When I woke up, I saw the night sky with many stars twinkling in front of me.
I had never seen such a beautiful night sky in my life. This excitement was instantly erased by the strong, unidentifiable odor wafting through the air.
Unable to bear it, I tried to leave the place, but what struck me next was the intense pain running through my entire body. I groaned and rolled on the ground, but this only made the pain worse.
I clenched my teeth and endured the pain.
It had not completely subsided, but it felt a little less intense. Calmly, I explored my body and realized that the pain was caused by something like a bruise, not a wound.
I wondered how this had happened - maybe I had gotten drunk and gotten into a fight, I thought, but I didn't remember drinking any alcohol. I clearly remember going straight home and taking the bus from the nearest station. And then--.
Hey, how long are you going to leave me alone? How long are you going to leave me alone?"
I was interrupted in my thoughts by a voice I heard unexpectedly.
I turned my gaze in the direction of the voice to see who it was, and instantly the pain was forgotten.
It was a white boy with blond hair, green eyes, and slightly reddish cheeks who approached me. He looked like a beautiful boy, but he was not only plump but also fat, and his cheeky gaze did not make me think he was cute at all.
Not only that, but he is dressed in a white shirt with lots of frills and a red bow tie. He was dressed in a white shirt with lots of frills, a red bow tie, and navy blue short pants over white tights, the typical aristocrat look you see in comic books.
What about you?"
"You? What do you mean by you? You're being rude!"
The answer I got back was also, in a way, as I had expected. My mind became more and more confused.
I finally met someone who would listen to me. I finally met someone I could listen to. Let me show you how great it is."
Normally I would never want to deal with a boy who says things that make no sense, but he is the only person I could ask what is going on. I couldn't turn him away.
Where am I?
I was going to reply to the boy's question in my mind that that is what I wanted to hear.
On the edge of the favelas in the backstreets.
What came out of my mouth were completely different words.
"I've gone to the favelas ...."
The boy's pale face is clearly visible even in the dark. With this reaction, he seems to be lost. But what I am more curious about is where is the favela?
The answer is - a favela on the northern edge of the royal capital of the Kingdom of Grand Flamme.
For some reason, the name of a country I had never heard of popped into my head.
Something was wrong. My face is as pale as the boy's now that my blood has drained from my veins.
"Hey, buddy. I want to get to the main street. Can you give me directions?"
I can do ..., but I can't."
This time I said the words as they came to me in my head.
I have knowledge that I do not know. This is another word that came to me in my head, but I don't know what it means.
What do you mean you can, but you can't? I'll thank you!"
My thoughts were interrupted again because the boy spoke to me in an impatient manner. It seems we have to deal with this situation first.
... stuck with an injury."
Injured?" Oh, yeah. Hold on a second."
I thought he was going to call someone over, but contrary to my expectations, the boy does not move from this spot. He is muttering something with a serious expression on his face.
... give me the power to heal."
I listened closely and what I heard was this.
Healing Winds, Healing."
The wind caresses my entire body, slightly delayed by the boy's words.
It is a slight breeze. A slight, but certainly a breeze. I was astonished when I understood the meaning of the boy's action.
How's it going?"
The boy asked bravely. No doubt he meant whether his injuries had healed.
I gently move my body to see.
"Crap."
A voice leaked out. The pain had not gone away, though it felt a little lessened.
He said, "... I am still a child. When I grow up, I'll be able to use it better."
I guess he knew the outcome by his reaction. The boy made excuses. But there is no doubt about it. The boy tried to heal his own injuries with magic.
The pain has lessened. I can at least walk."
"Oh, yeah? Then show us."
I wanted to get out of this place, which was obviously more dangerous than for the boy, so I somehow managed to move my still sore body to stand up.
The pain is there, but not so much that I can't move. The boy's magic seems to be working, at least for the moment.
"... over here."
Again, information about the location pops into my head on its own. I don't know why, but it helps now.
I assume that this information is correct, but there is no point in doubting it. Anyway, I need to move to a safer place and check the situation with the boy or someone who might be able to tell me more about the situation.
Yes, this place is dangerous. This place is dangerous. For me and for the boy.
The fear that welled up in me naturally made my feet move faster.
But I had to stop my footsteps immediately.
I said, "Yo. You're still alive?"
By the man who appeared before me.
I know this man. My injuries were caused by his violence. And that's not all. He has hurt me many times.
He has done things to me that I can't tell anyone about. No matter how much I hate him, I cannot hate him enough.
That is this man.
'Well, that's okay. Now I have to deal with the kid back there."
Sure enough, the man's interest is focused on the boy following behind him.
The boy is obviously a rich man's son. He is a prey for those who live in this town. I had planned to take something of value after I had sent him to a certain extent - not me, but I am thinking this way.
You can have the brat. He's too good a catch for you."
If it were me, I would at best take the boy's belongings. But this man would be able to threaten the family home and get the ransom. Certainly not worth it for me - why does this thought come to mind? I don't know myself.
"Bu, you rude man! Who do you think I am?
I don't care! I don't care who you are as long as you're rich!"
I'm Vincent Woodville! I'm a member of the Marquis de Winheir family!"
What?
Anybody who is rich. The man said this, but even that has its limits.
The Winheirs are a famous noble family that even someone like me, or more precisely, someone in me, knows. It is one of the three princely families that support this country. There is no place for me in this country if the three princely families are staring at me.
It is normal to think this way, but the man's reaction was otherwise. He approached the boy with a big smile on his face. I knew it, but the man seems to be a fool beyond his control - do you agree with me on this? I agree with you on this?
As the child of a marquis, it doesn't matter how much he asks for. You can live happily for the rest of your life.
Don't even think about it.
I'm not stupid!"
It's probably stupid no matter what you think. I don't care if the man is stupid. But what matters is his own safety. How do the people around me see this situation?
Will they see me as a man who has tricked the boy into handing him over to him?
If so, my life is over. I don't care about my life, but it's a little aggravating to die with nothing good in it. I don't want to die from this. If it's a dream, wake up quick.
I hear myself screaming inside me. I'm kind of confused as to which one I am now.
If you stay quiet, you won't get hurt. If you get the money, I'll send you home safe and sound."
Really?"
Apparently, the boy is also a fool. There is no way that the kidnappers, having seen his face, would let him leave alive.
And if the boy does not come back, the Marquise will use all of his power to retaliate. If he is caught, he will be killed for sure. It is unlikely that he will be able to escape. Even if I wanted to escape, I have nowhere to run and no escape fund.
There is no choice left. I have no choice but to make up my mind.
Just follow me like a big boy.
...I still don't like it. Send me home. I'll pay you back."
'I told you, if you give me the money, I'll give it back to you.'
Because ...."
The man seems to be trying very hard to quiet the boy, as if he is trying to make things easy for him first. He is trying his best to calm the boy down.
Can you do it? I have to do it. In my mind, my other self is trying to stop me. You push this awareness into the back of your mind and take action.
Slowly, without being noticed, I approach the man's back. I take out my hidden knife. It is one of the weapons I had collected for this day. The rest had all been taken away by the man a few hours earlier.
He will not fail this time.
The man holds both of the boy's arms. Thanks to his crouching position, the back of the man's head is right in front of him. He raises his arm to plunge the knife into the man's neck.
I see the boy looking at me - the idiot.
The boy's eyes make the man look back at me, noticing me behind him.
What the hell are you doing? What the hell are you doing?
Woah!"
He screamed in rising terror and swung his arm toward the man's face.
"Gugaku."
A bad feeling left on my hand. I don't have time to worry about that.
I pull out the knife that I have stuck in the man's mouth and swing it further down on his face.
The knife pierces deeply into the man's right eye.
Not yet. The man is about to shout something.
Die, fuck you!"
He swung the knife further down on his face.
No words escaped the man's mouth. The man slowly crumples forward.
Ha-ha-ha."
It's hard to breathe, my heart is beating so hard that my chest hurts.
"Whoa, you ..."
"... run away."
Running away?
Follow me! Hurry up and get out of here!"
Whoa. Oh.
He runs hard down the street towards the main road. He tries to throw away the bloody knife, but his hand is rigid and he cannot release the knife. He tried again and again to shake his arm, but the knife, held tightly in his hand, would not come away.
Oh, hey! Hold on! A little slower!
A boy is yelling from behind me. I can't leave him alone, so I do as I'm told and loosen my legs.
The boy is an important source of money for me. I have to get a large sum of money from him to repay him for saving my life.
That will give me the money to escape from King's Landing.
... dead?"
... don't know."
"You killed a man, didn't you?"
If I hadn't killed him, he would have killed me."
So ...."
So the boy fell silent again. Even though he is reluctant to kill people, it is better than being killed himself. He seems to be smart enough to think this way.
I killed a person. The boy's words made me realize this.
Suddenly, my hands began to shake. The knife, which I had been unable to release no matter how hard I tried, slipped easily from my hand. The trembling spread throughout my body, and I could no longer move my legs.
"Hey, what's up? What's up?"
He cannot even answer the boy's question.
Hey? You all right? We have to get out of here."
I know that. I killed a man. But he has friends. If I don't leave the favela, I will be next.
I know that, but I can't move my body. It's not just that I can't move. My consciousness gradually faded and I could no longer hear the boy's voice.
I'm not going to ...! Do ...! ... where are you!
I have no idea what you are talking about. I don't even have the strength to think about it.
And my consciousness sank into the deep darkness.
◇◇◇
When I woke up, I saw the wooden ceiling. Apparently, I had been asleep on my bed.
It was a dream - I thought - but then I realized that the ceiling in front of me was also a ceiling I did not know.
I rushed to wake myself up and found that the place where the bed was placed was a Western-style room with heavy furniture that had a slightly retro feel to it.
As I looked to the right, I noticed that there was another person in the room. As soon as I realized, I became severely depressed.
This person approached the bed.
I see you are awake. I'm going to leave the room for a while so I can report back to you. Please stay where you are."
Brown hair and blue eyes. A woman in a maid's uniform, who did not look Japanese in any way, announced in a calm voice, and left the room.
I haven't woken up from the dream yet. If she is awake, this is...
I decided to calm down and think about it.
What is this world - the answer to this did not come to mind.
What is this country called - the Kingdom of Grand Flamme, a solid answer comes to mind.
Who am I - Moriya Ryo, my name comes to mind. No wonder.
But there is another me inside of me. There is no doubt about this. How can I get to know this self?
Born in - the answer is Tokyo.
I can't seem to get it right. Is it useless to ask about myself while I am who I am? I was the other me before I passed out. If only I had more information about myself in my mind then.
I thought about the futility of thinking about it. All I can do is to try what I can do now.
Where is my home in this city - the first thing that came to mind was not an address, but just a boarded-up thing that even the mention of a ramshackle house is impractical. I guess that space is where I sleep. In a manner of speaking, there are various things laid out on the ground.
It's a successful way to ask a question.
Parents in this world - I knew the answer and asked the question. As I thought, there are no parents. The answer would be the same if it wasn't my other self. There are no parents.
Who was the man who killed him - Dan, is the name that comes to mind. I know his name. And I hate Dan. The other me hates the man I don't know.
Why is that - I immediately regretted that I had popped this question into my head. A number of memories came to mind. I was always subjected to abusive language, and I was often subjected to violence. And that's not all. A man named Dan, ..., had raped him. Himself, as a boy.
When the humiliation of that moment popped into my head, I shook with rage as if it were me.
Yes, it was me. It was me.
By now I realized that my body had become smaller. The color of my long hair had not changed, but the color of my skin seemed to have whitened considerably.
Perhaps I did not become a child, but rather I became one of my other selves. I don't know if it is possession or reincarnation, but anyway, that is what it is.
I am in a different world from the one in which I was born and raised. The person I was in the original world is ... probably dead.
I try to pull up my memories after getting on the bus. What I can remember is that the inside of the bus became strangely bright after entering a bypass road a little further from the station. It wasn't a reincarnation light or anything like that. I clearly recognize it as the brightness of some lights illuminating the interior of the bus.
Beyond that, no matter how much I try to remember, I can't recall anything.
I imagine that I was killed instantly in a collision. I wish I had never sat in that seat. I should have stood up because I was young. If I had done so, I might not have died.
There is no point in thinking about such things.
I had to think about the future.
My other self is appealing to me to flee the capital. He is afraid that the man's friends will retaliate. I agree with this. I don't want to die either.
But the problem is that I am now an orphan, a person who has no one to rely on, a person who has been living off the scraps of food in the favelas, and a person who does not have the money, skills, or anything else necessary to escape.
Not so. I had something to think about before that.
Where are we?
Did I get away with it?
Maybe I'm already being held by someone I shouldn't be held by?
I hurriedly get out of bed and run to the window. The view out the window is blue sky. Below me, I can see a beautiful garden. It is on the third floor. There is no way to escape from the window.
I approach the door to the exit of the room and listen carefully to the noise outside. As if timed perfectly, I hear a woman's voice.
"Dear Aeriel! You must not go near that room! Do not go near that room!
I didn't even need to listen carefully. I knew what the words meant, clearly reaching my ears, and I rushed back to bed.
I jumped into bed and the door to my room opened almost at the same time. Slowly, I turned my face toward the door and saw a girl standing there, this time with the same blond hair and green eyes as the boy I had met in the favela.
The girl is not fat, and her slanted eyes give her a slightly grim impression, but overall she has a pretty face.
As the girl approached, she began to stare at him unblinkingly.
The girl opened her mouth and said.
I'm sure you're the pet your brother picked up. Yes, you are the pet that your brother picked up."
That was the rudest thing I've ever heard.
I take back what I said before. I thought, "She's not cute, she's just a cheeky little girl," but then I found another word in the girl's dialogue that caught my attention.
Did your brother pick it up?"
Yes, that's right. That brother of yours picked you up from the dirt.
Child dirt is superfluous, but this is not the situation to complain about it.
What do you mean by "pick up at ...?"
"They say that your brother gave you a piggyback ride when you collapsed in the favela.
"On His Back: ..."
I am curious about the "that" in every word, but it seems certain that the boy brought him to me.
Yes.
I mean, this house?"
Oh, you didn't hear? This is the residence of the Marquise de Winheir!"
For some reason, the girl said, puffing out her chest like she was proud of herself. Her attitude was strangely cute, and I couldn't help but smile. Perhaps it was because she was relieved to know that it was a boy's house.
What are you laughing at?"
The girl spoke to me with a smile on her face.
Consider yourself saved."
"......"
The girl looks at herself with a grim expression as she replies.
What's wrong?"
'... that way of talking. It's disrespectful, even for a pet."
"What's a pet? ..."
I am a Marquise. You are not the right person to talk to me like that.
That's ..., my apologies."
This was my own carelessness. The girl was an aristocrat and I was a commoner, perhaps even a person who lived in the poorest of the poor.
This world must be different from the original world, where the status system is strictly enforced.
Oh, you can talk all right, can't you?"
Just a little bit."
'Well, we'll just have to discipline him a little bit in that area.
Discipline. In the girl's mind, she is only a pet.
But first, your appearance. Your hair is shaggy, and you smell ... somehow."
Do you smell it?"
I can smell it. It smells so bad."
Sorry, ...."
It was indeed hurtful to be told so clearly, but the girl did not seem to care about our feelings at all.
Liz."
Yes!"
The girl's call was answered by a woman dressed as a maid of honor standing behind her. She must have actually been a maid of honor.
'Clean this up,' he said. Polish its body, trim its hair, and give it an outfit befitting a pet of your brother, a legitimate son of the Marquise de Winheir."
Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
Is it definite that they are treated as pets?
Then I'll come see you when you're clean."
"......"
I'll come see you."
I look forward to seeing you at ...."
Yes. Excuse me."
It seems I was right. The girl left the room with a very clear look on her face.
The only two people left were myself and the maid of honor.
This way.
The lady-in-waiting looked more cold than clear and urged me to follow her. Apparently, I was not welcome. It doesn't matter. I am not a long term partner.
The immediate crisis was over. The next obstacle was to somehow get the gratuity and make a plan to escape from King's Landing. What must I do for that? There are so many things to think about that I feel like my head is about to explode.
Still, I have no choice but to think. I can do nothing else now but think.