Chapter 65

Today, Volume 2 of the book is released!

With the voice of Count Giral, light gathered towards me.

Then, a shock like a bolt of lightning ran through me.

"Renii!"

"Renii-kun…!"

In the distance, I could hear the voices of Carries and Pio.

...Why is that?

I could tell who the voices belonged to, but my heart wouldn't reach out to them.

My consciousness was fading. And then—

"My body... it's so hot..."

It felt like my whole body was burning.

Starting from my toes and fingertips, the burning sensation spread rapidly.

Is this the feeling of my body disappearing?

"But..."

There was no pain, no suffering.

I closed my eyes and focused my consciousness on the center of my chest.

Then, I heard a crack from deep within my chest.

"I won't lose"

I am the strongest four-year-old.

I came to save Carries and the children!

"Leave it to me, Reni!"

I opened my eyes and channeled the power from the center of my chest to my entire body! It felt like the flames rising from my body were being overwritten by this power.

At that moment, I could feel the shell-like thing in my chest shatter with a loud crack.

"What... why, why won't it disappear...?"

Count Giral, who saw me standing in the center of the magic circle, was shocked.

The light from the magic circle was already gone.

I puffed out my chest and answered.

"It's the Jewel."

In front of my chest, a shining object was floating.

I covered it with both hands as if to support it.

—This is the Jewel.

An item I obtained in the game before my reincarnation.

On Christmas Eve, I dug a hole in a hidden room. Using the [Divine Pickaxe], I checked each square.

And, it paid off, with an original effect, I obtained it... I think. The [Divine Jewel] was marked as "obtained," but I couldn't confirm its status, item list, or encyclopedia.

Here, I heard that my father and Samiue obtained it from a dragon and used it to treat my mother's magical power surge. Perhaps I inherited it as her daughter.

What I know is that the Jewel is with me now.

It must have been with me since I was born.

"Renii-kun, your ears..."

"Renii... you're an elf?"

Hearing the voices of Pio and Carries, I tilted my head in confusion.

Ears... probably not the cat ears.

I moved my right hand from the Jewel to the side of my face.

And when I gently touched them—

"It's true."

My ears were pointed. They probably looked like Samiue's.

The pointed ears and the power spreading from the center of my chest to my entire body.

I didn't need to check my status.

"The seal is broken."

The magic circle tried to erase my physical body, and I resisted it.

As a result, the seal on the [Elf (Sealed)] status must have been lifted.

I nodded in understanding. Then, Count Giral shuddered.

"Amazing...! What an amazing light... And that form... I thought you were just a beastman, but you're not... I see...! You yourself are the Jewel!"

Holding the Jewel in my chest, with the seal broken, Giral shouted.

"Everything you desire will be yours! I will be with you...! Please, let me stay by your side. I will surely be of use. A ruler of a country was a small dream. With you, the world can be yours...!"

He shouted as if moved to tears and prostrated himself on the spot.

Then, an arrow flew straight from the door.

"Who is it!!"

Just as the arrow was about to hit Count Giral, he quickly stood up and dodged it.

However, with a tearing sound, the red cloth he was wearing was ripped.

Because he was prostrated, his reaction was delayed, and the arrow hit the red cloth he was wearing.

The one who fired the arrow, of course—

"Foolish."

—Samiue.

She must have returned after rescuing the children.

"Did Lady Reni wish to obtain the world? The Jewel is indeed a wonderful item. The Jewel is with Lady Reni, but she is not here to fulfill your desires."

Samiue said this and readied another arrow.

"What Lady Reni wishes is important. It's impossible for her to be with you to fulfill your own desires!!"

Saying this, she fired another arrow at Giral.

Giral grimaced and waved his hand.

Then, a Living Mail appeared and deflected the arrow's trajectory.

"Everyone... why don't they understand my words? The Jewel is there. What's wrong with trying to fulfill my desires?"

"I have no interest in your ambitions. They are unworthy of Lady Reni. That's all."

"...Unworthy. Yes, that makes sense."

Giral clapped his hands.

"From what I can see, the Jewel is still young."

Saying this, he stared at me from behind the Living Mail.

"Jewel, you want to save the children, don't you?"

Giral smiled gently at me.

I thought for a moment... and nodded honestly.

"Return the children to their original places."

"Yes, I understand. I was searching for a child with the Jewel. In other words, I gathered the children to find you. It's not an exaggeration to say that they are victims because of you. It hurts my heart. You are the root of all this."

"Yeah, maybe."

My parents hid me.

They didn't register my birth, and my father, despite being ill, protected me in poverty. That's why I wasn't taken away.

Because I was hidden, the children were brought here.

"Do you not think that the princess's suffering from rumors, being attacked by the dragon, and being kidnapped by me are all because of you?"

"Yeah, maybe."

If the prophecy came true because I was born with the Jewel and Count Giral acted on it, then it could be said that it was my fault.

If my existence is the root of all this—

"—Then, I will save them."

What has happened cannot be undone.

But I can save those who are crying now.

"Ha ha ha! How simple!!"

Count Giral laughed out loud at my answer.

"That's impossible! Can you really save everyone!?"

Then, a stern voice echoed, drowning out his laughter.

"Be quiet. I have already freed all the children here. I have saved them all. And I have gathered evidence of your evil deeds. This is the end for you."

"I don't blame Reni at all! Reni has power. You, Giral, are the one who desired it and committed evil!!"

"Having power is not evil. It's all about how you use it!!"

Samiue, Carries, and Pio.

The three of them looked at Count Giral with strong eyes.

Giral listened to them but didn't take his eyes off me.

"If that's the case!! Jewel, how will you use your power? Will you use it to defeat all evil? ...Look at me. I sought your power and became evil. Does evil disappear when you defeat it? Doesn't it increase the more you show your power? The world may look beautiful to you. But it is dirty and corrupt, like my capital, Rewander!!"

His murky gray eyes. His gentle smile made me imagine that it was a mask.

I looked back into his eyes.

There was no need to look away. Because the answer was already decided.

"Reni, I want to travel."

The world of the game I loved.

The world that helped me, a shut-in who couldn't fit into daily life.

"I want to help people I like, people I care about. I don't want them to cry."

I have more people I like. More people I care about.

...I don't want them to cry.

"Is this world beautiful or dirty?"

As Count Giral said, this world is not made up of only beautiful colors.

"I will see and decide."

Because I still know nothing. I haven't seen anything.

I want to travel to the ends of the world and meet many people.

Then, it won't be too late to decide.

"...That's wonderful. Your journey with the Jewel will be enjoyable."

Giral murmured this and smiled gently again.

"By the way, the elf girl said, 'I saved everyone.' Is that true? Do you have proof that this is the only underground facility? I can control not only Living Mail but also Death Birds and Ghouls. I don't like controlling such inferior beings, but they are perfect for gathering children."

He continued talking.

—There are still hostages, he said.

"There are still children in my hands. Jewel, will you abandon the children? If you come with me, the children in the capital will be freed. You said you don't want them to cry. But if things stay as they are, the children will cry."

"I understand."

I nodded.

To summarize, there are other underground facilities in the capital, and there are children there.

Is that right? Then—

"Jewel."

Until now, I had gathered the power in the center of my chest to my right hand.

But there's no need to do that now.

I just need to spread the heat from my body to the ground.

—Purify everything at once!

The range is the entire capital.

No matter where Giral has stationed the Living Mail, I need to reach him with my power...

"Return everything to its proper form."

Release it!

"Become light!!"

Instantly, my body felt intensely hot.

Then, a brilliant light rose from the ground.

"Ugh!!"

With Giral's muffled scream, the sound of many armors collapsing could be heard.

I couldn't tell the actual range, but the entire capital, not just the basement, should be glowing with light.

I kicked the floor with a thud.

"Reni, I will fulfill your wish."

I headed for Giral's chest.

Without the Living Mail's protection, he was the only one standing.

"Rewander, be purified."

[The Wandering Capital Rewander]. The knights there and the people used in this magic circle have no physical bodies left.

And they are being controlled by Giral against their will.

They must be crying, wishing to return.

"Cat punch!"

I clenched my fist and pulled back my elbow firmly.

Then, with the momentum of a jump, I struck with all my might!!

"Become a star!!"

—Kiran.

A shooting star appeared in the shining capital of Giral.

Today, on August 25, Volume 2 of the book is released.

Thank you all for your support. I really appreciate it.

For more details, please check the book cover and activity report below.

I will continue to work hard!