The greatest ordeal, Volume 4 Side Story (Maki’s POV, 90 pages), has finally come to an end!
Volume 4 SS and wiki trivia are both complete!
My backlog has also increased (just a little)!
I fear nothing anymore!
After dinner, I returned to my room and collapsed onto the bed, gazing at the ceiling.
“…I never thought I’d spend days so leisurely in this world.”
So many things have happened since I entered the world of Nekoneko. It feels like I was constantly on the run, dealing with one crisis after another without a moment’s rest.
But now that I’ve defeated the Demon Lord and foiled the Magician’s Guild’s plans, there are no urgent crises that I need to resolve. Even the Monster battle today was just for leveling up against weaker opponents. While I shouldn’t let my guard down, there was absolutely no danger to my life.
I wished for peace, yet now that I have it, I feel a slight sense of dissatisfaction. But even so…
“Something like this isn’t bad, is it?”
A life with nothing to do isn’t necessarily boring. With the companions I’ve made through my battles, any ordinary day can turn into a lively event. They are more than I could ever ask for, and I honestly feel that way.
“If I had to say, I wish they had a little more common sense, a bit more normalcy, though.”
As I thought of my companions, who were extraordinary in many ways, I let out a wry smile.
*Knock, knock.*
A solid sound echoed from my room’s door. It seemed my day wasn’t over yet.
“It’s… Sazhan. May I come in?”
Hearing the voice of the dam breaker… no, the Magician’s voice from beyond the door, I flinched.
“W-wait a moment!”
I hurried to the door, hesitated for a moment, then turned the knob and opened it a sliver.
“Yo, Sazhan. What’s up?”
“…I just told you,” Sazhan replied, turning away with a displeased look. However, their usual composure seemed to be lacking. It seemed they had stopped shutting themselves away, but the shock from the dam-breaking incident was still lingering.
“So, what brings you here at this hour?”
As I asked, blinking, Sazhan opened their mouth with a huff.
“W-what do you mean, what brings me here! It’s the continuation of yesterday, of course!”
After saying that with spirit, Sazhan suddenly seemed to remember something and lowered their hands, as if to protect their lower body.
“N-no! Don’t imagine anything strange! When I say continuation of yesterday, I don’t mean *that* thing, okay?”
“I know!” ‘What is this person even talking about? And what continuation?’
“I’ll never make that mistake again. For that, I’ve prepared myself in my own way.”
“O-oh, really?”
I didn’t know how to respond. As I gave a noncommittal reply, Sazhan began to explain, looking embarrassed.
“Yes. I made sure not to drink too much, and I went to the restroom before coming here. And… this time, I chose clothes that look easy to wash…”
“You’re already expecting failure!”
“Just in case! Just in case!”
Though I couldn’t see it through the mask, Sazhan likely turned bright red as they said that, trying to change the subject by peering into my room.
“A-anyway, let me in. It’ll be troublesome if someone sees us talking out here.”
“Uh, n-no, my room is a mess right now, and there’s nowhere to sit…”
“We can just sit on the bed. We’ll start right away anyway, and it’ll be more comfortable…”
“W-what!?”
I exclaimed involuntarily. Sazhan tilted their head as if I had said something strange, but there’s a way of phrasing things. I wanted to tell them to stop using words that make people go “Ahhh!”
However, Sazhan seemed to misunderstand. They suddenly realized something and spoke defensively.
“D-don’t tell me you’re refusing because you think I’ll mess up the bed?! It wasn’t my fault! Anyone would be… after being pierced from behind like that…”
“Wh-why, you’re just—”
I hastily tried to cover Sazhan’s mouth, but it was too late.
“Nyah!?”
A slender hand shot out from behind the door, gripping my shoulder firmly. And then…
“Hey, Soma. You’re going to tell us what you and Soma were doing yesterday, right?”
From the ceiling, from the bag, from under the bed, from the corner of the room. Our companions who had been secretly watching us surrounded us.
“…So, you two aren’t involved in anything illicit?” Maki’s words, spoken from behind the door, were met with a forceful nod from me.
“Of course not! I don’t have that kind of hobby!”
At that, Ringo, who had settled into a corner of the room, nodded vigorously. “…Mm. I believed you.” Still, their eyes seemed to be glaring at me coldly, but I decided not to pursue it.
“So, you two really only watched the footage on that slate? And then Layla suddenly appeared, and Sazhan spilled their drink, is that right?” Mitsuki, who had been clinging to the ceiling until a few minutes ago, pressed me for confirmation, still unconvinced.
“Y-yes! R-right, Layla?”
I looked over at Layla, who was hiding under the bed. She nodded meekly. “Y-yes. …Something like that?” Her reply was somewhat vague. Seeing this, Kuma, who had been hiding in a bag just a few minutes prior, grinned slyly.
…Immediately after dinner, Maki and the others knocked on my room where I was resting. Apparently, Layla had heard that Sazhan and I were acting suspiciously and had roped in Ringo and others who were there to come and interrogate me. Kuma also arrived later with tea and joined us. For some reason, this unnervingly thoughtful stuffed toy was terrifying.
Of course, no matter how much they questioned me, there was nothing illicit going on. However, I had to remain silent about the Sazhan dam-breaking incident for their honor. But trying to explain without mentioning it led to inconsistencies in the story. As Layla and I were struggling with what to do, Sazhan arrived.
There was nothing else to be done, so I told everyone almost everything honestly. I did claim Sazhan had spilled their drink to cover up the dam-breaking incident, but it’s possible someone as sharp as Mitsuki might have figured out the truth. Nevertheless, I thought my homo scandal had been cleared, and I was free… or so I thought.
“That’s unfair! I want to watch it with Soma too!” Maki pointed at the slate and made such a selfish demand.
“B-but, you hated it when you watched the first episode!”
“Th-that’s true. …But, if I’m with Soma, I’ll be fine!”
“What kind of logic is that?” I couldn’t understand it at all. But I knew better than anyone that Maki didn’t back down once she made up her mind. I tried to persuade her gently, so as not to provoke her.
“W-wait a moment, Maki. Aren’t you busy lately? You can only use this once a day, so maybe after you have more free time…” I tried to use the fact that she had mentioned being busy with the aftermath of the Magician’s Guild incident as leverage to change her mind.
“Hmm. Well, it was quite the hassle…” Maki’s momentum seemed to falter slightly. Seizing this opening, I pressed on.
“I see, so that’s how it is. Speaking of which, didn’t you go to the Magician’s Guild with the Knights’ Order?”
“Ah, yeah. That was really tedious.”
As I steered the conversation, Maki, easily swayed, began talking about the Magician’s Guild. According to Maki, the incident caused by Kaimona Iasky, the head of the Magician’s Guild, had caused significant ripples around it. First, all the executives of the Magician’s Guild who had attempted to participate in Iasky’s ritual were apprehended, and the Magician’s Guild was indefinitely suspended. The Knights’ Order had also investigated the Magician’s Guild headquarters and the Tower of Sorcery, but the results were not favorable.
“Because I couldn’t understand the magic circles there!”
“Ah.” The place was set up with teleportation circles to move between rooms, but the destinations changed constantly depending on the number of teleports, the time, and even the phase of the moon. I could only explore properly with the wiki, so it was naturally difficult for the Knights who were there for the first time.
“There were so many strange tools, and if you touched them, they’d suddenly explode! And all the traps were really malicious! At night, the eyes of the skeleton by the entrance would glow, and it was really scary!” Maki chattered excitedly. However, as far as I knew, there were no traps in the Magician’s Guild that made skulls glow. Unless it was truly the work of a ghost, it’s possible that someone from the Magician’s Guild had set a trap in the skulls as a parting gift.
“Hmm. Some people are really petty with their pranks.” As I said indignantly, Mitsuki, who was about to say something, stopped when our eyes met. “…It’s nothing,” she said, letting out a sigh. Her reaction was also rather peculiar.
“Besides, the Cathedral was also a mess.”
“Ah. That town’s magic circle.” The Cathedral had a mechanism that gathered mana from the townspeople through magic circles spread throughout the town to create a pillar of light, which was exploited by the Magician’s Guild in this incident. Following the King’s orders, the town’s roofs were quickly repaired, and the Cathedral’s magnificent pillar of light was restored. However, that didn’t mean everything was back to normal. People now understood how the Cathedral’s pillar of light worked. While it was once called a miracle light, few people would be happy knowing their mana was being used without their consent, even in small amounts. Protests had flooded the Cathedral from the townspeople. Furthermore, as some of the people who gathered at the Cathedral to protest began to complain of feeling unwell, the King decided to temporarily close the Cathedral. Although the town’s magic circles only drained a tiny amount of MP, it shouldn’t be enough to cause physical discomfort, but the placebo effect is also a factor. While it might be a case of being caught in the crossfire, the Cathedral had benefited from the “miracle light” for so long. This could be considered their just deserts.
“But if it’s causing such a commotion, isn’t she still busy?”
“Hmm. She is, but… my father seems to want me to stay at the castle, or rather, he seems to want me to be near Soma.”
“Huh? Near me? Why?” I was surprised and asked for clarification as the conversation suddenly shifted to me. However, Maki didn’t seem to understand the reason either.
“Who knows? But he said he has something important to discuss and wants Soma and I to meet and talk alone sometime.”
“Alone with the King?” That sounds incredibly awkward.
“Still, ‘something important to discuss’ for me…” It definitely wasn’t an event like this in the game. Could a major incident that didn’t occur in the game be about to happen? What’s more, the fact that he wants Maki to be near me is very puzzling. The King’s desire to have an important discussion and his unnatural attitude towards Maki. I can’t even imagine how these two things are connected.
“Ah, and separately, he also said to invite them to our home sometime.”
“You mean the castle, right?”
“Yeah, the castle.” Maki nodded casually. “It seems he’s concerned about Ringo.”
“…Me?” Ringo tilted her head. However, I thought I understood why the King might be concerned about Ringo. If Maki hadn’t made a wish on a tanabata strip, Ringo would still be the princess, the King’s daughter. Even though she wouldn’t remember it, the King might have sensed something from Ringo, who should have been his daughter.
“As expected, there are many things going on.” I had managed to steer the conversation in a way that allowed me to escape the situation…
“Hey! You almost got away with it! But more importantly, the slate! Let’s watch the second episode together!” It seemed my attempt to distract her hadn’t worked after all. Maki brought the topic back to the slate and grabbed my arm, insisting we watch it right away. At this, Sazhan stepped forward.
“D-don’t be ridiculous! Soma and I are watching the third episode! We made a promise!” Sazhan grabbed my other arm. Even if only our fingertips touch, it shouldn’t interfere with viewing the slate’s footage, so why are both Maki and Sazhan trying to hold my arm so tightly?
“You guys…”
“P-please, both of you, stop.” Just as I was about to admonish them, Layla, surprisingly, mediated. She pulled me away from Maki and Sazhan, who looked surprised. “Because Soma getting close is… with ME!” she shouted something incomprehensible and clung tightly to my arm, which she had snatched.
“Soma’s arm has always been my designated spot!”
“Give it back! That’s mine!”
“No, it’s mine.” Despite my protests, the three of them began to squabble around me.
“…Footage of the Evil God War? I am also a little interested.”
“Mitsuki!?” Even Mitsuki, who usually played the role of peacemaker, had her eyes shining and her ears twitching with interest. I ignored Kuma, who was grinning slyly, and looked at Ringo, my last hope, but even Ringo, with her expressionless face, seemed somewhat envious. The slate depicting the Evil God War appeared to be quite popular with everyone.
“Ah, fine! I get it!” There was no point in continuing like this. I grabbed Mitsuki and Ringo’s arms without question and forcibly pulled them towards me.
“U-um…?” Mitsuki, who was pressed tightly against me, looked at me with her cat ears twitching, a rare look of confusion on her face. In response to her gaze, I took out the slate from my bag.
“In that case, let’s all watch it together! But, from the first episode!” No matter who I watched it with, there would be complaints. Therefore, having everyone watch it together seemed like the best option. I stated this clearly.
“Y-yes. That is indeed an excellent idea, I think. …Yes.” Nestled in my arm, Mitsuki nodded vigorously, her cat ears bobbing in agreement. The three who had been fighting raised no objections. As soon as they heard my words, Maki stuck to my right arm, Sazhan to my left, and Layla clung to my back. Kuma also perched on my head, ready to go.
However, there was one person. “…Is it… okay?” Ringo looked up at me hesitantly.
“Okay, what?”
“Soma, you said everyone together, but…” Her beautiful blue eyes wavered with anxiety. Eyes that seemed to ask if she was allowed to be there. Lately, Ringo had been looking at me with these lonely, apprehensive eyes more and more often. Yet, I couldn’t quite figure out what was making Ringo feel anxious. Still…
“Ringo, do you not want to?” I asked, and Ringo clutched my clothes tightly.
“…I’m happy to be with Soma, but…”
“Then don’t worry about it. It’s fine.” I didn’t know if my words truly reached Ringo’s heart. But…
“…Mm. I… understand.” Ringo nodded slightly but clearly at my words. For now, that was enough.
“Alright, let’s begin.” And so, I reached out and touched the inscription on the slate. …Without realizing that it was the start button of a tragedy.
The next morning. As we gathered in the dining hall for breakfast, the topic of conversation naturally turned to the Evil God War recording from last night. It seemed that re-experiencing the trails of historical figures was quite an impactful event for the people who already lived in this world. Even the usually emotionless Mitsuki was excitedly recounting the footage from last night, her ears twitching. We were usually good friends, but having had a shared experience made our conversation flow even better. In the unusually lively dining hall, I joined the conversation occasionally, savoring the peaceful morning. Then, at that moment…
“You all seem to be having a lively discussion. What are you all talking about?” A voice called from behind me. I turned around with a smile…
“Ah, Ena. Of course, about last night’s…” I froze mid-sentence. …Last night? Come to think of it, I had talked with Ena last night…
“Ah, thank you for indulging me in training yesterday! I haven’t been able to sleep well lately due to various things, but thanks to you, I slept soundly after dinner yesterday… Ehehe. …Ah, huh? Soma-san?” Ena thanked me with a bright smile. I, no, none of us could say anything.
The evening of that day. It goes without saying that we ended up watching the first episode of the Evil God War again.
Anyone who really forgot about Ena, I won’t be angry, so raise your hand!
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This has absolutely nothing to do with Nekoneko, but Volume 1 of “A Revelation-filled Isekai Reincarnation Tale” will be released by Famitsu Bunko on February 28th. There will be bonus items, so please check out the activity report if you’re interested.
And while I’m at it, it has nothing to do with anything, but I plan to update Nightmare tonight.
