Our other childhood friend, Moses, possessed shoulder-length, purple-tinged hair and a pair of glasses. He was a thin boy, always engrossed in solitary reading.
Even at the age of fifteen, he maintained a remarkably formal demeanor, consistently offering a polite smile during conversation. It was a smile that evoked the image of an overly eager insurance salesperson, and frankly, I had never truly felt at ease in his presence.
“My apologies, Ryuto-san… and I appreciate your help,” Moses said.
Indeed, I was helping him. We were by the river, washing up the dishes from our earlier meal, along with some of our underclothes.
“Nah, don’t worry about it. I mean, honestly, this kind of thing should be a Villager’s job anyway, not a Sage’s.”
“You are correct. However, our esteemed princess decreed that Ryuto-san would oversee the cooking and I the washing. We have no choice but to obey,” Moses said with a resigned smile.
“She sure does know how to issue orders and never lift a finger herself…”
“Indeed.”
At that, we exchanged a glance, followed by a shared, wry chuckle.
“All right, that’s the last of it.”
Having scrubbed the final plate clean, I straightened up.
“You have my gratitude, Ryuto-san,” Moses said.
“Don’t sweat it. There are, after all, only three of us of the same age in this village. We’re friends, right?”
Suddenly, my vision darkened. An intense wave of dizziness hit me, a sensation far more severe than mere lightheadedness or a passing faintness.
My knees gave way, and I dropped to the ground.
“Friends, you say? Between whom, exactly? A Villager and a Sage? Heh, heh, what a delightful joke.”
My head was spinning wildly, the world around me tilting and blurring beyond control. As I descended into sheer panic, desperately attempting to decipher the unfolding events, Moses’s voice descended upon me from above, chilling and composed.
“And it appears the drug is finally taking effect.”
“D-Drug? What are you… Why…”
My tongue twisted awkwardly in my mouth, failing to articulate words. A shiver ran down my spine, and a chilling sweat poured from my back.
“‘Why?’” Moses repeated, as if the answer were obvious. “Isn’t it simple? You, Cordelia, and I—we were all born in the same year and grew up together. And yet… for some inexplicable reason, you are the object of her affection.”
He inhaled deeply, then proceeded, his voice edged with a palpable abhorrence.
“My vocational aptitude is that of a Sage. A rare talent born once in tens of thousands—perhaps even hundreds of thousands. I am one of the chosen few.”
Yeah. I know that already.
We were all born in the same tiny village—yet two of us possessed cheat-level aptitudes.
I know that! It’s a truth so profound that it makes me sick with how pathetic it feels.
“And I am, furthermore, a reincarnated soul. Ah, though you likely wouldn’t understand what that means… No matter. It’s enough for you to know that I am not merely a Sage; I am something far more special.”
What? What the hell are you talking about?
My vision blurred, consciousness dissolving into mist.
Moses’s words reached my ears, but they registered as hollow, devoid of meaning, as if my mind could no longer construct coherent images.
“I was truly amazed, you know. To think a girl so blessed by the gods—a creature of such angelic beauty—could exist in this world. The prospect of her future in but a few years… it fills me with anticipation.”
I tried to shout—to call for Cordelia, to scream for help—but it was already too late.
No sound escaped my throat.
Collapsed on all fours, my muscles gave out completely, trembling weakly. All I could do was desperately maintain what little balance I had to avoid crumpling onto the ground.
“She deserves to have me by her side. If you want an answer to why this is happening to you, that’s it.”
Moses then positioned himself behind me. Without a moment’s hesitation, he forcefully drove his foot into my back.
The impact sent me hurtling forward into the river with a resounding splash.
The river’s current proved swift, and under the debilitating influence of the drug, I found myself virtually immobilized, much less capable of resistance. Yet, through sheer instinct, I managed to twist my body enough to remain afloat on my back.
I surrendered myself to the rushing water, as darkness slowly swallowed what little consciousness I had left.
The last thing that echoed in my mind was Moses’s parting statement, seared deep into my soul.
“Know your place, you filthy Villager. How dare you speak as an equal to a Hero?”