what was captured here was a figure so dedicated, so valiant, sincerely acknowledging the mistakes she had made and wholeheartedly devoting herself to recover.
This kind of thing is nothing more than an approach one would expect from third-rate gossip magazines, focusing solely on malice in angle and timing. So, Kururu desperately tried to explain, pouring out her words, her feelings, her circumstances and the whole story from back then, blushing profusely, hoping for this embarrassing public execution to end quickly.
"How shameless."
"It's all true, you know!?"
That was the comment she received in response, and she couldn't help but raise her voice. The fact that Rain could still tease her like this even after understanding everything speaks about his twisted personality. Since it was the usual for him, she let out a sigh of resignation along with a "Haah."
"I suppose it's okay to skip over what happened next. You were probably watching anyway."
"Yeah, I was watching. You really gave him a good one. No, maybe two. Poor guy, even a woman like me felt a pang in my chest watching it."
"The point of pain is different, you know. I was about to lose my chastity, even though It was my own fault, it was self-defense."
"Oh, isn't that quite commendable. You said it well, disregarding yourself."
"Ugh."
I can't make any retort, When I hear that.
"Well, I suppose it's fine. In the end, everything turned out alright, so let's just say it's all good,"
"Quite the optimistic outlook."
Rain commented, snorting in apparent disbelief.
"So, in the end, Rain-san, since when did you following us?" Kururu inquired.
"Since you two were engrossed in conversation in the alley"
"That's almost from the very beginning..."
"Yeah, i regret it, I should have taken my time a bit more. Well, let's leave it at that. Thanks to this, I got a scoop out of it"
"Ah, are you still going on about this? Being persistent is a sure way to get disliked, you know!?"
"Now, this will be quite the sight. If a shot like this were to circulate, I wonder how the others in the guild would react. Jackie would probably find it amusing. I'm also curious about Roy and Iruru reactions.
"You've picked the worst targets! Please, absolutely stop! I mean it, not just as a joke! Hey, don't smirk!"
Amidst the commotion, Rain decided to steer the conversation back to its original course.
"Actually, I was closely monitoring the situation enough to consider making a shot like this a reality. I didn't think you'd be able to break free from the brainwashing on your own."
"That's... That's true. I was saved by Shia and Gnome-san."
"I could have intervened when as soon as you captured, but I chose to wait and see since I couldn't predict your actions in that case."
"Huh?"
"perhaps, you might have thrown yourself in front of that boy to protect him, even if it meant facing off against me."
Upon hearing this, Kururu took a moment to reflect on her thoughts from earlier. She couldn't deny that, in that moment she might not have backed down even if Rain had been her opponent, all for the sake of protecting Naota. She didn't want to imagine such a scenario, and the outcome was already clear.
"In the end, if you had resorted to your final option and let him escape into that world of books, it would have been quite troublesome. I was considering all possibilities and proceeding with caution just to be safe"
"I... I see."
With this exchange, Kururu finally got the answers she was looking for. Even if she had stood in Rain way, she could have easily subdued me in seconds. Though She had a suspect that she didn't intervene because she simply wanted a paparazzi-like shot. Kururu let out a sigh of relief, after confirming that this was not the case.
"By the way, if it had come to that, what would have happened to me?"
"That's simple. If you have swallowed it, I would have made sure you spat it out. I would have resorted to torture if necessary."
"How cruel! To do that to a cute subordinate in a state of confusion..."
"It's your own fault, isn't it?"
Though she tried to play the delicate maiden and tear up, she couldn't find the words to respond.
"You should consider yourself lucky. Give your thanks to the spirits for things not turning out that way."
"Yes, I will. From the bottom of my heart."
"However, the Sword of Exorcism... Leaving aside the name, it was quite surprising. I never thought the spirits would possess such a thing. Did you know?"
"I've seen it once before. But I never imagined it would actually have such power. I thought the little folks were just setting up such a thing as part of their story."
"For spirits to create an artifact... It's not entirely implausible, but... I can't believe it would seal the power of a demon."
After muttering such things, Rain fell into contemplation for a moment. However, it seemed she quickly arrived at a realization.
"Did you know that boy's name?"
"Huh? Yes, I do. His name is Naota. He introduced himself like that."
"Naota. Just that? Do you know his full name?"
"Full name? No, I don't."
"I see."
With that, Rain seemed to reach a conclusion. Turning to Kururu, who tilted her head in confusion, he continued.
"In cases involving this kind of mind-altering power, intimacy with the target is crucial. How much information is shared and disclosed between both parties is key."
"Information shared...?"
"In basic terms, it refers to details about the other party, such as their name, age, and family composition. If we include hobbies and preferences, the connection would become even stronger."
"So, does that mean because I didn't disclose that kind of information, the pseudo-relics the little people had could be dispelled?"
"It seems that's the case..."
With those words, Rain cut off and once again fell into contemplation.
"Rain-san...?"
"No, I find it strange. Based on our earlier conversation, the time you spent interacting with that boy shouldn't have been that long. Even so, why did the skill activate in the first place? Even if you knew his name, I find it hard to believe that alone would trigger it. Even if it did activate, the effect shouldn't last more than a few minutes... So, does that mean that boy appealed to you so fervently?"
"No, that wasn't the case, but... Certainly, we exchanged various ice-breaking conversations, but all I really know about him is his name, you know?"
"In that case, by process of elimination, it must be something you revealed."
"Huh? I didn't. I mean, sure, I introduced myself when we first met, but that's all. What's with that suspicious look? I wouldn't just casually disclose personal information to a complete stranger I've just met."
Kururu protested, she wasn't one to be easily fooled . And then She remembered. Not to the extent of including hobbies and preferences, but she had begun to confide in him about her recent 'worries' at Naota question.
What If that had become the trigger, and the bond with Naota had unnecessarily strengthened...
"Why are you silent?"
"...No, I really didn't say anything."
"I see. Then look me in the eyes and say it."
With a reproachful look directed at her, Kururu could only turn her face away. The fact remained that this suite room, which was supposed to be covered by expenses, was included. Rain inquiry would continue for a while longer.
-- By the way somewhere.
"Uwahh!"
A young boy who had been dozing off on a bench in a beautiful cherry blossom park suddenly jolted awake. He tumbled a little to the ground from the momentum but soon pushed himself up.
Oops, that's no good. It seemed that he had inadvertently fallen asleep, likely due to the extreme comfort. Luckily there seemed to be no witnesses around.
"...Huh?"
At that moment, he felt a strange sensation, like something was caught. He tilted his head in wonder. He felt like he had forgotten something very important. But for some reason, he couldn't recall what it was. Had he been completely fallen asleep?
"What happened to me, I wonder?"
He just had a feeling that until a moment ago, he was somewhere else. Perhaps in a much more distant world. Moreover, it seemed like something very exciting was about to begin there.
Now, what was it exactly? He pondered, but ultimately couldn't come up with anything that rang a bell. And so, as he looked up at the empty sky, he murmured to himself.
"Maybe I was just dreaming?"
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