Chapter 188

Two days until my death. Lumiere Village was small, with a population of only about five hundred. We were rushed to a clinic, the place where wounds and illnesses were treated. There were plenty of doctors like Dr. Kuya in the Netherworld since there was no Dark Core here. Colette and Esther woke up soon enough. The doctor, a middle-aged man with glasses, said they would be fine, but Esther’s wound was deep, and she would need to be hospitalized for one week. “Please forgive me! I heard it’s a rule in the Seventh Unit that those who lose in battle are to be killed! Sh-should I prepare myself for death…?” “No way! There’s no such rule!” Dang Yohann and/or Caostel, getting weird ideas into her head. Now they deserved punishment—I wasn’t making snacks for them anymore. And next to us… “Ahhh, Colette! You’re back!” “Thank goodness you’re okay!” “She doesn’t look okay! Look at those wounds!” “Aruka’s gotta pay for this!” “You rest for now. We’ll contact the chief back in the Imperial Capital.” …a lot of villagers gathered around Colette’s bed. Isn’t this too enormous a coincidence? Yep—we were in Colette Lumiere’s hometown. It was a secret garden, absent from any map, hidden so the shrine maiden could be brought up without interference. We’d just so happened to stumble upon it after losing our way. The news of the next shrine maiden’s return soon made the rounds all over the community. Villagers came in droves without rest to give their own version of “Thank goodness.” Colette was almost getting crushed under the attention, but she seemed to like it. It was the first time I’d seen her smile from the bottom of her heart. It was an arduous journey, after all… “So that’s unexpected,” Nelia said while feeding Esther an apple. “We just so happened to wander into Colette’s hometown… But it’s a fortunate coincidence. The villagers’ happiness is infectious, don’t you think?” “I feel like we’re being left out. But, eh, it’s okay.” I held an apple slice to Esther’s mouth as I looked around. The villagers only cared about Colette. Among them was an old guy crying tears of joy. “Lady Colette sure is popular. Perhaps to be expected of the next shrine maiden?” Vill shoved an apple slice into Esther’s mouth while tilting her head. “But that’s weird, isn’t it? Why would they send their precious little shrine maiden as an offering? I don’t think the villagers would have agreed to that…” Nelia stabbed another slice of apple with a toothpick. Esther gulped at the sight of that and screamed, “Sorry, but I’m already full!” Yeah, we probably fed her too much. I scarfed down the slice of apple I was going to give to her. Then a man left the group of villagers and approached us. It was the vice-chief of the village, the same person who’d shown us to the clinic. “Thank you so much, ladies of the Komari Club.” He bowed with a wide smile. “As the next shrine maiden, Colette is a treasure of Lumiere Village and the Mulnite Empire at large. Thank you for guarding her all the way here.” “Oh, no, I didn’t do anything…” I bowed back with nervousness. “Oh, but you did!” He shook his head. “We owe the Komari Club. We’ll hold a welcome party with the entire village today, so please make yourselves at home. I shall receive you in the chief’s stead.” “He isn’t here?” Vill asked. “Well, no.” He smiled awkwardly. “The chief couple are the shrine maiden’s guardians, so they’re staying in the Imperial Capital. In fact, they spend less time here than there in general.” “The chief couple… Does that mean Lady Colette’s parents?” “Indeed. Or, well, she was adopted, so they aren’t her parents by blood… In any case, what bad luck they weren’t around for their daughter’s return.” “Hmm.” Vill grabbed her chin and stared at Colette. …? What’s going on here? There’s something off with the sicko maid… Eh, whatever. I’ll just enjoy the welcome party. Hope they have some good Netherworld food. The trip from Lumiere Village to the Imperial Capital would take about a week. We should have left right away, but we stayed for a while because of Esther’s injury. Nelia said the Arukan forces wouldn’t follow us here since we’d beaten them at the ravine. We forced down our sense of urgency and focused on resting from the long journey. And so, we were on our way to the assembly hall for a welcome party. Esther alone had to stay in the clinic. Poor thing. I’ll bring you some food later. “Vill, this is my hometown! Great place, right?” “Yes, it seems wonderful.” “Wanna stay here forever? They’re not very lax about immigration, but I’m sure they’d welcome you! Let’s make Esther stay, too.” “Uhhh.” “Hey, don’t you remember that watermill? My childhood friend and I had lunch together there all the time…” “It’s my first time here.” “Right. Ah, look! That’s the village’s only school!” Colette kept talking to Vill as we trod the muddy path. I stared at her from behind. She was in terribly high spirits about being back in her hometown…but there was something else about her, too. Now that I thought about it, she’d changed after we’d left the Curryd Empire. She’d started being more inquisitive with Vill. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I had a bad feeling about it. “Hey, Colette, could you show us some nice sightseeing spots?” I cut into the conversation. “Huh?” She groaned while turning around. “What do you wanna do that for?” “Well, since we’re here, we might as well go sightseeing, right?” “Right behind that stable there’s a famous public toilet. It’s so amazing that it’s registered as a world heritage site. Go check it out while Vill and I go to the party.” “There’s no way a toilet is a world heritage site…” “Heh. You’ll go through hell soon. I’m simply suggesting you relieve yourself beforehand so you won’t wet your pants.” “What are you talking about?” “Oh well. I couldn’t expect a little kid to understand.” Wh-what’s wrong with her? Why’s she so mean to me? And what’s she mean by hell? Also, I’m no kid! I was still baffled by the time we arrived at the assembly hall in the center of the village. There were lots of tables set up in the huge yard, adorned with food of all shapes and colors. Seemed like it would be stand-up style. “Ohhh, Colette! And the ladies of the Komari Club!” Holding a plate of meat, the vice-chief walked up to us with a full smile on his face the moment he saw us. Just then, the entire venue was filled with applause. “Welcome back!” “Thank you for saving the shrine maiden!” “Let’s party!” Their cheers echoed under the red sky. Tons of villagers had gathered at the assembly hall. I got a bit bashful and looked at Colette. She waved both her hands with pride. …Yeah, no need to be embarrassed. Just do what she’s doing. “Please, make yourselves at home. We hope you can tell us about what’s happened on your way here. But first, a toast, to Colette’s return and the Komari Club’s feats!” The vice-chief declared the start of the party. Everyone raised their glasses and said, “Cheers!” I also grabbed a cup from the nearest table in a hurry. The merry dinner went on. The villagers beat drums for entertainment and dyed the hall in festive colors. I grabbed a spoonful of veggie-filled omelet rice while staring intently at Colette and Vill. “…Everyone in the village likes her, huh?” “Well, obviously. She’s the next shrine maiden,” said Nelia before sipping her glass of milk. Colette was in the middle of the venue, surrounded by villagers. She grinned bashfully every time someone said something like, “It’s so good to see you well,” or, “Now the village will be at peace.” “I sent a bird at noon, so I’m sure the chief will hear soon. It’ll be a pleasant surprise.” “But is it okay? Wasn’t I supposed to be an offering to stop the war?” “Who cares?! No one agreed with that decision. I can’t believe the current shrine maiden. Adoptive or not, you’re still her niece…” “Well, well. Let’s not talk about the shrine maiden. We should celebrate Colette’s return instead.” “Yeah! Thank goodness!” “How did you escape? I’m sure the Arukan soldiers must be plenty violent.” “Well, I… It was thanks to Villhaze!” Colette grabbed Vill’s arm beside her. The maid was pushed to the center of the villagers. “Um, Lady Colette…” “She saved me! Vill’s so amazing. She took down the soldiers like it was nothing! And she also cared for me all along the journey!” “Vill? Did you say Villhaze…?” The villagers furrowed their brows and stared at her, but they soon laughed it off. …? What’s with that reaction? “I see, I see. We must thank the Komari Club. Hey, Ms. Gandesblood! How about you come eat over here?!” “No, no. It was Vill who saved me, not that runt.” “Ha-ha-ha. You got into an argument? You should make friends.” “Hey! Don’t pat my head! I’m not a kid! Okay, I’ll be honest! It’s not like I didn’t have fun on my journey with Terakomari, but I’m sure you’ll all hate her once I tell you this!” The drums echoed. Colette took a deep breath. She stared at Vill’s face, then glared daggers and pointed at me. “Terakomari groomed my childhood friend Vill into a pervert!!” ……… …Wha…? What the hell is she saying? “Villhaze of the Komari Club was supposed to be the next shrine maiden! Villhaze Lumiere!” Disquiet swept through the villagers. “Colette…,” the vice-chief said awkwardly. “Villhaze is dead. We’ve been through this. She won’t be coming back…” “But she’s right here. Can’t you see her? Her hair, her aura, and her boobs are different, but her face is the same.” “Don’t be ridiculous, Colette…” “I have proof! This Vill has the power to see the future! Just like the shrine maiden Vill!” The villagers stared at Vill. What’s going on here? I wasn’t expecting things to go like this… I was taken aback, and Colette shot me a glare boiling with anger. “I heard at the Curryd Empire inn that Vill has the power to see the future. Pandora’s Poison, you called it. And you hid that from me, you jerk.” “No, I just didn’t see any reason to tell you…” “My Vill was the only one in the world capable of seeing the future. I told you my Vill had that power… Shouldn’t you have connected the dots? Couldn’t you have told me about Pandora’s Poison if you thought this Vill and my Vill could be the same person? Or do you lack the humanity to do that?” Back when I’d crossed the desert on Charlotte, I had in fact kept quiet about this common point between both Vills. “Her hair color can be easily explained. Either she dyed it, or it lost its color from stress. Vill went missing that stormy day because she was sent to another world. She forgot all about her childhood friend and her hometown and ended up as that girl’s maid.” “Hold on! Vill has a grandfather named Clovis! And I’m sure she has memories of her childhood…” “That’s all a sham! Esther said…that you have a friend who can alter people’s memories! You used them to brainwash Vill!” There was much to correct, but my mind couldn’t keep up. I was overwhelmed by Colette’s menacing glare. The villagers were beginning to look at me with suspicion. If Vill really was Colette’s childhood friend—Villhaze Lumiere—then this was huge news for them. Because Villhaze Lumiere had been their legitimate next shrine maiden. I clutched my hair as I thought about how I could clear up the misunderstanding, when… “My memories have not been altered.” …Vill stated that coolly. I looked at my maid like she was my savior. “Y-yeah! Tell ’em, Vill!” “That simply cannot be. This may come as a shock, but the truth is, I don’t have memories of my childhood.” Huh? “Shock” was putting it lightly. “What do you mean, Vill?! You don’t have memories of…?” “I never mentioned it since it was no big deal. I mean, you have similar circumstances, right? You don’t remember a lot of what happened before that, if I recall correctly.” “That’s true, but…” “No way! Then she’s really got to be my Vill!” Colette shouted, clinging to my maid. “I’ll make you remember! I’m sure you’ll get your memories back if I tell you about our time together! Like, um, like when we went to the festival…” “No, I am not Villhaze Lumiere.” Her voice was cold, as though she were pushing Colette off a cliff. Colette’s eyes grew wide, and her gaze hardened. “D-don’t say that! We’re gonna live together again!” “Even if I once was Villhaze Lumiere, I am her no longer. I am Lady Komari’s loyal servant. I have a mission to complete. I cannot live with you.” “What mission?!” “World domination.” “““………””” Vill, please. You’re creeping everyone out. “…I see, my explanation was lacking. Lady Komari and I will unite the world. She wishes to create a peaceful world without conflict, and I want to support her. I can’t return your feelings, Lady Colette.” “Cool your head! Give up that ridiculous mission! You’re my childhood friend! You’re Uncle and Aunt’s daughter! And…you’re the next shrine maiden!” “I give up all of that. Farewell.” Vill left the venue. Colette ran behind her, but the vice-chief held her back by the shoulder. “What?! Let me go!” “Stop it. She isn’t the Vill you knew.” “…!” The rest of the villagers seemed to think the same. “Yeah, it’s not her.” “The real one was more timid.” “She’s no longer here.” None of them saw her as her Vill. And to top it off, they laughed it off. “Colette sure had me going for a second!” The party resumed. Everyone forgot about the Vills and went back to enjoying themselves. I had conflicting feelings about this. I thought I ought to go after Vill regardless, but then, I felt tempestuous hostility. I turned around in fear. Colette was glaring at me with tears in her eyes. “It’s all… It’s all your fault…” “Huh? Wh-what is…?” “I finally found Vill! We were going to go back to our lives!” “Calm down, Colette. Just be glad you’re back home, yes?” the vice-chief said. “Look, here’s one of your favorite pa— Gwoagh?!” Collette slammed the back of her fist into the vice-chief’s face as he tried to appease her. Clenching her fist harder, Colette didn’t so much as glance at him as he squatted in pain. “It’s all your fault, Terakomari! Give me Vill back!” “I can’t do—” “Give…HER…BAAACK!!” “Whoooa?!” Colette spun her arm around as she charged at me. She drove her fist into my omelet rice, splattering ketchup all around. I was frozen in fear. I had no chance to evade as Colette tackled me, and we grappled with each other like we were hugging. “C-Colette! Relax! Fighting won’t solve anything!” “Yes it will! I’m going to make you cry and take Vill back!” Colette clung to my hips and pushed me. She…she wants to throw me on my head?! “Stop it! You’re wounded! You’re gonna hurt yourself more!” “I don’t care! Besides, you’re also hurt!” “Ohhh! They’re playing sumo!” the elders cheered. The drummer girl onstage began beating faster in sync with the battle. The still sensible villagers tried to stop Colette, but no one could overpower her. The venue had turned into a sumo ring in the blink of an eye. An old guy took up the role of referee and yelled, “You’re still in, you’re still in!” What’s wrong with you?! “I…I’ve been looking for Vill this whole time! I lost sleep over her! And you! What’s that about world domination?! Don’t you feel bad about dragging her into your nonsense?!” “I’m not trying to conquer the world! Vill made that up!” “I gave my life to her! Ever since the day of the thunderstorm…I’ve never made any other friends! Never hung out with anyone else! Because I was looking for her!” As I tried to push back against her, agitation struck me. I could deeply empathize with Colette. If I were in her place, I would’ve sumo’d her the same way… “Ah!” She sank. Her foot caught in the mud, and she tripped. I panicked and tried to hold her up, but it was already too late. The sky-blue girl face-planted into the ground. Splash. I practically saw the sound effect. The venue went quiet. The old referee, the drummer, the injured vice-chief, Nelia (watching from the back), and everyone else froze like statues. I anxiously held my hand out to Colette, but before I could touch her, she shot her head up. Her face was too muddy for me to decipher her expression. After a while, she parted her lips. “Bw.” “‘Bw’…?” “BWUUUUUUHHHHH!!” Huge tears fell from her eyes, and she wailed in anguish. My eyes darted left and right as I looked for what to say to her. Soon, she wiped the tears with her sleeve, stood up, and ran away while screaming, “DROP DEAD, MOROOON!!” Everyone in the venue was frozen for a while, until the vice-chief came back to his senses and ran after her, saying “Wait up, Colette!” Nelia sighed. “What are we going to do with her?” I thought back to Colette’s crying face and stayed locked in place. I wondered if she was hurt. That’d been a pretty bad fall… And so, the welcome party came to an awkward close. The next evening, Nelia and I were roaming around the village. The only thing roaming around my head was Colette, though. She had shut herself in after what had happened last evening. She’d been so insistent Vill was her childhood friend, only for that very person to deny it. Anyone in her situation would feel bummed out. And now Vill was heading to the Lumiere residence to try and cheer her up. For some reason, I was feeling vexed. I felt like I shouldn’t leave the two of them alone. The revelation from the previous day, that Vill didn’t have memories of her childhood, haunted me like a ghost. I was sure she hadn’t been lying. That also explained Clovis’s comment about Vill “only having the future to look forward to.” I didn’t think my Vill was Villhaze Lumiere. But I couldn’t help but ponder the possibility. Thinking back on it now, there were too many signs. They shared a name. Colette said her face resembled hers. And she had the power to see the future. These were probably coincidences, but the problem was we couldn’t say for sure either way based on what we knew at the moment. Colette was sure my maid was her Vill. She didn’t seem like she’d give up, so I could easily see her asking her to live together again. And if the Lumiere couple back in the Imperial Capital caught wind of this, they would definitely do something. They could very well end up forcing my Vill to be Colette’s Vill, no matter what the truth was. And then I would have to say good-bye to her. Good…bye… … “What’s wrong, Komari? You don’t look too good.” “Nothing.” I slapped myself upon hearing Nelia’s comment. The abundant rural vista stretched out to the horizon. It was a calm village, fitting for one that was hidden. The streets were covered in mud after last night’s downpour. The puddles glowed beautifully under the sunset. “Nelia, who do you think Vill is?” “That’s a philosophical question… I don’t think you need to dwell on it too much. Whatever happened in her past, there’s no way she would leave you.” “My brain tells me that’s true, but I have a bad feeling about this.” “How about we have Sakuna kill Vill, then? She could probably take a look at her lost memories.” The image of Sakuna gleefully murdering Vill came to mind. …Huh? Wait, that’s weird. Why can I picture that so easily? Sakuna’s a serene, prim, and proper girl… “N-no way! Dying hurts!” “It does. Anyway, people’s hearts don’t change that easily. You just stand proud.” Nelia and I sat down on a bench beneath the shadow of a tree. The cold, damp feel of the rain welcomed my butt, but I didn’t care. Nelia took some snacks out of her backpack. She handed me a bag of marshmallows. “Cheer up.” She smiled. “Put yourself at ease with something sweet.” “Huh? But if I eat this now, I won’t have room for dinner later…” “Stop being such a good girl! Just eat it!” Nelia shoved a marshmallow into my mouth. The pillowy sweetness fluffed my brain. “…You’re right. This calms me down. Now I’m back to being a clear-minded scholarly intellectual.” “You’re never clear-minded unless you use Core Implosion.” Nelia wolfed down the marshmallows. Does food just pass through her or something? “Core Implosion is a power of the heart. It only resides in those who wish to achieve something… Villhaze evolved her power for you, right? There’s no way Colette will be able to steal her from you.” “Mmm. That is true, but…” “You’re worrying about this all by yourself, and that’s not the way Terakomari Gandesblood does things. You taught me back in the Enchanted Lands how important it is to consider people’s feelings. And how we should understand each other through words and actions.” People were going here and there on the town streets. Lumiere Village was a surprisingly busy place.