After Maria left, I felt relieved and activated my “Dimension.”
It was to do a final check on the ship’s course before sleeping.
While reviewing the important parts of the ship, I found Snow. She was very close to my room. Snow, who was fidgety and uneasy, came into my room.
“Um, I was thinking of talking to Kanami, and I happened to come by… um…”
From her appearance, I realized she had overheard my conversation with Maria.
When I noticed, Snow also noticed and bowed her head sincerely.
“…I’m sorry, Kanami. I heard your conversation with Maria.”
“No, you were talking pretty loudly. It’s fine.”
However, whether she overheard me speaking loudly or listened using Vibration Magic would change things considerably. I couldn’t be sure, but I felt like she had been listening with Vibration Magic. Snow would do that normally.
With a hint of sadness, Snow repeated the conversation with Maria.
“Hey, were you going to become Maria’s? …You told me no so firmly when it was me…”
Snow asked directly about the thing I was most curious about. She seemed shocked that I had said I would belong to Maria.
I answered without any pretense.
“Well, your situation and Maria’s are completely different… I’ve been through a lot with Maria.”
“Is, is that so… So, you mean you weren’t going to belong to me, is that it… Eh, ehehe. I see, that’s right… It’s okay, I knew that. That’s why Kanami wouldn’t belong to me… After all, you hate me…”
When I followed up on Maria, the light faded from Snow’s eyes, and she was on the verge of self-loathing.
To comfort Snow’s overly sensitive heart, I raised my voice.
“—Snow, wait, calm down! If you were listening, you’d understand. There was a deep reason with Maria. I hurt Maria too much, so it was unavoidable that I would belong to her. It’s not that I particularly disliked belonging to you!”
I grabbed Snow’s shoulders and desperately explained.
It would be terrible if Snow reverted to her previous state here.
Seeing my earnest face, Snow regained her composure.
“Mm, mm… I understand.”
“That’s a relief. I thought I’d have to have the same conversation as the day before yesterday again…”
“By the way, if you want to belong to me, you’re welcome anytime. Unlike Maria, I wouldn’t be troubled if you told me. In fact, I’d be incredibly happy.”
“I see, I understand… You’re amazing, Snow. What was the point of persuading you the day before yesterday…”
“Ehehe…”
Snow accepted my sarcasm with a blush.
She was scratching her head with a foolish expression.
After breaking with the Walker family, Snow, freed from a long-held restraint, was doing whatever she pleased. Furthermore, by boarding the ship and leaving the Allied Nations, her complacency had reached its peak.
I understood her feelings, but I wished she would tighten up a bit. From my perspective, this was where the real battle would begin against Palinkron.
However, Snow didn’t meet my expectations and just smiled foolishly as she listened.
“…So, are you starting to like me yet, Kanami?”
“No, there’s no way. Do you think you would, so soon after yesterday?”
Snow is terrifyingly bad at romance.
It was fortunate that Snow was the marriage partner prepared by Palinkron. If it had been someone who understood men’s hearts a little better, I might have succumbed to that sweet world.
I sighed in exasperation.
Then Snow flinched and inexplicably sweated.
“…Huh? Why? It feels like something bad is happening? Ah, maybe it’s the way I’m addressing you? Like with Maria, would a unique nickname be better?”
Snow started saying completely off-topic things.
She was worse than me, who was too foolish to save Maria and Rustiara. As I tried to stop her nonsensical rambling, I was interrupted by a terrifying phrase.
“—Hmm. …How about… ‘Master’?”
“No. Impossible. Absolutely, no.”
My body reflexively rejected it.
Why do Maria and Snow both choose such heavy-sounding pet names? There should be plenty of more reliable and likable nicknames. It’s as if they’re doing it on purpose to be disliked. It’s surprising that they say they want to be liked.
It’s not that I’m stubbornly refusing to like them. However, under these circumstances, I don’t know how I’m supposed to like them.
“Well, I am Kanami’s fiancée, you know. So, isn’t something like that acceptable?”
“For the record, I have never approved of being Snow’s fiancée.”
“But during the duel with Siddharuku, you did something equivalent. Master.”
“Ah, that happened… It was a time when I was most out of my senses, so I was starting to forget… No, I wanted to forget…”
“You should take responsibility for that. If there are any suitors for me, I’ll say ‘Kanami has a Master, so it’s impossible’ from now on.”
“It was a duel’s vow. It’s difficult to retract that, damn it…!”
I cursed from the bottom of my heart.
“Ehehe, give up. Master.”
“I’m sorry, Snow-san. Please, at least spare me the ‘Master’…”
I bowed my head without hesitation.
This wasn’t just about me.
Tomorrow, everyone will see Snow calling me Master.
Then, the ship’s temperature will suddenly drop. Naturally, Maria will ignite and stubbornly continue calling me “Owner.” Rustiara will probably egg them on, saying, “Until the very last moment! Until the very last moment!” with a smile. In that case, Dia won’t be pleased either. Sera-san will say something incredible with her unpredictable thought process. If that happens, my best friend, Reaper, might even leave out of annoyance. If the only person of normalcy, Reaper, is gone, the ship will become an arsenal without safety devices. —The ship will fall easily.
“…Eh? Is it that much of a problem?”
“Please, Snow. The ship is in danger. It will be less than a day old.”
I seriously worried about the ship’s life.
Perhaps sensing my earnestness, Snow reluctantly nodded.
“If I say this too much, Kanami will really be in trouble… Okay, I’ll stop. Because I want Kanami to like me…”
“You really want me to like you…? You’re not lying, are you, Snow? I’m easily fooled when it comes to these things, so please forgive me? It feels like being liked by you is a punishment game…”
“There’s no way I’m lying. Like Maria, I love Kanami to death.”
“Ah, thank you…”
Snow said it unashamedly in front of me.
Maria, being shy, hadn’t explicitly said “I love you.” I was flustered by the sudden confession.
Then, Snow looked at me with expectant eyes.
If she had heard Maria’s earlier story, Snow probably wanted a response too. Seeing Maria being pampered, she probably thought she could be pampered now too.
I chose my words carefully and replied slowly.
“…I’m sorry, Snow. I’m afraid I can’t accept those feelings until my main objective is achieved. I don’t have enough leeway for that right now.”
“Your main objective… It’s really about your true sister, isn’t it? The one you’d say ‘I don’t care if I die’ for…”
“Yes, I’m aiming for the deepest part of the Labyrinth for my sister. I’ll explain more tomorrow, but I can’t possibly do anything else until I achieve that.”
“…I understand.”
By speaking with sincerity, Snow nodded obediently.
I realized my persuasion skills were improving. I hadn’t made so many mistakes for nothing.
Just as I thought the conversation was over, Snow interrupted me with a sunflower-like smile.
“But, that means if I reach the deepest part of the Labyrinth before Kanami, Kanami will be mine, right?”
“No, that’s not how it works. Let’s stop that. —And, are you still aiming for that?! Seriously, where did your resolve and vows from the day before yesterday go?! You haven’t changed at all, Snow!”
Snow is truly straightforward. She is straightforwardly prioritizing her own desires.
“No, I’ve grown a little, though? About this much.”
Snow indicated about a centimeter with her thumb and forefinger.
It seemed my desperate persuasion was only worth one centimeter.
“Truly, people don’t change that easily…”
“That’s right. So, let’s take it slow, Kanami.”
As I hung my head, Snow smiled gently.
It was slightly different from her usual self-centeredness.
“From my perspective, Kanami seems very rushed. So, I want you to relax more… Otherwise, I’ll get anxious…”
Snow saw through my condition better than anyone else. She had only known me from before my memories returned. I had been relaxed back then. Compared to that, I must seem rushed now.
With the return of my memories, I recalled many missions. However, I reminded myself that rushing would not lead to good results.
“You’re right… I’ll relax a bit. Thank you, Snow.”
Come to think of it, I had been constantly thinking about Palinkron at the back of my mind. If I continued like this, my perspective would narrow, and I would fail again.
I wouldn’t have noticed this on my own. I sincerely thanked Snow.
Snow’s smile faltered a little, and she began to make a request with a slightly fawning expression.
“Yes, let’s relax. For my part, I’d like to sail for about a year, nice and slow. Let’s just ignore Palinkron or something.”
“No, that’s too lazy…”
“But Palinkron is troublesome as an enemy, you know? Annoying, isn’t it? Let’s just stop and go on a world tour?”
“For your information, Palinkron has merged with Guardian Teeda’s Magic Stone. He should have become quite strong, so you’ll be forcibly participating when we fight.”
“…Uh, huh? …I’ll be on ship duty. I’ll see you off with all my might.”
“Ship duty can be handled by hiring someone. Don’t hesitate.”
“No, I want to avoid fighting Guardians as much as possible. Teeda, huh… So Palinkron has that Teeda’s Magic Stone… That idiot…”
Snow seemed more concerned about Palinkron possessing Guardian Teeda’s Magic Stone than Palinkron himself. Thinking back, she had said something similar about Maria.
It seems Snow has a phobia of Guardians.
“Are you that scared of Guardians…?”
“Yes. In the past, I had a terrible time because of Guardian Teeda—”
It seemed the cause was that battle junkie.
Snow must have had a period where she was engrossed in Dungeon Exploration. Perhaps, like me and Dia, she had been challenged to a fight along the way.
“—But, I’ll give it my best. If Guardian Teeda is involved, I feel like I can’t run away. If I don’t, I can’t move forward.”
Despite her fear, Snow declared, her lips pressed into a thin line.
This was a strength Snow hadn’t possessed before. It was the same Snow I saw two days ago when she stood up on her own.
Perhaps her pathetic remarks until now were her way of joking. Seeing Snow slowly but surely moving forward, I felt relieved.
“In that case, I’ll be counting on you, Snow.”
“Leave it to me, Kanami. From now on, we are partners as equals.”
Snow brought up the promise from two days ago and extended her hand.
I took her hand and clasped it.
I found reassurance in the strength of her grip.
The fact that I now had a reliable partner was more joyous than anything else.
With those words, we exchanged our goodnight greetings and retired for the night.
◆◆◆◆◆
After escorting Snow back to her room, I walked alone through the ship.
As I proceeded down the dark wooden corridor, I pondered. Unusually, I wasn’t thinking about the Labyrinth or Palinkron. It seemed that, taking Snow’s advice, I was now able to consider more recreational things with more leeway.
And then, I realized something.
Due to the special circumstances of being in another world, I hadn’t noticed it, but it was extremely important.
In my short life, about 16 years.
This was the first time I had been confessed to by two girls.
I was still on the cusp of adolescence. I was interested in girls to some extent, and I would be overjoyed if a cute girl spoke to me. Today, I was almost tricked by a certain girl because of that.
In any case, I held a faint dream about women.
For some reason, in my original world, I had little interaction with girls my age. For some reason, it felt like the only person of the opposite sex was my sister, Hidaki.
And here I am, less than a few weeks after arriving in another world, having been confessed to by two girls.
Frankly, I thought confessions were urban legends. I thought they only existed in games and dramas. At least, in my school life, there wasn’t even a shadow or trace of them.
However, I also realized that this came with a heavy responsibility.
Even if I was confessed to by two girls, I could only accept one at best. The one I didn’t choose would be greatly saddened by their despair. From experience in dramas and games, I knew that where one person finds happiness, another sheds tears.
That said, the option of never choosing anyone is not good either.
From my experience watching many creative works, I know that protagonists who waver end up with unfavorable endings. The longer it’s drawn out, the more accumulated love and hate worsen the situation.
Therefore, the important thing here is to quickly resolve this romantic turmoil.
I made that decision.
To present a clear answer to both of them.
This was the best course of action to minimize the total amount of sorrow. It’s best to do it as soon as possible.
Aikawa Uzunami should make clear who he likes.
If I show the girls the one I have feelings for, I can show everyone a new future.
Then, Maria and Snow would be able to give up and find new loves. The wounds would be shallow, and their lives wouldn’t be wasted.
At first, they might not accept it easily. However, if I speak sincerely, carefully, and patiently, I’m sure they’ll eventually understand. Maria and Snow are not the same as when I first met them. They have gained that much strength.
Furthermore, if I settle things quickly, my stomach won’t hurt every time the topic of love comes up. I can concentrate on the Labyrinth without unnecessary thoughts. The emotional vulnerability that will likely be exploited when fighting Palinkron will also be reduced. It’s all good.
How wonderful.
Perhaps because so many things happened today, my head is overheating, and I feel like I’m thinking of terrible things. Still, I’ll concentrate on thinking about reaching the best ending.
Who does Aikawa Uzunami like the most…
I pondered deeply as I walked the ship’s corridor.
There were no lights inside the ship. As if swallowed by darkness, I walked in the gloom.
And the answer I reached was—
