“Yes, this is Marie.”
Marie pressed the speaker button and answered the call.
“Marie, please press the speaker mode button.”
“Huh? Ah, this… this button, right?”
Prompted by Rachel, Marie pressed the speaker mode button displayed on her smartphone screen. This mode allowed everyone present to speak simultaneously through the smartphone.
“Marie, I apologize. My smartphone was in my room, so I couldn’t answer immediately.”
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry for calling during the busy New Year’s events.”
Elnet and Marie apologized to each other. Although it was a phone call where she couldn’t see the other person, Marie bowed her head repeatedly.
“Is this about Josette?”
“What do you mean, ‘about Josette’?”
“Oh, is Kent with you too?”
Elnet brought up the topic of Josette. Hearing this, Kent felt a bad premonition and asked Elnet back. Elnet was surprised because she had been talking to Marie, but then Kent’s voice was heard.
“Ah, we’re at a shop right now. Besides Marie and me, Rachel, Emily, Al, and Hanako are here. We’re currently discussing an important matter.”
Kent informed Elnet of the names of the members present.
“That’s convenient. I just want to confirm, Josette isn’t there, is she?”
“She’s not here. I tried calling her a little while ago, and she seemed to have received the call, but she didn’t answer.”
“I see… Setting Josette aside for the moment, what are you all discussing together?”
Elnet spoke with concern about Josette, but realizing it was unrelated to those gathered there, she changed the subject.
“Actually, they were saying that Gordon might have fallen ill with a disease peculiar to royalty, though we don’t know exactly when it occurred.”
“What! How do you know about that, Kent and the others? This is highly classified information known only to a very select few. It doesn’t seem like something that can be discussed here. I’m coming over immediately. Please wait for me.”
Elnet’s tone conveyed considerable urgency. The call ended abruptly as she stated she would head to the shop right away.
“From Elnet’s tone, it seems that event has truly begun.”
“It appears so.”
Rachel, convinced of the event’s occurrence from Elnet’s words, spoke up. Kent shared the same thought.
“It seems Elnet definitely has some information. We’ll just have to wait for her to arrive.”
Kent said, trying to suppress his anxiety. Every moment was precious, but without Elnet, who possessed crucial information, they couldn’t proceed. Everyone eagerly awaited Elnet’s arrival.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting.”
“Who?”
“Um, who might you be?”
“I-I-it’s me. Elnet.”
A fast carriage was always on standby at the Duke’s family estate for emergencies. Elnet arrived by carriage, disembarking in front of the shop. She was dressed in a revealing party dress, accentuating her bust more than usual. Her hair was meticulously styled, and she wore light makeup, so Rachel and Marie momentarily couldn’t recognize her. They looked at Elnet with puzzled expressions.
“I didn’t have time to change because I rushed here. By the way, you all seem quite calm for discussing such an important matter. And this dress was made by Rachel, you know?”
“Ah, now that you mention it, I think I did make it. Hahaha.”
Reminded by Elnet, Rachel rubbed her head sheepishly.
“S-o-o-o. Who did you hear about the Prince’s illness from?”
Elnet sat down on an empty chair and got to the main point.
“Actually, both Kent and I knew about the possibility of this illness beforehand.”
“I knew as well.”
“I knew too!”
“Hmm, me too.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Emily, Al, and Hanako raised their hands one after another, following Kent. This meant everyone present, except Marie, knew. Elnet was surprised by this fact.
“We Contract Fairies share some of our Master’s memories and thoughts when we form a contract, so we learned about it then as our Master’s thoughts.”
“I see…”
Elnet seemed to understand Emily’s explanation.
“So Kent anticipated this, and therefore the three of you, as his Contract Fairies, shared the information. Then how did Kent and Rachel know about the illness?”
Elnet asked Kent and Rachel.
“Elnet, I’ve mentioned my relationship with my older brother before, haven’t I?”
“Ah, yes. You mentioned that although you are unrelated now, you were siblings in a past life.”
Although it was difficult to believe, Elnet, who observed Kent and Rachel’s interactions daily, understood that their connection was not simply that of lovers or close friends but was a profound bond, almost as if they were blood-related. Furthermore, Rachel used unknown tools that Kent procured through his device without explanation, leading Elnet to interpret that a different world, as mentioned by the term “past life,” indeed existed.
“I briefly mentioned it before, but this world…”
Rachel explained again that this world resembled the game world she used to play in her previous life. She then described her position as the protagonist and her relationships with the other characters.
“And when you enter Gordon’s route, an event occurs where he falls ill.”
“That’s right.”
Then, Rachel explained the circumstances leading to Gordon’s current illness, which was unique to royalty.
“And what happens after he falls ill?”
Elnet leaned forward and asked Rachel.
“Yes, I, the protagonist, learn of a miraculous medicine that can cure the illness and embark on a journey to find it.”
“So, the illness can be cured? There have been quite a few royals who succumbed to this disease in the past, including the previous king. We had no cure and could only watch them weaken and die. If there is a cure, it would be incredibly beneficial to this country.”
Upon hearing about the existence of the medicine from Rachel, Elnet exclaimed with excitement.
“So you’re going on a journey to find the medicine now? Alright, I’ll accompany you. Prepare yourselves immediately.”
“Elnet, please calm down a little. The medicine has already been prepared.”
“Huh?”
Kent stopped Elnet, who seemed ready to depart at once.
“Before that, could you tell us the circumstances leading up to his falling ill?”
“Normally, this is not a matter to be discussed with outsiders, but if a cure exists, then it’s a different story. Let’s start from the year-end party.”
Taking a deep breath, Elnet began to recount the events leading up to Gordon’s illness.
