The floating island where the elves lived.
Leading the way through the forest was Kyle, Marie's personal attendant.
Marie was as carefree as ever.
"Oh, Kyle! You should have told me this was your hometown first! I would have prepared souvenirs and everything."
She probably thought she was being sweet by watching her personal attendant return home, but from Kyle's perspective, it was anything but pleasant.
He'd been purchased as a slave, and now he was returning to his hometown with his master.
Was she going to introduce him to his family like, "This is my personal attendant!"?
If it were me, I'd hate that.
Kyle, walking ahead, didn't look like he was having a good time.
"...I don't need any souvenirs."
He seemed so gloomy that you'd think he didn't want to go home at all.
It was Livia who was worried about him.
"Leon, doesn't Kyle seem off? He's going back to his hometown, so why does he look so down?"
Unlike carefree Marie, Livia was observant about Kyle's behavior.
"Maybe there's a lot going on. Or maybe he has his reasons for not wanting to go back."
Unlike Marie, kind-hearted Livia was genuinely concerned about Kyle.
As for Ange—
"So this is the forest where the elves live. I didn't know there was a dungeon here. This is getting exciting!"
True to her noble bloodline, the mention of adventure had her all worked up.
The real reason Ange had tagged along with Marie was to explore the dungeon—the ruins—found in the elf settlement.
In the game, it wasn't particularly difficult, and while there was a boss, it could be defeated easily.
However, this ruin was rich in treasure.
It was a dungeon you could farm for profit, and Marie had remembered this, coming up with the idea of clearing it to pay off her debts.
If Ange had been acting normally, she would have told me there was no need to lend her the airship.
In other words...
"Ange sure looks excited."
"Mm! Livia, aren't you excited too?"
"A little. They did mention ruins—there might be some amazing discoveries waiting for us."
"No, treasure! I can feel it! I'm definitely going to find treasure and show it off to my family!"
...She was way too pumped.
Marie, on the other hand, was dead serious.
"It'll be fine. If we make big money here, our debts will be wiped out. We might even come out ahead! Then I can buy food at popular stalls, have dessert with dinner... and I need new clothes too. My socks are practically falling apart."
Listening to Marie's monologue made me feel depressed.
I'd been angry at Marie for deceiving the saint, but how could someone be this pitiful?
She'd become the saint, which should have covered all her living expenses and necessary costs, and yet she'd ended up buried in debt. What kind of awful things had she done in her past life?
Behind us walked Jilk and Greg, with the women in the center.
One person walking along looking particularly fed up was Helterude.
"I told you to just wait for us."
"It's my choice. Besides, I can't very well leave everything to you lot who are entering ruins on a mere whim. Repaying debts and all that—I can't trust you with it."
Well, I couldn't really argue with that... But shouldn't the kingdom be more concerned about giving this woman that much freedom?
The path through the forest was well-maintained, stretching ahead in a straight line.
Luxion, floating by my shoulder, looked at the road and—
『...Master, what exactly are elves?』
"They're a fantasy race. What's got you curious?"
『My database doesn't contain any record of a species called elves. They appeared suddenly while I was in standby. Doesn't that seem noteworthy?』
Even if he said that, I didn't know what to make of it.
Maybe they'd appeared due to some kind of sudden mutation?
『Also, the fact that they can't interbreed with human females is concerning. However, in the case of males—』
Luxion kept firing off questions with an air of curiosity, but Kyle pointed to the village coming into view.
"That's the village where I was born and raised."
Marie exclaimed excitedly,
"Wow~ They're all gorgeous!"
The village, full of log cabin-style buildings, looked idyllic at first glance but was actually quite well-developed.
Several villagers—all elves—wore form-fitting garments that clung to their bodies.
Every single one of them was stylish and attractive.
Jilk put his hand on his chin and started showing off his knowledge.
"Elves are all generally good-looking, but apparently they don't judge beauty and ugliness by appearance the way humans do."
Marie was surprised, and Greg, standing next to her, looked equally astonished.
...You didn't know that either, huh.
"Really?"
"Yes. Their aesthetic preferences depend on the person's mana, apparently. So they hardly have any physical appearance-based likes or dislikes."
The group was intrigued by elves who judged beauty through mana, but Kyle alone hung his head and wasn't talking.
I spoke to him.
"What's up?"
"...Don't talk to me. I'm feeling down, and I don't need you being kind to me just to feel good about yourself. I hate self-righteous jerks like you the most."
I felt my head flush hot with anger.
"I hate shit-for-brains kids like you too. Go introduce Marie to your mom with 'This is my personal attendant' and enjoy that awkward atmosphere."
Kyle sighed and gave me a look like I was an idiot.
"This is exactly why academy boys are stupid. Listen, for elves, becoming a slave is the same as going to work abroad. The treatment is perfectly fine—better than you academy boys, in fact."
He wasn't wrong, but it still pissed me off.
Luxion seemed oddly convinced.
『I see. For elves, it's like working abroad. That makes sense.』
"Elves live longer than humans, after all. A few decades lost to it is no big deal."
...A few decades of working abroad. But more than that, Kyle's choice of words bugged me a little.
Well, whatever. The feelings of a slave were probably just like this.
As we approached the village, one of the inhabitants came toward us.
She was a cute-looking woman with green hair and brown eyes.
She appeared a bit older than us but was small and adorable—a female elf.
"Kyle!"
The woman waving and running over apparently knew Kyle.
When she got close, Kyle straightened his posture and moved to Marie's side, where she'd been talking with Jilk...
"Marie, this is my mother. Her name is Yumeria."
"Ah! H-hello! Nice to meet you!"
As Marie frantically bowed in greeting, Yumeria—Kyle's mother—also hurriedly bowed her head.
Kyle spoke to Yumeria in a detached tone.
"Marie and her companions would like to enter the ruins in the settlement. I'd like to get permission from the Village Chief."
"Kyle, dear, you've finally come home—please stop talking to me like I'm a stranger—"
"I am Marie's personal attendant now."
Kyle's attitude, while perhaps correct for a servant, was cold toward his own mother.
Yumeria looked hurt.
"Don't be so cold to her. This is your hometown, isn't it?"
When I said that, Kyle scoffed.
"What?"
"Don't talk to me so casually. I'm Marie's personal attendant, and I have no intention of being friendly with you."
Kyle's prickly attitude irritated Greg.
"Hey, you're going too far. Leon is our captain."
Marie was trying to reach out to her personal attendant, whose attitude had been off ever since they'd arrived in his hometown.
"Kyle, fighting is not allowed. Besides, something's off with you today."
"This is how I always am. Now, let's go. It'll be faster to visit the Village Chief's house."
Kyle entered the village without even glancing at Yumeria.
Worried, Livia spoke up.
"Um, he's been acting strange since we arrived on this island. I think... maybe he's not feeling well."
But Yumeria just smiled sadly.
"It's fine. It's my fault. I'm a terrible half-breed."
The word "half-breed" snagged my attention.
◇
The Village Chief's mansion was large.
Apparently, he'd finished his time as a personal attendant a few decades ago and returned to the village, receiving a generous enough reward to build the place.
He was a young-looking—late twenties at most—male elf with a chin beard.
"You'd like to see the settlement's ruins?"
I spoke as the representative.
Given my position, these kinds of troublesome tasks always fell to me.
"Yes. Is that possible?"
"Entering the ruins itself isn't—" he paused. "The thing is, that place is sacred to our settlement. Normally, we'd need consent from the other village chiefs as well. We do allow free entry and exit, but having outsiders come and go..."
The elf villages on the floating island.
Apparently, they were all collectively called "settlements."
"The Settlement Elder would object too, so it's probably impossible."
"Settlement Elder?"
"She's an old woman skilled in divination. The older generation still strongly believes in her, though her powers have weakened and she misses the mark quite often these days. In the old days, humans used to visit her frequently, too."
It seemed like we wouldn't be getting into the dungeon—the ruins—after all.
"Besides, we do visit that place ourselves. But there's no treasure there."
"What?"
Before I could react to the Village Chief's words, the door was violently knocked.
An elf woman entered.
"Village Chief! The Settlement Elder is—"
The Village Chief grabbed a nearby ornament and hurled it at her.
"Kyah!"
The woman was struck and cowered in fear—
"What do you think you're doing, running around and banging on doors like that?! How many times must I teach you?! It's rude to behave this way in front of guests!"
He strode toward the woman and began kicking her.
At this sight, I rushed in to stop him.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!"
The Village Chief brushed off my hand and directed a contemptuous glare at me.
It was the same look the personal servants at the academy gave the boys.
"Don't interfere, please. Etiquette is very important to elves. If we don't maintain proper manners at all times, the children will grow up ill-mannered. And if that happens, they can't be sold at a good price as slaves."
...I couldn't understand the ways of the elves, but this was just too much.
"This is an unpleasant sight to show a guest."
That was the strongest comeback I could manage.
"My apologies. Now then—what was the matter?"
The kicked woman, tears streaming down her face, reported that the Settlement Elder they'd been discussing had arrived at the village.
◇
The village square.
The gathered elves were all stunningly beautiful men and women.
Among them, standing with support, was a short old woman leaning on a large staff.
Her back was bent, and it was impossible to tell whether her eyes were open or closed.
She had heavily streaked-white hair—clearly an old woman.
Supported on both sides by women in similar ethnic garments, she muttered something.
A female elf nearby translated her words for us.
"I convey the Settlement Elder's words. You must never enter the ruins again. If you continue, you will incur the wrath of the ancient Demon King."
The Village Chief scratched his head.
"...Settlement Elder, what do you mean by Demon King? Besides, people from other villages enter and exit freely, don't they?"
The Settlement Elder mumbled something in a low, thin voice.
A young female elf answered:
"You think we know nothing? The Settlement Elder is well aware of your deep involvement with the ruins. She says—you must not touch upon what is forbidden. You must not enter the sacred land of the elves."
The surrounding elves looked exasperated, but the Settlement Elder and the shrine maidens seemed deadly serious.
Luxion, floating near my shoulder, also seemed exasperated.
『Divination, is it?』
"What? Total skeptic?"
『Not at all. People with mysterious abilities have certainly existed. Aren't you one of them yourself, Master?』
Having used memories from my past life to locate Luxion, I was admittedly a rather unscientific existence myself.
That aside—
"By the way, do you know anything about this Demon King?"
『Wouldn't you know more than me? Do Demon Kings appear in otome games?』
"They don't. That's why I'm curious... Should I consider her to have aged?"
It was sad to think that a once-capable diviner had simply grown old.
The one who pushed through the elves to the front was Marie.
"Hey! All this fussing is annoying! Just take me to the ruins already! I will absolutely clear this—"
As Marie, desperate about her debts, stepped forward, the Settlement Elder's eyes opened wide.
She whispered something to the woman beside her, who relayed it to us.
She appeared shocked—and anxious.
"Are you the Saint?"
"Oh? You can tell? That's right, I'm the Saint. Now that you know, hurry up and—"
Before Marie could finish, the woman spoke.
"...You may enter the ruins. The Saint will bring the ancient Demon King. That is the future the Settlement Elder has foreseen these past several months."
The surrounding elves murmured in alarm.
Marie tilted her head.
"Demon King? I don't know any Demon King."
To me, you're the final boss. Close enough to a Demon King, if you ask me.
I glanced at Luxion.
『Could it be referring to Julius? He is royalty, and descendants of New Humanity use magic. A royal who commands the laws of the demonic—by that definition, one could call him a Demon King, or at least someone connected to one.』
"...When you put it that way, it makes sense. But His Highness isn't here, is he?"
『Don't ask me.』
The woman who'd been speaking on the Settlement Elder's behalf addressed the crowd.
"Now is the time of judgment. Whether this island sinks or is forgiven... You must not interfere with these people. The Settlement Elder commands that all should quietly await that moment."
With that, the Settlement Elder and her entourage left the village.
◇
Inside the ruins.
When we arrived, the state of the place deflated all our spirits.
"...There's nothing here."
The place was essentially bare rooms with tree roots and vines crawling across the walls and floor.
From my perspective, it looked like a modern building that had fallen into disrepair. But for Livia, it was a romantically ancient ruin.
Livia was the only one delighted.
"This is incredible! Leon, look—this object with this shape has been found at other ancient ruins too. The shape is slightly different, but this thing near the door is characteristic of ancient ruins!"
"...O-oh yeah."
That was a card reader.
The machine that read key cards was already broken, maintaining only its shape.
Luxion, looking at Livia's happy expression,
『Should we refrain from telling her the truth?』
She seemed to be happily speculating that it must have some profound meaning.
Should I tell her the correct answer—that it's a card reader—or not?
"She'd be happier if you told her."
『...Sometimes discovering things on your own is part of the fun. You wouldn't understand, Master.』
"You really are a pain in the ass."
『I can't top you there. However, this is what you might call—』
Luxion's gaze was directed at Ange and the others.
"No treasure, huh? Well, at least seeing the ruins is something to talk about."
Jilk was also deflated.
"I had expectations since they were described as elf ruins."
Greg had resigned himself.
"Like you'd just stumble on treasure-filled ruins easily. The occasional swing and miss is part of the fun. But having absolutely nothing here is oddly refreshing."
The one who was surprisingly disappointed was Helterude.
"Huh? You were actually looking forward to this?"
"...I was. Got a problem with that?"
"No problem, just surprised."
"The Duchy is a kingdom-derived nation if you trace its origins. I have the same admiration for adventurers as you do."
And yet, the marriage situation was completely different... How did that work?
When I looked at Marie—
"...I can't take this. This just isn't fair."
She was sniffling miserably.
Jilk comforted Marie.
"Marie, it'll be fine! Why don't we all go on an adventure again sometime? Next time, we'll definitely find treasure!"
He was subtly off-base.
Marie didn't want to go on an adventure—she wanted treasure.
Her lukewarm expression at Jilk's kindness was proof of that.
"Y-yeah..."
Having grown tired of Livia fawning over the ruins, Ange came up to me.
"Leon, what do we do now? Call it quits? The Village Chief who tagged along looks pretty annoyed too."
Sure enough, the Village Chief was at the ruins entrance, watching us with disdain.
Since the incident at the mansion, his gaze toward me had turned icy.
"...That condescending attitude really gets under my skin."
I wanted to punch him right now.
I wished the Demon King—whether ancient or new—would bring down the hammer of judgment on him.
Well, the Demon King didn't exist, though.
The Village Chief called out to us.
"That should be enough, don't you think? The ruins aren't very spacious. There's not much worth seeing."
...Something was off.
This ruin was supposed to—
"I can't give up! Every moment I'm here, my debt keeps growing! I—I absolutely will not give up! I am done living a life of debt repayment!"
Marie broke loose and charged deeper into the ruins alone.
Ange clicked her tongue in irritation.
"What an idiot, running off on her own."
I slung my rifle over my shoulder and took Luxion along to find Marie.
"Luxion, come with me. Ange, stay here with everyone else. I'll be right back."
"Even the Captain of the Royal Guard has it rough."
I told Jilk and Greg—who were about to give chase—to stay put, then went after Marie.
...This was my chance.
Now I'd be alone with Marie.
Finally, I could have a real conversation with a fellow reincarnator.
◇
Deeper in the ruins.
Marie was searching for something.
"It's not here! There's no entrance to the underground!"
When Luxion's single eye illuminated the area like a searchlight, Marie spun around in alarm. She looked like a cornered criminal turning to face pursuers.
I loaded a round into my rifle to show her.
Ready to fire at any moment.
"Finally, we're alone. On the airship, I couldn't get a chance to talk with you like this. ...Now we can have a proper conversation."
Marie was trembling, reaching for the pistol she carried for self-defense.
"Don't move. Move and I shoot."
"I-If you kill me, you'll be a wanted criminal! I'm the Saint!"
"A fake who stole Livia's position as Saint, you mean. Now then, let's talk about all that. What exactly do you plan to do?"
She'd stolen Livia's position as Saint and thought she could survive the potential war with the Duchy?
"...Huh? What are you even saying? If you want something, say it clearly."
Even at a time like this, Marie's attitude was infuriatingly smug.
I really wanted to shoot her. Just once. Could I?
"Fine, I'll ask you one question at a time, and you'd better answer properly. Are you a reincarnator?"
"Yes. That's right. If you mean someone with memories of a past life, then yes. Looks like you're the same."
"You know this world is the world of an otome game?"
"So what?"
She didn't deny it. Which meant Marie also recognized this as an otome game world.
She knew this world was the world of that otome game.
"Then why did you steal Livia's position as Saint? If a war with the Duchy breaks out—"
Marie laughed at my question.
"Are you stupid? Do you think if that girl can do it, I can't? I can use healing magic too. I have every qualification to be a Saint. Every tool that girl should have has acknowledged me. Don't call me a fake. Not that anyone would believe you anyway."
Luxion looked at me.
『There seem to be discrepancies between your information and hers. Perhaps you should share what you know?』
Marie looked slightly confused.
"What? What are you trying to say? Let me tell you, I was a pla—"
Right then, the floor gave way.
"Wha—!"
"Aaahh!"
◇
Outside the ruins, Ange saw Jilk and Greg looking worried.
"Calm down, both of you. Leon went after that girl, so it'll be fine."
Inwardly, Ange couldn't stand the fact that Leon seemed to care about Marie.
(That Leon was searching for Marie on the airship too—but surely not?)
Jilk shot a sharp glance at her.
"That's exactly what worries me. Leon and Marie, alone together. Can you say with absolute certainty that nothing will happen?"
Greg peered into the ruins.
"This is taking way too long. Let's go after them. I'm worried Bartfort might do something dumb. He doesn't seem experienced with women, and Marie's attractiveness—"
Hearing that Leon might be interested in Marie, Ange was visibly flustered—more than usual.
"D-don't be ridiculous! Leon is nothing like you two!"
"How is he different? He's a man. And Marie is a wonderful woman. It's impossible to say nothing could go wrong."
"If he's a man, he'll absolutely make a move."
The two's opinions had Ange more emotionally charged than usual.
"Leon hates Marie! You both know that! Livia, say something! Leon making a move on Marie is—"
Livia had gone slightly pale.
"Um, I just realized... Why did Leon bring his rifle? It's a safe ruin with no monsters—there's no need for one, right?"
Ange, Jilk, and Greg all went wide-eyed.
Leon, who usually kept his distance from Marie, had been making an effort to get close to her this time.
The three of them imagined, faces blanched, the scene of Leon shooting Marie.
"Marie!"
"Marie!"
The two of them bolted.
Ange and Livia followed.
"W-wait! Even he wouldn't go that far!"
"Right! At most he'd just threaten her!"
Once the four of them left, what remained at the site were Helterude, Kyle—and the Village Chief.
◇
Marie was dreaming.
It was a familiar dream from her past life.
Was it summer? The sunlight was strong, and the air was muggy.
Was it evening? The surroundings were tinted orange, growing darker.
Marie remembered the heat of that day.
(Ah, right. Something like this happened too.)
A young girl had tripped, scraping her knee, and was crying.
『Big brother, carry me.』
The person she asked for help was her brother.
Even now, remembering his face made her blood boil.
『...That's something you can handle on your own. Carrying you makes my back sweaty. Besides, you're heavy.』
(You're heavy?! This guy is so infuriating! I was incredibly slender!)
Her past self, who even by her own standards looked adorable, was stunned by his words.
She was so shocked she stopped pretending to cry.
『...Huh?』
『See? You were faking it. That cute-and-helpless act of yours is what I hate most. You can't fool me.』
It was a quiet road with hardly any foot traffic.
Her past self was in shock.
By this age, she'd known she was cuter than the girls around her.
She'd realized that if she asked for things, people would do anything for her—and she'd been trying to use the boy—her brother—the same way.
『M-my knee hurts.』
『Pain means you're alive. Lucky you.』
『C-carry me. I can't walk home.』
『Is that so? Then stay here. If you don't like that, walk by yourself, you worthless sister.』
『...You piece of garbage!』
『Garbage is fine by me! I'd rather be free garbage than do whatever you say!』
Seeing her brother say such things with a smile, Marie thought—
(...He really is the worst. Even now, looking back, he was the most... well, maybe the third most horrible man in my life.)
The first was the man who abandoned her and their child.
The second was the deadbeat boyfriend she'd been dating.
After those two, her brother was the worst.
And then Marie remembered.
(Huh? What exactly... happened to me after that?)
◇
She slowly came to.
The surroundings were dusty, and she could hear the sound of gunfire.
Shell casings clattered on the floor with a metallic ring.
Lifting her head, she saw Leon with his back to her.
"Next one incoming!"
『Unidentified creatures are moving along the ceiling. Master, watch your ammo count. Also, these are not monsters.』
"If they don't vanish after I kill them, that's a quality issue."
Leon leveled his rifle, pulled the trigger, and the gunshot echoed as a bullet pierced the head of a grotesque creature emerging from the darkness.
The monster peeled off the ceiling, fell to the floor, and convulsed.
Marie tried to jump up—
"Ah! Ouch!"
Her leg was injured—she couldn't stand from the pain.
Leon called out without turning around, wary of incoming enemies.
"You awake? Get the situation from Luxion."
"Huh? Wha—?"
『You fell through the floor into the underground. While you were unconscious, the Master has been eliminating unidentified creatures emerging from deeper passages.』
"Unidentified creatures..."
Were they different from monsters?
Wondering, Marie looked at the creature from before. Its limbs were different from a human's, but its torso and head bore a human-like shape.
Seeing what looked like a lizard wearing a human form, Marie screamed.
"Nooooo!"
But Leon and Luxion—
"Shut up, you're annoying. You're distracting me. Damn it, having to babysit this deadweight—just my luck. If this were Livia or Ange, I'd at least guard them properly."
『Screaming won't change the situation. You're not bleeding, so sit tight.』
"B-but my leg—"
『Just spit on it or something and it'll heal. Come to think of it, you're a Saint who's good at healing magic, right? Treat yourself. Oh, Master—the next one's coming.』
...Their attitude was merciless.
Marie thought.
(These two are just like my brother! They're seriously infuriating!)