But let’s say for the sake of argument that they meant every word and that gods like Eltania and the cultists’ deities really did exist… What would all that mean?
“…And so, Lorenzo Zelfore, the king at the time, founded this very academy…”
Under the pretense of taking notes as the lecture floated over my head, I drew out a diagram of everything I knew about Gods of the Moon.
Pearlman had said they were creating a world for their gods. That probably meant they needed Mylene to aid in their deities’ resurrection. Then there was that word he’d uttered more than once: Chaos. I thought about how they were distributing drugs among the students at a school of the elite and that they had considered Colette one of the important pieces of their plan and were torn over killing her to shut her up.
I could only conclude they were trying to start a war.
Either that, or the war itself was only one goal. What if they needed Mylene to bring the gods they worshipped down to Earth? And what if the war itself was only a means to an end?
What if in the former timeline, those cultists had been pulling the strings behind the war? It was impossible—I knew I was grasping at straws. But I just couldn’t ditch the sensation that something was very odd about the fact that the cult was already in play so early in this timeline.
In this world, the cult distributed the drug and began their criminal activities earlier—why is that?
Just as I asked myself that question, it dawned on me that there was one difference in this timeline that perhaps dwarfed all the others: Mylene.
In my former life…Mylene’s rotten personality and the high status she’d attained had sealed her doom. That was why the Gods of the Moon hadn’t needed to do much, aside from giving her a little push.
But in this timeline, even though we still didn’t know how events were going to unfold, things weren’t proceeding in the same way, at the very least. That was why the cult had to get going much sooner.
Truth be told, this was all getting much too big to keep track of. And fully believing the words of a dying fanatic who’d killed himself to keep his secrets safe was a silly notion indeed. Then again, I was a common mercenary who’d traveled back in time and taken over the body of the woman who had sparked the war. I was well aware that it didn’t get more ironic than me using the word impossible.
So if all this was true, the Gods of the Moon would continue to steer this world in a bad direction. They would also continue to threaten my life.
I almost cursed out loud, even though I was in class. For all my griping, I still planned on being at the top of my class here. It might serve my hand of playing cards well in the future. So it was important for me to take my lessons seriously.
As I let my frustrations go in a sigh, the school bell rang.
“Oh, dear. Where did the time go? Well, we’ll end here for today. Rise!”
At the teacher’s command, we all stood up, bowed, then sat back down. With that, morning instruction came to a close. All that remained was to eat lunch and get ready for the afternoon lessons—but wait. I’d forgotten to mention the other big change that happened to my life at school.
“Lady Mylene! It’s lunchtime. Let us retire to the dining hall.”
Albert approached me as he always did. That part was the same. I hated that I’d completely gotten used to him calling me Lady Mylene with such reverence, but other than that, our relationship hadn’t changed that much.
“Mylene! Let’s go to the dining hall. I heard they’re serving that smoked pork you love so much.”
What had changed was my relationship with my other companion: Colette. The things she said weren’t very different, but there was an oddly feverish look in her gaze, and her voice was coy and gentle.
“S-sure…”
She’d concealed the dignity in her voice so reminiscent of the future amazon she would become. Instead, her voice was…favorably put, like the honey-sweet voice of a girl on the cusp of womanhood. It was almost like she was in— Nope, I won’t go there. But I do still want to know one thing…
“Um…Princess Colette? Why are you behind me? Were you not always by my side whenever we walked together before?”
“Hmm? Well, isn’t it obvious? In my country, it is expected for a vassal to stand behind someone she has accepted as her master. Isn’t that what your Albert does, Mylene?”
From how she blushed as she said the words to me, I knew there was no escaping reality. I thought she’d been acting strange ever since I rescued her.
“Hey, bitch,” I murmured, leaning in close. “Didn’t you say you would make me yours? So how is it that I’m your master or such nonsense?”
“Oh my. How bold of you…!” Colette’s cheeks turned even redder. “It’s not nonsense, I assure you… When you rescued me from those cultists, I had a realization. I was wrong to try to make you mine.”
Colette stared intensely at me. Her smile was shy but full of unabashed affection. Her smile was—
“The moment you rescued me…I became yours. It hit me just now.”
—that of a young woman in love. Simply that.
Seriously… This is making my brain hurt. Albert being enamored with me… Well, that was okay. I mean, it wasn’t okay, but as long as Eltania swept this little national embarrassment under the rug, crisis averted.
But Colette was technically the same sex as me—and the princess of the most powerful nation in the world. That made the situation quite different.
What the hell do they want me to do? Looking back, I realized that I’d had none of these woes before coming to school. Maybe I would have been better off if I’d just been a good girl and stayed home.
Not knowing how I should respond, I vaguely said, “Oh really…?”
“Indeed!” Colette chirped happily in reply.
As the princess stared at me with a smile so uninhibited and so audacious that it put Albert to shame, I pressed my palm to my face.
I never was much of a good thinker. And my brain is already full of so many things to chew on—I really wish she wouldn’t give me one more thing to stress over.
I was so lost in thought that I didn’t even notice we were in the dining hall now. I ignored the collective stares, walked to my usual spot at the table, and sat.
“Oh! Agh! Princess Colette, please do not sit beside Lady Mylene! You always used to sit across from her, remember?!”
“I used to, yes. But now I have the right to sit beside her. Learn to show a little restraint, Prince Albert.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Albert and Colette began to squabble over who got to sit next to me.
God dammit… I can’t imagine anything more annoying.
But then again…it was better to be gazed at with admiration rather than antagonism. And I was surprised by how I didn’t really resent them that much for it.
As I watched the ridiculous scene unfold before me—a little giggle escaped my nose.
Hearing my laughter, Albert’s and Colette’s bickering came to an abrupt halt. They stared at me in suspicion.
“Huh?” I grunted, my mask slipping in response to the sudden change in mood. Then I suddenly remembered we were in the dining hall, a place with prying eyes. I regained my composure with a little cough and asked, “Is something the matter?”
“L-Lady Mylene, it’s just, you laughed with such gentle grace just now that—”
“It was bewitching, Mylene. It was so beautiful. Nay! You are always every bit as beautiful as that!”
“Please stop… Your flattery is embarrassing me.” Suppressing every urge to punch them both for saying such humiliating things about me, I turned away in a huff.
And then, the two nobles who’d been at each other’s throats a few seconds ago began praising everything about me, inside and out.
They really are the same at their core. This is why I hate royalty… But I dropped that thought when I noticed I was smiling.
They may have been ridiculous, but I was ridiculous for overthinking things when I was with them. In spite of everything, I think I’ve acclimated rather well to my second life.
That’s right… I’m just a dumb mercenary at heart. No amount of musing over complicated problems will bring me any closer to understanding them. Isn’t that why I have to get as strong as I can, to break through any obstacles that stand in my way? I clenched my fist, answering my own question.
Not that I can exactly say I’m that strong yet—but c’mon, I kicked a god’s ass. There’s nothing I can’t do.
Be it Lord Eltania or the cult’s Sovereign God, if they’re standing in my way, I’ll just smack them upside the head until they get out.
And until that day comes…I guess I’ll try a graceful, ladylike way of life for a while.
I snorted, scorning the out-of-character thought.
Seeing this, Albert rolled his eyes as if to say, “That’s the Lady Mylene I know.” And when Colette agreed that she felt more at ease with me being this way, I realized being a little lady was actually a damn sight harder than I imagined.