Chapter 2

Probably worried and pained by my absence, I recalled the protagonist of the game, the child named Kikyo, who has been my friend since childhood. I apologized silently in my heart, feeling a slight twinge of guilt.

"Sorry, Kikyo, I'm really enjoying this secluded life right now."

It's been about two weeks since I was locked in here. I had been luxuriously watching all the anime I liked, starting from the very first one in alphabetical order, and finally finished all the titles starting with 'A,' stretching my body contentedly. I had been lying face down and staring at the computer screen for a long time, so my back was a bit sore. I had bought a recliner and sometimes sat on it, but I always ended up lying down. The recliner was a bit inconvenient to use, so I listed it on a buyback site on the computer. As soon as the buyback request was accepted, the recliner disappeared, and the buyback amount was added to my shopping site points. It seems that by listing items I no longer needed on the buyback site, I could control the decrease in points. However, since there are no living expenses, I probably won't need to buy much after getting some basic facilities and entertainment items.

Sighing at the lingering back pain, I looked around the room. I had been staring at the video site for so long that nothing had really changed since the day I went shopping.

"Maybe I should go shopping. I want to improve the facilities a bit."

Muttering to myself, I ignored the back pain and lay down again, turning my eyes to the computer. I clicked the mouse and opened the shopping site.

"The sofa I bought first is pretty good, so maybe a table to use the computer on... Oh, right."

Thinking about it, I realized that I could project the screen onto a larger display. I started looking for a good one. When I found a good one, I bought the screen and a mobile table to operate the computer. A floor plan of the room appeared, and I placed the screen in a suitable position, which was immediately installed. The synchronization with the computer was automatically completed, and when I clicked the screen icon that had been added to the home screen, the settings screen appeared.

"Convenient, huh?"

Since I had just bought it, I moved to the sofa, placed the computer on the new table, and started operating it. I played some music videos for background work, and they were displayed on the screen in excellent quality. While not really paying attention to the videos, I listened to the music and kept buying and installing things that came to mind. I bought a clock, but since I'm not in a hurry, it's nice not to feel rushed. I decided to keep to a regular sleep schedule, but otherwise, I just do what I like. I bought a light pink rug to make it comfortable to lie down anywhere, and the soft feeling under my feet was pleasant. Seeing the rug neatly placed under the furniture, I realized how convenient automatic installation is. However, the pink color made the whiteness of the room stand out, which made me a bit uncomfortable. I don't dislike white, but I don't like everything being completely white. Even my body, dressed in the white clothes I was given when I was locked in here, seemed to be saying, "Go crazy already."

"...I should get more furniture and some clothes."

The dirt that accumulated while I was here disappeared without me noticing, and the clothes returned to their original new condition. I didn't feel the need to go to the bathroom, and considering that the bathroom wasn't installed from the beginning, I probably don't need it. However, I like to soak in a bath, so I do it every day. I hadn't bought any clothes because they had always been new, but now I wanted something other than white. The clothes in this world are a mix of Western and traditional Japanese styles, and the shopping site mostly sells such clothes. I was a bit disappointed that there were no tracksuits, but since I have plenty of time in this secluded life, I decided to enjoy a bit of fashion and ordered a few outfits, changing into one of them. Feeling a bit refreshed, I resumed shopping.

After carefully selecting and arranging various items, I stopped when I was satisfied with the room. I didn't want to keep buying endlessly. I rotated my stiff neck and shoulders and looked around the room. I had installed a wall-mounted TV separate from the game one and added curtains on either side to create a pseudo-window. I was currently playing a DVD of fish swimming in the sea, and the image of the fish swimming slowly outside the large window was so beautiful that I could watch it for hours. I also bought DVDs of different scenes like the weather and mountain walks, so I could change the display whenever I wanted. I bought a large cushion to go with the rug and set up a bookshelf and a closet in a corner of the room. After some research, I found that living things couldn't be brought into this space, so I only decorated with artificial flowers and stuffed animals. I bought a refrigerator for the kitchen area and stocked it with ice cream and drinks in addition to the food provided by the space. The room, filled with furniture in light colors, was now to my satisfaction. I stood up and said, "Okay," as I had been shopping seriously and it was almost time to sleep. I picked out a comfortable-looking outfit from the ones I bought and headed to the room with the bath, which I had also renovated.

This room was also large, so I installed new walls to divide the space and created a separate room for the bathroom. In this room, I set up a massage chair that I had given up on in my previous life due to the small room size and added a small refrigerator for drinks. There was a bit of open space, and I thought about what to put there. I didn't want to get out of shape, so maybe I should buy an exercise bike. It was a bit strange that I could buy home appliances and game consoles but not living things, but I didn't think too much about it and was grateful for the convenience. This room was also to my satisfaction, and I probably wouldn't need to buy anything for a while after getting some exercise equipment. Feeling somewhat satisfied, I slipped into the bathtub.

The warm water was soothing, relaxing my stiff body. As I relaxed, Kikyo's face came to mind. Had she already left for the Western Country?

"...Maybe things are starting to go wrong for her by now?"

The words I muttered echoed in the bathroom, and I chuckled. When I told Kikyo to leave the country, it wasn't just because of my sister. In recent years, the productivity of the servants' families, who were the center of agriculture and industry, had increased, and our country had signed various favorable contracts with other countries. The increase in productivity was thought to be due to good weather, but it was because I had given the servants advice. The agriculture and industry in this world were conducted in old-fashioned ways, like in old Japan. It's easy to forget while spending time in this digital room, but most work is done by hand, and there are almost no machines. So, I searched on the computer for old agricultural machinery and other things that could be made with current technology and had the servants try them secretly. I couldn't judge if the productivity would increase, and I couldn't guarantee success, so I only asked specific servants. Yes, the people in that house who were definitely on my side, not my sister's. No matter how strong the gratitude to my father from when my mother was alive, if my sister's tyranny worsened and my father let it continue, the gratitude would surely diminish. They continued to serve my family not because of my self-importance but because I was there. The techniques I asked them to try helped their family businesses, and they saw my efforts to stop my sister's tyranny.

But now, I have been erased from that house by none other than my sister.

"Haha..."

A laugh escaped me. I hated my sister as much as she hated me. And my father, who condoned her actions out of love for my mother, no longer mattered to me. The words my sister said about me being a hindrance also applied to her. The same-aged servant I was close to as a child wasn't just Kikyo. Other friends had been fired and sent to other countries with their families due to my sister's minor anger. There were other minor incidents, but I decided my sister was my enemy when she harmed my pet bird. My beloved bird, which I had cared for since childhood, was given poison because its voice was annoying. If it had been discovered any later, it would have died. The bird lost its voice, and I remember my sister laughing at it mockingly. The bird died much earlier than its natural lifespan, and who could say it wasn't because of the poison my sister gave it? When I reported it, my father did nothing, and my sister was only lightly scolded.

At that moment, my hatred for my sister quietly exploded.

I wanted to make her suffer somehow. It was unexpected that my lover was taken by my sister, but that's fine now. I no longer have any lingering feelings for her. Now, without me to stop my sister's tyranny, will the highly productive servants stay in that house? They might be treated unfairly for no reason, but with no one to reprimand the tyrant, they will likely quit and return to their hometowns for their own safety. Many of the servants I taught various techniques to were migrant workers from other countries. They will likely spread these techniques in their home countries, and our country's monopoly will be lost. It's fortunate that my former lover, the next lord, is with my sister. They will marry soon after I'm locked away, and the lord will be replaced, with my sister as his wife. The decline in our country's productivity and the rise in other countries' productivity will damage the reputation of the lord and his wife. Many people already dislike my sister for her selfishness. How long will the country last under a leader with no popularity? It will likely happen within a few months. I hope they are slowly strangled like being choked with a soft cloth. That's why I told Kikyo to leave the country as soon as possible.

"...Serves her right."

Laughing, I got out of the bath and put on new clothes. I took a cold tea from the refrigerator, sipped it, and turned on the massage chair. The stiffness in my shoulders and back was relieved, and it felt good. I thought I should have bought one in my previous life while trying to stay awake. I could sleep here without getting sick, but I wanted to sleep in a fluffy bed. I got off the massage chair, took another tea from the refrigerator, and opened the door to the other room. Just as I was about to dive into bed, my half-closed, sleepy eyes widened at the sight of a person standing in the room.

No one should be able to enter this room, but the person standing with their back to me turned around when I opened the door. Their long black hair, almost touching the floor, swayed, and their deep green, emotionless eyes widened slightly when they saw me. Their dark red clothes stood out in the light-colored room.

I don't know this person now, but my previous self does. When I learned about this world, I was disappointed that I couldn't meet this person. The final boss of the first game in the series set in this country. I thought he wouldn't be around since I was born in the era of the sixth game, nearly a century after the first.

But he is here, right in front of me.

We both opened our mouths to speak at the same time. A few seconds passed before I rushed to him and handed him the tea, as he choked on his words. It was the moment when our paths, which should never have crossed, intersected.