I wrapped my robe around my rifle to safeguard it, then tried to navigate my boat through the dense cloud. A stiff breeze tried to deter me from pressing farther, so I steered myself into the headwind. As I plunged higher, still completely blind, violent gusts buffeted my ship.
I pushed the electricity in the engine until it was at capacity, emitting gruesome sounds. Even that was drowned out by the roar of the wind, so loud I couldn’t hear the engine despite standing right beside it.
The compass was completely useless. Both needles spun frantically. I had no idea where I was. All I could do was continue into the headwind. Freezing, my clothes growing heavier as more water seeped in, I fought hopelessly against the headwind, alone.
“Please, I’ve only got this one chance!”
I wasn’t sure if minutes or hours had passed when the abused engine suddenly erupted in flames.
“No! Hold on! Just hold on for me!”
In the next moment, the engine exploded. Flames danced around the edges of the propeller as it spun several more times, then flew off into the clouds.
Naturally, the fire began to spread along the wooden ship. Violent tremors shook my vessel as it hurled itself out of the cloud—and toward a floating island, enveloped in misty white.
I stared wide-eyed at the sight hurtling toward me. I’d seen this place numerous times in the game, but it looked enormous in person. The island was covered with giant trees, their roots jutting up from the ground. Plant life draped from its edges.
“Amazing…”
Then, realizing my grave danger, I panicked and moved to the propeller to steer—but it had been blown off during the explosion, and there was nothing I could do.
“You gotta be kidding me!”
The ground getting closer with every second, I scrambled for my baggage and tried to calculate the best timing—then jumped overboard. I dropped everything in my hands and tumbled to the ground, slamming to a stop when my back hit one of the giant tree roots. My ship rammed into the ground some ways from me, shattering into pieces upon impact and sending the remaining supplies on board scattering.
I forced myself up, aching everywhere, and wiped the sweat of sheer panic from my brow. “Crap, that was close. Guess it was dangerous to head here on a boat after all.”
The trip would have been easier on a larger airship, but that would have required money. And my parents didn’t exactly have the means.
“Ah well, still managed to get here.”
Black spots yet haunted my vision. I put a hand on my aching head and quickly moved to retrieve my most important supplies. Some had caught fire and were a lost cause, but I could make do with what was left. I gathered all of my things in one area, including some charred wood scraps from my boat.
I’d managed to make it to my destination, but I’d lost my ship in the process. Now there really was no escape. As long as I collected the thing sleeping here on the island, I would be fine. If it wasn’t here, then, well, I would never be able to escape this place.
When I finally plopped myself down to rest, quite a bit of time had passed. It was starting to get dark.
Rummaging through my supplies, I selected some food and water. The only rations I could find were dried bread, which I washed down quickly with the water. The bread was made more with sustenance in mind than flavor.
Tomorrow’s gonna be a busy day.
“If I came all this way and there’s nothing here, I’m going to feel like an idiot.” I used the shattered pieces of my boat to start a campfire and warm my chilled body. After that, I checked my rifle and the other supplies for damage.
“Looks like everything is in working order. I’m just glad this was okay.”
In the light of the campfire, I started counting out my ammo and filling the magazine of my rifle. These were some of the special bullets I’d had my dad prepare, each one etched with a small lightning bolt.
It had cost about three to five thousand in-game currency per bullet for the game’s standard ammo. These, on the other hand, were magic bullets, standard stuff you’d see in a fantasy game; a direct hit could light things on fire or freeze them. Subsequently, they easily ran over ten thousand for a single bullet. I felt nothing but gratitude toward my parents, since they’d acquired so many for me.
“If I make it back alive, I’m really going to have to be a more dutiful son. Huh… Come to think of it, I was never very dutiful in my previous life.”
Especially considering I died before my parents. That was about the most unfilial act imaginable.
“Wonder what happened to my little sister? Wish I could have smacked her once.”
I still remembered the day when I woke up in this world—or rather, the day I recalled my previous life. The memory of how my sister made me play her otome game was faint, almost bittersweet now.
It’s thanks to her I have any knowledge of the game to take advantage of. Maybe I should be grateful, I thought. Then again, if she never forced that game on me in the first place, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have died and ended up here.
Or maybe I would have?
After I finished checking the bullets, I set the rifle aside. Then I leaned my back against the tree root, giving my weary body some rest. It felt like forever since I last walked on solid ground. It was calming to lie down.
“Ugh, why did I reincarnate into an otome game…? I wish I could have reincarnated into a normal fantasy world.” I paused. “Well, no, my original world would have been ideal. Yeah, Japan would have been the best, if I had my choice.”
No monsters, no air pirates… Japan seemed like paradise.
I closed my eyes. “Tomorrow…I’m gonna have to…work hard…”
My life was riding on this gamble—and the results were in sight, waiting for me.