424 420. Battle of another world.txt (2/2)
''--Whee! I ate, I ate!
When he had spoken that much, Kounell rubbed his swollen belly.
The food that had been spread across the table had been flattened out without a trace.
We sat down, paid the bill at the counter, and walked out of the family restaurant.
My body, accustomed to the air-conditioned space, tensed up a bit in the cool, natural air.
Kounel next to me rubs his hands together, blowing warm breaths from his mouth, and suggests to me.
There was no longer any of the cold, knife-like atmosphere that I had felt earlier.
''Well! It's cold, so let's hurry up and go to the next one! Next stop, the clothing store! I'd like to have a clothing store as my destination!
'Huh. ....... If it's my first time in a clothing store, I'd like to go to a department store. I hope there's a place like that nearby: ......
I take out my smartphone and search for a store.
I found a large shopping mall nearby that is owned by a nationwide group.
From what I've found, I can see several brands of clothing here.
Kounel next to me was peering at the scene with interest.
When I told her that I could understand the geography of a strange land like this without 《Dimension》, she happily countered with a ”I see...”.
Then, she hugs my arm and urges me to move as if she were pulling me.
'Then let's go, let's go!'
I continue the conversation as I'm pulled along and walk away.
'...... Kounel, you've changed a bit. Compared to before, you're coming along amazingly fast.
The last time I saw Kounel again, she was really running away from me, even though Titi, the Demon King, was next to me. I pointed out that she had always done her best to get away from me, but now it was the opposite.
It was payback for Kounel's cold 'request' earlier.
I also don't hesitate to ask the question as if I am dealing with 'the one who steals reason'.
''My [The one I love most will die] is because the 'curse' is gone, right?
............
Kounel stopped in her tracks.
At that time, now that she thought about it, she had been paying attention to both Yotaki and Tiara.
She always made a sign to 'someone' that she would try not to do anything unnecessary, so please let me miss it.
'Did you know about the 'thread'? Like Ragne.
Threads” are thought to be all-powerful and invincible, but they are not without their weaknesses.
There are times when it is easily perceived by strong 'people'.
When asked, Kounel was rigid.
Then he gradually relaxed from his body, and as he slowly walked out, he confessed.
'...... Yes. At that point in time, I understood, if only faintly, the danger to Tiara-sama and the others.''
You did a good job of guiding me when I saw my memories with Distance Mute. Now that I think about it, that was a real tightrope walker, wasn't it?
'No, I didn't mean to walk a tightrope. I knew the Chairman's personality well, so I was sure that if I said that beforehand, he would never look at my private life except as it related to the bloodsucking species.
I find that word certainty a bit frustrating for me.
It's a story that makes me acutely aware of the rule that even foul magic is up to the magician.
Back then, I had mastered a number of magic and was pretty confident, but for ...... types of people like Ragné and Kounel, it means there were a lot of gaps.
''Oh, um, ....... Chairman, could it be that you are quite angry?
I'm not angry. I'm just saying that I wish I could follow your example, because you're really good at crisis management.
No, no more! I'm not hiding anything from you anymore! Please believe me! Really, really, it's all gone now! That's why I'm trying to be so blatant about this! Be prepared to be read in a lot of ways!
Kounel embraces, makes contact, and indicates that he's willing to read his memories again with ”Distance Mute”.
At the end of it all, somehow, finally--
”Mr. Chairman, I'll tell you the truth! I'll be honest, I'm going after the position that Mr. Rustyala Hoozeyers was in!
Quunel's land mines, which she never intended to dig up, are shown to me by her own hands.
Right now, Kounel is the only one who can say this with impunity.
This is because unlike the other companions such as Dia and Maria, I knew Rustiala only through information and never liked her.
'Kounel, there is no 'replacement' for Rustiala. For the sake of 'proof' and 'curse', I definitely can't stay anymore. Even if there was, it would be--
Yes, that would be the Chairman himself.
Kounel seemed to have noticed.
That for the past two months, I've been doing 'what Rustyala wanted to do' instead.
No, all of my people have noticed, and I'm sure one of them told me about it.
It's the reason why everyone's eyes have been kind, warm, and somewhat sympathetic to me lately.
'Just what can I say: ....... Even if I can't replace Lady Rustyala's lover position with anyone else for the rest of my life, I feel like the sidekick position she held at the same time is firmly open! And I'm going for the position! And on top of that, I don't want to be the only one to lose to that guy, Seldra, in the fight for that position! In other words, I feel exactly the same way as Master Snow these days!
With the momentum of the scene, Kounell declares things that don't even need to be said.
I give a wry smile and repeat one of the names mentioned.
''Kounel is strangely pertinent only to Seldra, isn't he?
'I confess that too. The reason why ...... Aware is suspicious of Seldra in so many ways is because he heard a story from the recovering head of the Siddharq family. He told me that the reason that Glen Walker didn't want to go with him on his escape from the Blood Land is very simply ...... that he sincerely disliked Seldra Queenfillion.
My pulse quickens a little.
Indeed, the more I know of Mr. Glenn's mild and gentle nature, the harder it is to ignore his ”sincerely disgusted” reputation.
'This man Seldra is, as far as good or evil is concerned, evil! Absolutely, a bad one!
Then Quuner took a step away and pointed his index finger at me with a snap.
'A bad guy is ....... Quunel isn't a bad guy?
No, no, no, let's not worry about that now. ......
Kounel swept her eyes when she was asked back about herself.
She was aware that she was doing a lot of bad things behind the scenes too, which is why she could understand the same Seldora.
'Yes, ....... Seldra was the worst of the 'reason-stealers'. I know that there are a lot of good things about him, but that's just it.
I can only appreciate that now that I know the inner workings of all the ”Stealers of Reason”.
Indeed, the man named Serdra--
It was worse than Tida, whose life was all about sprinkling betrayal, and it was worse than Tida.
It was worse than Rowen, whose life was all about sprinkling death around.
Worse than Fafner, whose life was full of insanity, and worst than Fafner, whose life was full of insanity.
Even more so than those three knights, it completely surpassed them.
''Right! That's why I don't want to be the only one to lose to Seldora! We all know the chairman is heartbroken right now and is trying to heal a little bit! That's why--
Pointing his finger back once again, Kounel declares.
''-- I'm excited to make the most of this second chance, and I'm excited to take advantage of it out of character! To get the safest and most comfortable position in the 'whole world', including the 'original world' and the 'other world'! Yikes, seriously!
Daringly, Kounell made his own aims fully public.
I'm not lying.
The current clashing, honest 'discussions' have convinced me, too.
She wants my power.
To be precise, she wants the absolute power of the magic stone of Yotaki and Tiara to give her a sense of security.
However, she's judged that it's impossible to take that away from me, so she's turning to seek my protection with all her might.
In other words, Kounel is the only person established as the ”Senate” and practically controls the countries of the ”other world” while still being ...... afraid. Now, the last 'reason-stealer' in front of you.
-- let me reassure you quickly.
It's okay (...).
That's why I'm visiting the 'original world' with Kounell before all the Dear Maria Snow Reapers.