Chapter 16

"――I'll ask you again. Who are you?"

Recilia's gaze and sword were fixed on my forehead.

The room in the high-class inn at night was filled with a tense atmosphere.

"What's this all of a sudden..."

"Don't play dumb. Do you think I can't tell the difference between my own brother?"

Her tone hid a quiet anger beneath the tension.

Her unwavering determination, which allowed no room for excuses, made me flinch.

"That... is..."

I could feel the force being poured into the sword Recilia held in front of me.

My hesitation seemed to give her the confidence she needed.

"...I understand. I'll tell you everything."

Here, I gave in.

It wasn't that I had given up in despair.

I had always intended to hide it, but I never planned to keep it hidden forever.

I'm not a saint or a good-natured person, but I'm not so corrupt that I would lie to someone who wants to know about their family.

Just, be prepared, Recilia.

"First, I am Lex Toren, and I am not Lex Toren. I was born in a different world from this one..."

If it's come to this, we're in this together.

Sorry, but you'll have to carry this secret too.

※ ※ ※

I laid everything out for Recilia.

I could have tried to fudge some details, but I didn't feel the need to.

It wasn't just about reincarnation.

I also told her that the evil god would revive and destroy the world if nothing changed, what I planned to do next, and that her hometown, the city of Earth, had fallen to monsters, without hiding anything.

"...Is that so?"

After hearing everything, I had expected her to be angry or sad, but she only murmured quietly.

She seemed to be in shock, but her lack of reaction left me puzzled.

"Do you think I'm lying?"

Unable to hold back, I asked her.

Recilia nodded at the question and said, impressed.

"That's a very typical reaction."

Confused by what she meant, I furrowed my brow, and she elaborated.

"In the church, the 'Judgment of the Inquisition' reveals all lies. So, people in this world know that lying on the spot is meaningless."

"...I see, that's why it's 'typical.'"

She must have thought I was either from a different world and didn't know about the 'Judgment of the Inquisition,' or I was just acting that way.

In fact, I knew about the 'Judgment of the Inquisition' from the game, but I hadn't thought to use it in this situation.

I know the world of the game, but when it comes to parts that aren't directly related to the plot, I have to admit I have some gaps in my knowledge.

"Besides, you really don't know anything about your brother, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

Recilia looked a little into the distance before saying bluntly,

"It's been over ten years since I last saw my brother."

"..."

Her unexpected response left me speechless.

"My brother left home ten years ago, suddenly abandoning everything to become an adventurer. It caused a big commotion at the time. ...When the monsters attacked, I only knew that my brother had returned to the city. So, I desperately searched and headed to the east gate."

"Wait, so when you said you couldn't possibly not recognize your own brother...?"

"Of course, it was a bluff. But it seems to have worked."

Recilia said this without any remorse.

"So, even if you say someone else is inside my brother, I don't know what to think. Because I don't understand my brother either."

"That's..."

I didn't know what to say.

The popular character, the 'Lone Adventurer Lex.'

Despite his overwhelming popularity, there isn't much known about him.

That's because...

"But, can I ask you one thing? ...What was your world's 'story' about the 'Lex' in it?"

I hesitated to answer the question.

But I had decided to tell her everything.

Summarizing my thoughts, I slowly began to speak.

Lex is a helper character in the early stages.

He is strong at first, but his strength gradually wanes.

Moreover, there is a 'clear departure' prepared for him.

"Lex always leaves the protagonist's side, saying, 'I have something to do,' once the protagonist has grown to a certain extent."

The condition is that either a year has passed since the start of the game, or the protagonists have cleared one of the 'Twelve Dark Ruins.'

Either way, Lex is guaranteed to leave the party.

And...

"After that, he never appears in front of the protagonist again. But..."

I hesitated.

I looked at Recilia as if seeking solace, but she met my gaze without looking away.

"But what?"

"...If you go to the castle in the ruins of the city of Earth, you'll find a corpse dressed in black deep inside."

It's likely that 'Lex's' 'something to do' was to reclaim the city of Earth or something similar.

But the ending is too cruel.

The 'Lone Adventurer' of the game, Lex, truly ends his life alone.

"...Is that so?"

Recilia said nothing more for a while.

But then,

"...Talking has made me thirsty."

"Huh?"

Suddenly, she looked up and, at a perfect moment, took out a beautiful glass bottle of water and started drinking it.

Stunned by her sudden odd behavior, I watched her, and for some reason,

"...Here, have some."

She offered it to me.

"N-no, that's okay..."

"It's fine. It's not poisoned."

I tried to refuse, but I was forced to accept it.

Reluctantly, I took a sip.

...It was just ordinary water.

"Good."

She smiled when she saw me take a sip.

I wondered what was so great about it, but then,

"That's holy water."

"Huh?"

She said this casually.

"There are apparently demons that can possess people."

"You...!"

In other words, she was suspecting that a demon might be possessing me.

"Just to be safe. Also, I learned that you're not very cautious."

She said this matter-of-factly.

I had thought she was a typical, earnest NPC based on the game, but this girl was quite something.

She stared at me for a while, then nodded.

"...I've decided. I'll follow you for a while."

"What?"

Her sudden proposal left me speechless.

"Whoever you are, your body is my brother's. I can't just leave you alone."

"Y-yeah, that's true, but..."

"You seem to be unfamiliar with the common knowledge of this world, and it would be convenient for you to have someone who knows the situation around. Besides, the Toren family is a martial family. I can be of use in battle."

She spoke calmly.

Her eyes showed a strong will that wouldn't be swayed, but I couldn't just nod in agreement.

"Wait! That's a different matter. At the very least, I need to know how strong you are in battle."

I knew she couldn't beat a gargoyle.

Recilia is an early-game event character, and it's questionable whether she even has a proper setting.

I don't intend to abandon a relative, even if it's just a blood relation, but I don't want to drag someone who can't fight into battle.

"At least tell me your level, no, your detailed stats first. Then we can discuss what to do next."

I pleaded, but Recilia's reaction was strange.

Her face didn't show understanding or resistance.

She just looked confused, a look I had never seen on her before, and said,

"―What do you mean by 'level' and 'stats'?"