The slave bread is coming soon.
Nishizawa Eri, just a little longer until the dog collar.
Fool, dumb starfish, sea squirt, anemone (illustration included)
Colorful sunlight sparkles through the stained glass inscribed with the savior’s legend in the conference room.
In the center, there’s a round table.
Thirteen puppets wearing black hoods are seated around the table.
They are the top executives of the New World League, the 13 Apostles.
The 13 Apostles maintain a silence without saying a word.
Their gazes turn towards the empty white chair in the conference room.
Creeeak.
The door to the round table conference room opens.
Step, step.
Black hair, black eyes, white suit, and white shoes.
A handsome man with a kind demeanor sits down in the empty white chair with a gentle smile.
“Welcome, Master.”
“Our savior.”
“O Messiah, please save us.”
The Apostles greet the handsome man with voices filled with longing.
The black-haired beauty, the master of the New World League.
Messiah smiles and greets them.
“Have you all been well?”
The 13 Apostles nod in unison.
“How did things go regarding Inokashira Park? I would like a report…”
A gate device created using Lost Technology found at the ruins.
The first experiment was held at Inokashira Park.
“Well, that…”
“The experiment was successful, but…”
“We failed to achieve the secondary objective. Instead, Vulture ended up in the Association’s prison after being defeated by the students.”
“The student in command at the time was Korean Kim Deok-Sung…”
Messiah shuts his eyes.
All the information spoken by the 13 Apostles organizes itself in his mind.
“I see.”
His abyss-like black eyes open.
“Not being able to deal with the Son of the Sword Master…”
Sadness laces Messiah’s voice.
“Vulture was a hunting dog that had to be disposed of eventually. It didn’t cause major disruptions to the New World plan, but… it’s a bit disappointing.”
A faint smile appears on Messiah’s lips.
“I am sorry! Master!”
“I apologize! O Messiah!”
“Please kill us!”
The 13 Apostles bow their heads in unison.
Messiah waves his hand.
“It’s alright. I’m merciful and generous. I can overlook a minor mistake.”
Messiah whispers softly in a kind and sweet voice.
Whispering softly, Rin says.
The 13 apostles tremble in fear and shudder as they bow their heads in unison.
“K-Duk-Sung, was it? The cadet in charge of on-site command.”
“Yes, that’s correct. Messiah.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Messiah taps his fingers on the armrest of his chair.
“K-Duk-Sung. Quite the unexpected variable. It’s minor, but…”
Tap.
Messiah’s fingers come to a halt.
“Add him to the subjects of interest. Every variable must be controlled.”
“Understood.”
Upon hearing the response, Messiah smiles kindly.
“Everything is for the New World, a realm where neither gods nor demons exist; a world solely for humanity.”
Messiah speaks in a gentle, soft voice.
“There is only one true savior of this world!”
The apostles chant in agreement.
Messiah closes his eyes.
The smile on his lips deepens.
*
After returning to the academy.
The first place I visit is the reading club room.
As I enter, Kasumi greets me.
“Junior! Are you hurt? I was really worried!”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Since I got by without a hitch, there’s no way I’d be hurt.
“Pfft. Is that really how you respond to a girl who was worried about you? Junior, you’re such a bad guy…”
Senior Kasumi covers her face with a book.
Good grief.
I’m getting tired of reacting to everything.
I’m slowly getting used to it, I guess.
Is getting used to it a good thing?
“Any news from the League?”
“Hmm. I guess this operation wasn’t all that important. But…”
There’s no way that the operation described in Chapter 3 of Volume 1 could hold significant weight.
The villain Vulture, a mere pleasure killer, is just a hunting dog for Messiah, whose goal is ‘world salvation.’
“…The League has issued orders to keep an eye on you, Junior… I’m really worried… The League is a scary place…”
Kasumi’s expression darkens.
“I’ll be careful, so don’t worry about me.”
This was something I expected when I decided to get involved in this incident.
Being on the League’s watch list wasn’t all that surprising.
Honestly, it doesn’t mean much.
If I were to get ranked on the watch list, I’d be at the very bottom.
It’s just because of Messiah’s obsessive need to control variables to an unhealthy degree.
For now.
“Yeah, but if something happens, I’ll report it right away. I’m a diligent spy for you, Junior!”
As I’m trying to focus on Senior Kasumi’s words after a long time, my phone vibrates.
Buzzzz.
[We need to talk]
[Come to the beach park]
Olivia’s message, as usual, is only about what she wants to say.
But what does she want to talk about?
I get up from my chair with a squeak.
“I’ll be going now.”
“You’re leaving? A junior who just says his piece and ruthlessly leaves is the worst guy in the world.”
I rub my forehead.
I haven’t felt dizzy like this in a while.
“Just kidding! You’ve been through a lot today, so you must be tired. Sleep well, Junior.”
My heart races.
If I hear three more jokes like that, I might faint.
“Take care.”
“Goodbye, Junior.”
Leaving the reading room as Senior Kasumi sees me off, I step out.
I step out of the club room, seeing Kasumi waving me off with her face hidden.
I walk through the campus.
The cold night breeze wraps around my body.
As I lift my head, I see the dark night sky of Tokyo marred by blinding lights.
I continue to walk.
Passing the main building, playground, and auditorium, I catch a glimpse of the shining sea in the distance.
The beach park where only Tokyo Bay is visible.
On the bench where I chatted with Olivia and that cringe-worthy maid of hers, she sits.
“You’ve come,” Olivia says, looking at me.
Unlike usual, she doesn’t stutter.
What’s up with her? Did she eat something weird?
“Please, take a seat.”
I sit down.
Splash.
The sound of waves crashing in Tokyo Bay fills my ears.
“What did you want to say?”
“Start with this.”
Olivia hands me something.
I receive it absentmindedly.
I feel its warmth in my hands.
A can of red bean porridge.
It’s the drink I had bought her from the vending machine right next door.
I had been a bit curious about the taste, and now I get to find out.
I pop the can open and savor a sip of the contents.
The sweet and warm red bean porridge slides down my throat.
It’s better than I expected.
“…I was almost disappointed in you today.”
Olivia speaks up.
In her hand is a can of oden.
“Disappointed?”
What’s she disappointed about?
“Even if Nishizawa-san did something wrong, a dog collar is a bit… I thought it was too much.”
Too much, indeed.
If it weren’t for that final boss, he should be thankful he wasn’t expelled.
It’s really not a kind world, to be honest.
“So?”
“But I learned from Bella that the reason Nishizawa-san challenged you to a duel is because of me…”
That’s true.
I nod my head.
Olivia puffs her cheeks out.
Her face turns red.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Ugh! Seriously! Fool! Idiot! Sea cucumber! Sea squirt! Sea anemone! The dumbest man in the universe!”
Her voice echoes through the beach park.
Tears well up in Olivia’s blue eyes.
“Take the incident with Shinozaki-san the other day as an example! Why do you always try to bear it all alone! I… I’m your maid! This idiot!”
Her hands tremble.
It feels like a line out of a light novel.
But this time, I can’t just brush it aside.
“That’s…”
For the first time since being transported into this world, I’m at a loss for words.
Olivia values her responsibility as a hero.
She probably takes her duty as my maid very seriously too.
Knowing her personality, it makes sense.
Maybe…
I shake my head.
It’s presumptuous of me to speculate since I need to return.
Olivia is a real person, not just a character in a novel.
I can’t arbitrarily judge someone else’s feelings.
Moreover, to defeat the final boss, maintaining good relationships with all the key characters is essential.
If even one of the protagonist, comrades, or heroines is missing, confronting the final boss will hit a tough roadblock.
If that crazy Messiah’s New World plan succeeds, it literally means the end of the world.
I don’t want to die.
But this is certain.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Sorry.”
I’ve treated Olivia like a game NPC rather than a person.
Even though it’s a crazy world where you shouldn’t get attached, especially since it’s a world we’re leaving.
I shouldn’t have done that to her, who has been a faithful ally from the start.
Thinking back, ever since I became a hero, she always grumbled but still followed all my orders, including teaching me the White Flame Sword technique, and even made gimbap for me.
Gimbap.
Right. It makes me think of home.
“……….You idiot. Clumsy fool. How could you make a lady cry? That’s the worst, the lowest…”
Olivia pouts.
She pulls out a handkerchief and wipes her tears.
“F-Fine. I’ll forgive you just this once! I’m the noble and generous French princess, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte! Consider it an honor!”
Tap.
Olivia places her hand on her chest.
With a tsundere expression as usual.
Definitely.
To be forgiven with just one apology, this world is way too kind.
Too kind, actually.
A bitter smile escapes.
“Now that we’ve fought, I absolutely won’t forgive you if you lose! Got it? If you don’t want to lose me, you better win!”
She strikes a pose with her hands on her hips, talking like a lady.
“That’s more like it.”
I nod.
“Ugh, ughhhh….”
Hearing my response, Olivia’s face turns red.
With her head down, she sighs.
“Y-You’re always such a straightforward problem!!!”
She shouts with her face flushed.
Yeah, now she seems more like the usual Olivia.
I can’t help but chuckle.
In this crazy light novel world, it might not be the usual clichés, but getting used to her tsundere way of speaking feels somewhat familiar now.
It’s like dealing with an unlikable yet endearing rival.
“What’s with that? Why are you laughing? What does it mean?”
“I won’t tell you.”
I stand up.
For some reason, I feel relieved, but my mind is still a bit tangled.
But my goal is already set.
I have to go back.
For my sick mom.
It might repulse me, and I can never like this world, but that doesn’t mean I need to hate it any more than necessary.
I can’t know how long it’ll take to return, so consuming emotions too much would be excessive.
Of course, this light novel world is full of horror stories, so encountering new traps will still make my hands and feet tremble and curses rise to my throat.
But hey, at least I have an annoying rival like Olivia.
“That, that, that doesn’t even make sense! Idiot, fool, sea cucumber, sea squirt, sea anemone, Kim Deok-Sung!”
Ah, what a shock.
Just when things were warming up, we suddenly hit a tsundere speed bump.
I really can’t get used to this.
Can’t she turn on her turn signal before rushing in?
And why did she throw my name in there?
Olivia crosses her arms, turns her head away with a hmph, puffing up her cheeks.
I’m glad she seems to be back to normal.
I gulp down the entire can of red bean porridge she offered.
The warm, sweet porridge fills my mouth.
I toss the empty can into the trash.
