Chapter 2 | Setting Out on a Journey
[Ektor]
TO tell you the truth, I was shocked. Seriously dumbfounded.
Huh? What? How did Miku escape from the monster horde?! Why is she even coming from that direction and not in the village?!
That’s not how the story goes. I hope I was successful in masking my true feelings. I feel like I did the best I could, putting on a facade of politeness, like always. It took a lot of work to reach this moment in order to protect her. All so I could follow the story perfectly.
That’s right. I’m Ektor…in this world, at least. In my past life, I was a normal Japanese university student, but now, I’m Ektor. I might not be quite as polite and soft-spoken as the character I play, but I have to do my best to play nice so as not to deviate from the original script. My mask is only lowered when I’m alone with Rinny and Macro.
“Hey, you girls okay?”
I know! I know already! So, stop staring at me like that, you two, I mentally respond to my friends’ judgmental looks.
One part cool indifference and one part dumbfounded shock. I know this is completely out of character for me! I have to force myself to pretend the person before me doesn’t mean the world to me.
Honestly, I want nothing more than to drop the act and be myself in front of Miku. But I can’t, for the sake of the story! I’ve grown used to my friends calling me a weirdo anyway. The reason why is because I had to convince them a horde of monsters was actually coming from the Southern Wood, directly contradicting the information we were previously given. When I explained I just had a hunch about it, they remained skeptical, although they ultimately followed my lead. That’s not really important, though. For what it’s worth, I was right, and the horde really was coming out of the Southern Wood.
But then, the unexpected happened.
Those fox twins…
In the original story, they should have been back in the village, preparing for the festival. I was completely caught off guard. The original story said nothing about the twins being out here, fighting the pack of monsters on their own. In fact, the story would be over and done if they died here… And then there’s…
“I could’ve sworn you were heading toward the Northern Wood, so why are you here?”
She’s got a grip on her!
I’m pretty sure the older sister’s name is Claire. She seems pretty hostile for some reason. I can’t help but notice the glare hidden behind her obviously fake smile. Or Miku, fidgeting nervously behind her sister. She’s adorable, just as cute as ever. No wonder she’s my favorite. It’s odd, though. Claire shouldn’t be acting this hostile toward me, according to the original story. She’s the type of girl who’s strong-willed with a bubbly and energetic personality…
It seems like we’re veering further off course…
As we stood there, our smiles growing increasingly strained, Miku’s stomach let out a loud rumble.
Aww! She’s too cute! Even her tummy rumbling is adorable! I wish I was her grumbly tummy! Just look at her with her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, hugging her silvery tail in her arms, her ears drooping… My god, she’s an angel!
I couldn’t stifle an odd noise of endearment.
As if following her sister’s lead, Claire gave Miku a hug. The two stood huddled together, talking quietly and giggling.
What a sight. You are a blessing from the heavens…
I can’t say that, though. We have to move on to the next plot point now that we’ve saved the village, just like in the game.
“At any rate…let’s head back to the village together, shall we?”
“…Sure, let’s do that.”
Huh? Why did Claire respond? I was asking Miku! And then she had the nerve to casually push me forward! H-Hey! I want to get close to Miku, not you!
She is pretty strong, though. You’d never think she grew up in a normal village like this one. There’s no doubt about it; Claire definitely works out. And not only that, her magical ability seems stronger than it should be as well. Miku, too. It’s a casual observation since I can’t see their stats directly, but in the original story, when we first meet, neither girl knows the first thing about battle. Although they’re not quite on the same level as us, their fighting prowess is still considerably higher than it should be.
There’s something weird going on for sure. This isn’t the world I know. Well, the names are the same, and so are their looks and character traits. I’m well aware that the end product is oftentimes not quite the same as the planned material, but the various races, the towns and villages, the locations, even Rinny and Macro, are all as they should be according to the game manual. But not me. If I’m an exception…
…Could it be? Are these two girls the same as me?
Yeah… That has to be it. If I’m a Reborn, then it makes sense there would be others like me. No point in getting all smug about feeling special.
Yeah, that makes perfect sense.
It’s clear as day that these two are here when they shouldn’t be, and they possess personalities and abilities that they shouldn’t have according to the game manual. I have a feeling Claire was reincarnated like I was. Call it another hunch.
Miku’s mental capabilities seem to align with the guide, though. Being sisters, I’m sure Claire filled Miku in on everything she could. Claire’s the one who’s acting completely out of character, after all. She should be falling for Rinny, but instead, she’s falling for me. Claire should be the rival character for Rinny’s story route.
Is it possible that she’s suddenly my rival on this route? Or is she into my character that much that she’s ignoring the original story?
I can’t get too overly optimistic about this. After all, I’d be a real dummy to think she’d have any interest in me at all, considering her clear hostility. So, what then? There’s only one answer. Judging from how much she seems to dote on Miku, it’s clear Claire is an overprotective older sister! And she doesn’t want to simply hand Miku over to me! Yep, that makes sense! That’s why she didn’t bat an eye at Rinny or Macro, but instead honed in on me. I get it, but…
“You’re both so sweet,” Miku says in her angelic voice.
What?! That’s what she’s supposed to say to me! Rinny, Macro… How could you?! If only Claire hadn’t messed things up! Well, fine. If that’s what she wants, then I’ll play her game. There’s no way I’ll lose. I will get Miku to fall in love with me and give her eternal happiness, no matter what! And I’ll make sure she doesn’t go down the path to her own doom. I refuse to fall for the heroine. I might be Ektor, but I’m not that Ektor. My future is in my hands. I’m still not exactly sure what Claire’s endgame is, so I’ll happily observe for now and bide my time. I’ll come up with a better plan once I figure out what’s going on.
I slap my cheeks lightly as newfound confidence surges through my body.