My sole purpose is to “adventure.”
That heartfelt plea marked the beginning of my “adventure” with Kanami.
That night, a cold wind blew behind a tavern in the country of Walt. Under the moonlight, a duel was held with Sera Radiant of the Seven Knights of Heaven, and the boy with black hair and black eyes, who melted into darkness, emerged victorious.
He looked as if he had stepped right out of a book… I remember watching his fight on the rooftop, captivated.
While not as sharp as Kanami’s, I too had confidence in my memory. I also possessed the skill “Reading.” Therefore, I could vividly recall and even reread the subsequent conversation—
“—That’s right. I always welcome collaborators. If it’s just forming a party for a trial run…”
“Yay, thank you!”
“But if you do anything strange, I’ll immediately beat you senseless, incapacitate you, and kick you out of the party.”
And so, a chapter of my story began.
Seeing my innocent joy, Kanami, unable to hide his kindness, tried his best to maintain a stern expression as he cautioned me. It’s nostalgic how Kanami, at this time, still hesitantly called me “you.”
“—By getting me, you also get a practice partner! Kanami, isn’t this a great bargain!?”
“Haa… Well, I guess…”
“Alright! You nodded just now! You definitely nodded!! You can’t take it back later!”
And I felt embarrassed. I was like a newborn then, so thrilled by the vibrant colors of the outside world.
“Ah. Lastly, please stop calling me Kanami. Here, I go by Christ Eurasia.”
“Hmm. Got it, Christ. …By the way, what does that name mean?”
“It’s the name of a famous teacher and a continent from my world. Anyone who knows it would be very surprised.”
“I see, so it’s convenient for finding people from your homeland. Hehe, what a coincidence, it’s the same for me—”
Every time I found a common point with Kanami, I would inwardly exclaim, “This is fate!”…
I truly believe it was a “dream”-like time. Undoubtedly, thanks to Kanami, I was able to step into the book I so admired.
However, at this point, I didn’t consider myself the heroine of this story. The reason was quite simple: Kanami and I couldn’t “live happily ever after.”
I was destined to disappear in the near future. After all, this “dream” was just to make memories before I died. Such a person could never be a suitable partner for Kanami. If anyone was suitable, it was—Maria-chan. I genuinely believed she was the one.
Just one night sharing a bed with her was enough to make me realize. The “real thing” burns like fire to the touch. Maria-chan’s hidden feelings were incomparably hotter than mine. Realizing that the warmth in my chest, which I thought was real, was barely even a fever, I easily gave up.
Therefore, I decided to be a supporting character, cheering them both on. A friend who pushes forward the awkward young lovers, that was the role I chose, with my short remaining lifespan.
Yes. That was indeed the role I had chosen. And yet, “destiny” had predetermined adjustments. No matter which path I chose, everything was set to lead me to a certain page.
Even when I made the mistake of sneaking out of the great cathedral for a “Level Up” on the night I met Kanami, causing increased surveillance by the country, it was eventually Mr. Hein’s words, “That’s right. Let’s say she fell in love with that boy,” that forcibly corrected my straying path—
“—Will you be the ‘protagonist’ of my story?”
I always ended up with that sentence. And it was already decided that Kanami would answer affirmatively in the presence of the great cathedral’s crowd.
“—Don’t worry, our ‘contract’ isn’t over! If everything here is standing in the way of your dream, I will destroy it all! All I ask in return is that you come back to me!”
A story decided from the very beginning. If I were to summarize the plot, it would be this.
—In the year 1013 of the New Calendar. Rustiara met Kanami for the first time in a labyrinth and wished for an “adventure,” but failed to escape the great cathedral. While forced to talk about Kanami every day with Sera, the guard, she gradually began to give up, believing it was all just a “dream”… but Knight Hein overturned this. He worked to ensure she could achieve happiness as an ordinary girl. As a result, she gained temporary freedom, and her longed-for “adventure” with Kanami began. Slowly but surely, the wheels of “destiny” began to turn. Rustiara gradually became aware of her own life. Despite being born a “creation,” she began to yearn for the “real thing.” However, this meant disrupting the perfect adjustments of the “Senate.” Rustiara’s mind gradually began to crumble due to anxiety she shouldn’t have had. And when Kanami learned the truth behind the Christmas festival, the “Red String of Fate” pulled them closer. He vowed to help Rustiara, even if her skills stood in the way. After all, they had a “contract.” It was a verbal agreement: [Rustiara will help Kanami return to his original world. In return, Kanami will fulfill Rustiara’s dream.] Kanami heads to the great cathedral. To break free from all the shackles Rustiara was born with, he resolves to turn the entire “world” into his enemy and destroy the ritual—Hein and Kanami’s pieces are all in place, moving one step forward.
In other words, we were all merely actors on the stage prepared by the Allied Nations, performing a single story.
Only the Palinkron Legacy would have noticed that “thread.” That man alone resisted, trying to see through this ridiculous script, but ultimately, even that resistance felt like part of the script.
Such was the abnormality of this “book made of blood.” It had the depth to adapt to the improvisations of every performer.
—With the intrusion of Kanami and Hein, the “Rebirth” ceremony of Saint Tiara ended in failure. In the temple of the great cathedral, Rustiara refused to hand over her body to the dead and decided to elope from Fuziaze. However, during her escape, Arty, the “Thief of the Logic of Fire,” along with Maria, stood in her way. In the end, only Rustiara, Sera, and Dia reached their destination, Griad, at the end of the Christmas festival. Arriving with nothing but the clothes on their backs, the penniless Rustiara party began earning funds for their escape in the Griad labyrinth. There, they learned of Kanami’s whereabouts through information from their friend Ragune, who remained in Fuziaze. The group hurried to the country of Laura Via… but what awaited them was the sight of their companions, their memories stolen. Rustiara and her group immediately searched for their enemy Palinkron and attempted to recover their memories. However, the villa where he was supposed to be was empty. Instead, they encountered Grim, the “Thief of Earthly Principles” from a thousand years ago, a magic user. Her appearance signaled the start of a grand stage—the “Dance Battle Tournament,” which also involved Rowen, the “Thief of Earthly Principles.” Snow, who possessed the new “real thing” heat, also participated in the tournament. Rustiara, narrowly escaping death multiple times from the “real thing” heat of Dia and Snow, fought her way through the tournament, succeeding in restoring her companions’ memories. At the zenith of the tournament, Rowen, the guardian of the thirtieth floor and the “Thief of Earthly Principles,” vanished. The audience in the theater ship erupted in cheers as they saw him off. Amidst thunderous applause proving it was not a death struggle but the greatest drama, Kanami and his companions departed from the country of Laura Via. Thus, Rustiara, having recovered her lost companions and gaining new ones, moved the stage from the “Frontier” to the “Mainland.”
This was one chapter of my story. A tale where, by overcoming the “ordeals” of the “Thieves of the Logic of Darkness,” “Thieves of the Logic of Fire,” and “Thief of Earthly Principles,” not only Kanami but also Dia, Maria-chan, and Snow all grew little by little.
And so, in the epilogue of that chapter, a most elegant ship journey began. Aboard the “Living Legend,” I found myself with a bit too much free time. Normally, I would pass the time with my hobby of reading, but this hastily prepared ship lacked such expensive luxuries as books.
—All that was in the room were blank sheets of paper for writing a ship’s log and a quill pen.
Naturally, I reached for them. It was just a whim at first. When I couldn’t find anything to read, I decided to write… and found it surprisingly easy and incredibly enjoyable. Running the pen across the blank pages, writing my own story, excited me as much as “reading.” It felt like destiny that this ship had no books, only blank paper and a pen, as I became engrossed in my new hobby—
“What are you writing…?”
Kanami, looking visibly tired, came to my room. After thinking for a moment, I answered his question with a hint of pride.
“—Hehe. Good question. This is my journal. Once I’ve written enough, I plan to turn it into a hero’s tale someday.”
The word “hero’s tale” naturally slipped from my lips. With the end of my first chapter and my escape from the Fuziaze curse, my “dream” was not yet over. Becoming a hero someday, that was my unchanging aspiration. Just as I, a thousand years later, wholeheartedly enjoyed “The Legend of Tiara Fuziaze,” I wished for someone to wholeheartedly enjoy “The Legend of Rustiara Fuziaze” someday. Holding the quill pen, I answered with that “dream.” Then, after finishing my journal, I naturally remembered the promise I made during the “Dance Battle Tournament” and brought it up in conversation. As a reward for getting through the first chapter, I made a proposal.
“—Then, how about a hug?”
On the night of a turbulent day, in a secluded room on a swaying ship, with both of us in light clothing and only candlelight, I earnestly asked for a hug.
“W-what? A hug…?”
“Yes, a hug. Like a tight embrace. You know, like the protagonist in a story would give the heroine.”
“W-why!? Why a hug!?”
“Um, how should I put this… It’s a staple of hero’s tales. I want to try it once as reference when I write my hero’s tale, you see?”
“Ah, reference for a hero’s tale…”
Kanami looked more bewildered than I expected, his burnt face flushing. Seeing him face-to-face, I too began to feel a blush creeping up my own face. A simple hug, which I had read about countless times in books, felt strangely embarrassing when it was happening to me for the first time. Despite possessing the knowledge of an adult woman due to the “spell formation” engraved in my blood, I was, in reality, a child barely three years old. Perhaps due to my lack of life experience, I tried to retract my earlier request, lowering my gaze.
“I-if you don’t want to, I won’t force you…”
“I didn’t say I didn’t want to. It’s not a problem, not at all. Ah, if it’s just that! If it’s just that, it’s fine!”
However, Kanami’s loud repetition of “it’s fine” meant that my abrupt and embarrassing proposal was not rejected. Unable to back down, we tentatively and cautiously approached each other, as if drawing in the “thread” towards one another—
“Y-you don’t have to be so serious… okay? This is just an experiment, you know…”
“Ah, it’s an experiment. Let’s go with an experiment…”
Kanami reached out first and pulled me closer. The height difference between Kanami and me wasn’t significant, so our two flushed faces inevitably drew near. We hastily used our unusually quick reflexes to avoid looking at each other, moving our heads to the right and left respectively, resting our chins on each other’s shoulders. I would say it was an excellent evasion for both of us, even though it wasn’t a battle.
But then, our close proximity caused our body temperatures to mingle. Glancing sideways, I saw the tips of Kanami’s black hair gently sway. I could see the tips of my own blonde hair swaying there as well. Why was it that hair touching was more embarrassing than physical contact? I had read about men and women embracing many times in books, but the brushing of hair tips felt quite novel. Next, Kanami’s heartbeat transmitted through our skin. As it synchronized with my own heartbeat, the blood coursing through my body clearly increased.
—The heat intensified.
The “creation’s” warmth, of which I had lacked confidence, felt like it was gradually approaching the “real thing.” At the same time, the anxiety I had held for so long began to fade. The future of “living happily ever after” felt within reach. In that warm sense of security, I murmured softly,
“Now… I won’t be lonely anymore…”
I finally understood the deep wish of Hein, who had been like a parent to me. This must be it, my escape from the mission to replace Saint Tiara, and the acquisition of my own life as a girl named Rustiara.
“Ah, finally… Is this the happy ending to the first chapter of my story…?”
Stepping forward into my new life, I concluded the story. Simultaneously, I relaxed my entire body and surrendered to the warmth. Embracing, we spent a time of immeasurable depth and mystery.
And the moment we pulled away, we both snapped back to reality.
“…!”
“…!”
It was fine while we were close, but as soon as we made eye contact, it was too much. We realized we had embraced like lovers.
“Eh, no, um, I mean? It’s nice to see this kind of thing, but doing it is tough!”
“Ah, ahh. It’s common in stories, but it feels strange when it’s over! I guess that’s all there is to an experiment! Just an experiment!!”
“Yes, it’s just an experiment! Wow, it’s not something you should do even as an experiment!”
“Ah!”
We matched our breathing and piled on one excuse after another. Yet, precisely because we got along so well, the pauses in our words were timed identically. We had no idea what to say or do next. We looked around for salvation—and only I found it. A strange red line was tangled around my little finger. And that “thread”-like thing was connected to Kanami’s little finger right in front of me.
—Huh?
The sheer directness of the sight shocked me speechless. Seeing the red “thread” floating in the air and passing through Kanami’s torso, I knew it wasn’t a physical object. Out of habit from battles, I immediately checked if it was magic, but my knowledge had no match for it.
—This is neither real nor magic.
At that thought, I recalled the numerous love stories Hein had read to me. At the same time, I remembered my conversation with Sera-chan before leaving the great cathedral. It started with “A story about a destined man tied by the Red String of Fate… I think it’s wonderful,” and continued with our casual chat, “For a lady like you, one day a suitable man will surely appear—” It also brought to mind the story Ragune-chan held, about a “Foreigner” falling in love with a noble girl—
“—W-what is this! What is this!!”
The moment I understood that the thread-like thing I had found was the cliché “Red String of Fate” used in romance novels, I fell into the greatest confusion of my life. Shaking Kanami’s shoulder with all my might, I checked my own condition.
This is impossible…!! The “Red String of Fate” is a hallucination—no, a delusion! To have such a delusion means I’ve read too many books! I know deep down I’ve yearned for love stories! I admit that what I’ve been masking with the word “heat” is “love”! But to have such a delusion…! It’s like a child who has just fallen in love…! The “Red String of Fate,” that’s, that’s, that’s, that’s, that’s…!!
I understood my true age, and the fact that I had inherited Hein’s theatrical flair. Yet, the delusion itself was embarrassing. More than anything, feeling connected to that “Red String of Fate” alone filled me with an unbearable arrogance, and I bit my lower lip.
“No… this is wrong…!! This won’t do…!!”
Being mentally immature, it was highly likely that I was merely longing for romance novels, not Kanami himself. Compared to everyone else, that was abundantly clear. Lowering my head, I recalled the “love” of my companions. I would never forget Maria-chan’s murderous gaze at me in front of the burning house on that Christmas festival day. During the subsequent escape, Dia’s unstable state due to the skill “Over Protection” nearly killed me multiple times with “Flame Arrow.” My fight against Snow in the “Dance Battle Tournament” was the freshest memory of peak heat. Compared to those “real ones,” my “love” was insufficient…! It was too lukewarm…! I could analyze it so calmly, yet…!
—It’s hot.
It should be lukewarm, yet the word “hot, hot, hot, hot, hot” repeated endlessly in my mind, preventing any coherent thought. I tried to control this confusing emotion by shaking my head. However, Kanami himself tried to peek at my face, ruining everything.
“D-don’t look! Kanami, don’t look this way!!”
I instinctively pushed Kanami’s hand away and shoved him. The distance between us was just right for us to see each other’s faces clearly. Kanami, visibly flustered and red up to his ears, was in front of me. The me reflected in his black eyes was even redder than him. And, though my eyes were watering slightly, the corner of my mouth was definitely curved upwards. At that sight, I covered my face with both hands.
“Aaahhh—, ahh, no more!”
In my utter confusion, I fled from Kanami with all my might. I sprang out and slipped through the nearest window. Using the buoyancy of wind magic, I climbed the side of the ship. Reaching the deck, I immediately slapped my own cheeks hard.
“Aaaahhh—!! Ahh, no, no, no!!”
After slapping my cheeks until I couldn’t tell if they were flushed or swollen, I spread my arms and let the cold night sea breeze wash over me. Moving to the bow of the ship, where the wind was strong, I let the words welling up from the depths of my belly cool down one by one.
“…It’s not supposed to be like this. Because I…”
The faces of the companions traveling with me on the ship came to mind. When I thought of everyone, starting with Maria-chan, a heat surged within me, just as strong as when I thought of Kanami. To me, Kanami and everyone else were equal. This was another reason why I felt my “heat” was insufficient. My greatest wish right now was to travel “together with everyone” on this ship, including Kanami. Unlike everyone else, I didn’t have the fervor to focus solely on one person.
“That’s right… Unlike everyone else, I’m fine with ‘everyone together.’ That’s enough for me… I don’t particularly want to be with Kanami; I just want to ‘adventure’…”
Bathing in the wind, I reaffirmed my true desire. Looking at my little finger, the “Red String of Fate” had completely vanished.
“Ah… It was a delusion after all…”
Although I was extremely confused by the embrace, I could now reach a calm conclusion. —What just happened was wrong. More importantly, unlike during the “Christmas festival” or the “Dance Battle Tournament,” I now had ample time to think. Even after dealing with Palinkron, my current enemy, there would be enough time to reach a conclusion. At the very least, it was too early to decide anything in my current state today. With that judgment, I proceeded to gently tap the nearby ship’s bow with my palm about thirty times. Then, nodding about twenty times that it was okay, I took about ten deep breaths and slowly began to move.
Entering the room where Kanami was waiting, I tried to calmly continue our conversation.
“Um, well, Kanami…”
As I stood before Kanami, I found it difficult to speak, but I managed to muster the strength in my throat and force out the rest.
“—I was just surprised, so don’t misunderstand!!”
“Ah, y-yes…”
Seeing Kanami nod in surprise, I continued,
“I tried to do something a little like a hero’s tale, but the situation just got to me! It was involuntary…! That situation was unfair, too unfair! So, it doesn’t count! It doesn’t count!!”
It sounded like a child’s excuse, but it was the most important thing I wanted to say.
“I understand… I was thinking of calling it off too…”
Kanami agreed with my opinion. Judging by his expression, he also regretted the preceding embrace. Furthermore, it seemed he had reached the same conclusion: “We still have time to think.” And so, with mutual consent, we returned to our usual selves.
“Yeah, let’s just forget it! Though, I must admit, it was helpful reference for a hero’s tale… But it’s not something to do lightly. I regret it.”
“I’m glad if it was even a little helpful…”
“I regret tricking the Kanami with no memories and demanding it… I have so much regret.”
“If you think so, you should refrain from doing it in the future…”
“Yes, I won’t do it again. This is the end. The end, the end, the end—”
—And thus, we chose a more arduous path. If we had casually agreed to be together, pulled by the “Red String of Fate,” the book would have been thinner. But it didn’t happen that way. We chose to pile on more pages.
And then, two days later. No matter what path we chose, we were again drawn together, as if the “Red String of Fate” refused to let us escape. The power of that “Red String of Fate” was most potent within the labyrinth. As if to say no other interference would enter a space beneath the earth, the accident happened abruptly. While exploring the flooded 34th floor of the labyrinth, I casually proposed defeating the labyrinth’s boss. Kanami reluctantly agreed, and we stepped into the area where Galflad Jelly resided, leading to a chain of coincidences. That was undoubtedly a predetermined page.
—After overcoming the two ordeals of the “Christmas festival” and the “Dance Battle Tournament,” the boy and girl finally recognized each other’s feelings. However, facing the wall of the hated Palinkron and the skill “???”, they decided to keep their faint “love” hidden. But such leisurely indulgence was not permitted. Pulled by the “Red String of Fate,” Kanami and his companions encountered Galflad Jelly, a water-dwelling boss monster with the epithet “Passing Fleet.” As its epithet suggested, the monster was a formidable foe that could bridge the level gap in aquatic environments. More terrifyingly, it possessed the skill “Great Flood.” With Galflad Jelly’s power, the labyrinth corridors were instantly flooded. Kanami and his companions were forced into underwater combat. However, Rustiara Fuziaze, “The One and Only Destined Person,” unluckily, very unluckily, could not swim. Despite having infinite knowledge and experience engraved in her blood, swimming was something she had never learned. In a panic, Kanami rushed to her side as she was about to drown, embracing her. And then, after their eyes met and communicated their feelings, their lips slowly met—
