LEAVING MISFORTUNE BEHIND
The day after we ran into the Word of God pontiff, Merazophis collapsed.
The cause: blood loss.
He fainted because I drank too much of his blood.
W-well, I couldn’t help it!
For some reason, at that particular moment, I felt like I had to drink Merazophis’s blood no matter what!
I drank too much?
Fine, I’m sorry!
Anyway, because of his condition and all, we ended up staying an extra night.
After that, Merazophis was back to normal, thankfully.
Calling it an apology to White for making her wait an extra day, Ariel ordered another barrel of liquor, but I’m pretty sure she just wanted to drink it herself.
As it turns out, Ariel’s quite fond of drinking.
When we met back up with White, the evening wound up turning into a little party. Who was that man in black who casually joined in, though?
Since Ariel didn’t complain, I assumed it was a friend of hers.
And since White wasn’t saying anything, either, it felt like we shouldn’t comment somehow, so I sort of let it go.
Figuring I’d get revenge for last time, I took another sip of alcohol, but of course I wound up passing out.
Next thing I knew, it was morning, and the man in black was gone.
What a mystery.
After that, we started up our journey again.
As usual, we spent days traveling through forests, mountains, and anywhere else that regular people would never pass through.
Then, at long last, we reached the capital of Sariella.
Since it’s the headquarters of the Goddess religion, there are churches everywhere you look, and the whole place has a very solemn air.
But there are also plenty of lively marketplaces and stuff. You’d think that would seem out of place, but somehow it all works together in harmony. I think it’s because the Goddess religion is such a normal part of life for the people here.
It sort of reminds me of when we went on a trip to Kyoto in middle school.
Then again, I got bullied the whole time, so I didn’t exactly have much fun.
Our party enters a restaurant at random and eats dinner.
Then we get a room at an inn and relax for the evening.
It’s the same routine every time we arrive at a town.
But this time is different.
This is our destination, and now that we’ve reached it, I have to come up with my answer about what we’re going to do next.
Say good-bye to Ariel and White and stay in Sariella?
Or accompany them to the demon territory?
Well, I suppose there might be other options, too.
“So, wanna stay here for a few days and decide what you’re gonna do next?” Ariel proposes, but I shake my head.
“No, I don’t need a few days.”
I’ve already decided my answer.
“Miss Ariel. Please take us with you to the demon territory.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ve given it a lot of thought.”
When I answer her immediately, Ariel’s gaze turns toward Merazophis.
But before she can say anything, I give him an order.
“Merazophis, come with me.”
Merazophis is my servant.
He has to do what I say.
Ariel was probably going to ask him what he wants, but that doesn’t matter.
I’m not taking no for an answer.
“Certainly, young miss.”
Sure enough, Merazophis readily agrees.
The day we encountered the pontiff of the Word of God, I told Merazophis he could go off on his own if he wanted.
He’s the one who rejected that and chose to stay with me.
So from now on, whatever happens, I’m not letting him go.
Even if he still has attachments to this country, if I say we’re leaving, then we’re leaving.
Or maybe I should say because he still has attachments.
Merazophis was born and raised in this country, found various things here, then lost it all.
He has to detach himself from this place, both physically and mentally.
Ultimately, Merazophis is serving my parents, not me.
He’s staying by my side and protecting me because that’s what they wanted him to do.
But that’s not good enough.
I don’t want him to stay with me for my parents’ sake.
I can’t tolerate that.
He has to stay with me for my sake.
I wouldn’t tell him to forget about my parents, of course. Those memories are precious to him.
But I want him to put me above all that.
Merazophis is mine, after all.
I won’t let anyone else have him, not even my mother and father.
That’s why we can’t stay in this country where he has so many memories.
We’re going to leave so both of us can start over.
Leaving everything behind.
And then I’ll make sure Merazophis acknowledges me as his real master.
For that to happen, I have to grow into someone befitting that role.
I want to be kind and understanding of other people’s feelings, like Ariel.
I want to help people without asking anything in return, like White.
Though I hate to admit it, White really is amazing.
Even putting her stats and skills and all that aside, I think she’s more than just a human on the inside.
I don’t know any human being who would do this much for someone else free of charge.
She gives off a sense of unwavering conviction and pride.
I might still feel a little bit of jealousy toward her, but more than that, I’m starting to respect her.
It really wasn’t just her looks that made people worship her in our previous lives.
If I improve the person I am on the inside, maybe my life will improve a little bit, too.
I remember my parents from my old life, whose only merits were their good-natured personalities.
Really, they had nothing else going for them.
But instead of feeling bad for themselves, they always seemed to be happy.
Good looks really aren’t everything.
You have to be a good person on the inside, too.
That’s why I’ll try to improve myself as a person.
I’ll use the looks I inherited from my parents in this world, and add the positive qualities I’ve learned from White, Ariel, and my parents in my old world, and become the perfect young lady, one worthy of being Merazophis’s master.
“Merazophis, make sure you always stay with me and support me, all right?”
“Of course, young miss.”
I hold out a hand, and Merazophis kneels and kisses it reverently.
“Huh? Wait a second. This is for the best, right? I think it is, but… Hmm? Something feels a little off here. Is she turning into a yandere? What? How did things end up like this?”
Ariel scratches her head and mutters to herself, but I’m just going to ignore her.
Thus, we resolve to go to the demon territory.
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