Chapter 62

In front of the desperate Marie, Reria took a step back.

We, the reincarnated ones, gathered at Marie's house.

We had gathered to exchange information, but Reria nudged me with her elbow.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong with that girl?"

"Don't worry. It's just that her boyfriend was a blind fool. He bought a teaset worth less than ten thousand yen for five million."

"Huh!?"

Reria was surprised, and Marie started to cry, as if she had remembered something.

"I can't even buy snacks anymore."

Reria, feeling sympathy for Marie, told me to do something.

"You're her big brother, right? Do something for her."

"Sorry, but we were siblings in our past life. Now, we're just strangers. Besides, Marie is... more interesting when she's in trouble, I think."

When I said this, Marie clung to my leg.

"Don't abandon me, big brother!"

"Let go! It's your fault for leaving your precious money lying around!"

"I was just about to divide it up for later! Then, while I was busy with other things, it... waaah!"

"Tell those good-for-nothings not to touch it."

"I thought I had told them! They usually act separately, but Zirk was the only one who didn't hear it."

Marie is just unlucky.

Anyway, leaving Marie to deal with those troublemakers, the problem was Reria.

"Leaving Marie aside, it's your turn now. We need to talk about a lot of things."

Reria started to speak, as if she had given up.

It was a story we couldn't have imagined.

"Before we start, I need to confirm one thing. You guys are reincarnated from 'that otome game,' right?"

The way she asked was strange. It was as if...

"Hey, is there a reincarnated person who doesn't know 'that otome game'?"

Reria nodded.

"Basically, they can be divided into those who know this world and those who don't. I know one person who thinks this is just a fantasy world."

That's a bit of a problem.

If people who know nothing start messing around, it could cause a lot of trouble, right?

But Reria didn't seem worried.

"...Just so you know, that person is harmless. Rather, you guys are the ones causing chaos. Right now, they're just playing at being an adventurer."

That person, who knows nothing, is apparently doing well as an adventurer.

It sounds like a carefree and enviable life.

"I met them by chance. When we talked, the knowledge from our past lives came out. Our values were strangely similar, so I thought they might be Japanese. We were suspicious of each other, but when we talked, it turned out to be true."

There was a sense of unease. Or did they feel close to me? Anyway, it seems they're not in a sibling relationship like Marie and I.

...I wish Marie was a stranger too.

A sister from a past life... I'd rather not.

"There are other reincarnated people besides us, huh?"

"Alzer is safe. No fool will get close to Elik and the others."

When she said "fool," Reria's gaze was on Marie.

It can't be helped, since she's a fool.

Marie and I looked at each other, confirming if we had seen any other reincarnated people.

"Did you see any weird people?"

"Maybe just you, big brother?"

While pinching Marie's cheek, I said it was fine, and Reria continued.

"I was reborn as a twin sister who doesn't appear in the game. When my memories became clear, the mansion was burned down. I had just escaped."

It seems she became aware of her reincarnation at the beginning of the story.

"It was just like in the game. I lived as a commoner, received help and support from surviving retainers, and was able to attend the academy."

I asked a fundamental question.

"Why was it burned down?"

Letting go of Marie's cheek, she held her reddened cheek and explained.

"The Feve family carried out the attack, and the Rault family pulled the strings. The reason was the Guardian's crest. It's chosen from the six great noble families, but the selection is made by the Respinas family, which produces the priestesses. Naturally, the Respinas family has a lot of power."

Reria agreed.

"The chairman is also from the Respinas family, so the other six great noble families can't be too forceful. However, our mother—the previous priestess—chose a commoner. The previous Guardian was a commoner, though no one touches him."

Marie continued the story.

It seems she gradually remembered the game knowledge while talking with Reria.

I wanted her to remember it sooner.

"The six great noble families didn't like it, so the Rault family used the Feve family to steal the priestess's crest from the Respinas family. Isn't it similar to what Pierre did?"

A sneak attack.

Did it succeed against a higher-ranking person?

Reria didn't know either.

"I don't know the details. It wasn't mentioned in the game either. But the Respinas family, having been deceived, lost the crest and couldn't resist."

I looked at Luxion.

Unlike us outsiders, the Respinas family should have had the priestess's crest, making them higher-ranking than the six great noble families.

"...It would be difficult to sneak attack a higher-ranking priestess's family. The Holy Tree's priority is the Guardian, and the priestess is second. Even if they used an unreasonable oath, the side that set it up might lose the crest."

Reria shrugged.

"Then why did our mother lose the crest? Because of that, we can't receive the blessing. A family that has lost the blessing—cannot obtain the crest again."

Pierre must fear losing the crest.

Without the blessing, his descendants won't be able to obtain it.

Thinking about it, he would be as good as dead as a noble in the Republic.

"There's not enough information to make a judgment."

Discussing what we don't know here is meaningless.

"So, what happened after that? What did you do to your sister?"

Reria's gaze was wandering.

"Well, um... Do you know the True Ending? You know, the correct route in that otome game, where the partner is Elik. I tried hard to make my sister get along with Elik."

She was grinning, so I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

"So you failed, huh? You're useless."

Marie also snickered.

"Really. You're a trash woman for pushing a DV man on your sister."

...Why are you so confident when you can't even talk about yourself?

Reria argued back at us.

"W-What! At that time, I thought it was the right thing to do!"

Marie stood up and started complaining.

"You just went for the safe choice and pushed the yandere Elik on your sister! Did you even check how she felt? And how did you make them get along?"

Reria put her fingertips together and talked about her life at the academy.

"...There are encounter events, right? I made sure my sister and Elik met there and prevented any other encounters. B-Because my sister's taste was for a guy like Elik!"

Powerful, rich, and handsome.

Most women would fall for him.

I would too if a beautiful, rich woman asked me. But not now.

If I fell, my life would be in danger.

Ange and Rebia, and Julius, would be strict about infidelity after the incident.

Thinking about what would happen if I cheated... my spine shivered. I shouldn't think about it anymore. No, I won't cheat. That's good enough, right?

"I tried hard to make my sister and Elik have a good atmosphere. I-I just got along with Emile in the meantime."

Marie didn't believe her at all.

"You just avoided the troublesome guys and chose the safe option, didn't you?"

"Don't say that to me, who chose the reverse harem! You're the fool!"

"Don't say that to me, who pushed a weird guy on my sister!"

"They're not weird! Just a little troubled!"

Isn't that fatal in real life?

Also, walking around in public with a collar on your girlfriend is not just a little troubled. It's seriously troubled.

Even if it's just a game, don't do it in the daytime.

I told Reria to continue.

"Elik started to get jealous when my sister talked to other guys. I thought this was a good sign, so I told her about the gemstone."

I remembered what Mr. Clement said.

"That urban legend-like suspicious story?"

Marie looked at me.

"Big brother, it's real. When the protagonists go to get it, it really falls. It's a proof of love, a kind of event to confirm affection."

"That's so troublesome. Even if you do everything, you have to confirm love and romance?"

Luxion said to me,

"Master, your words don't match your thoughts. I have a mirror ready. Please complain to it as much as you like."

Marie and Reria were laughing at me.

"Big brother, you're a wimp."

"What? A virgin? And Elik hasn't made a move yet, right? He's a gentleman, and it seems my sister isn't ready either."

Is it the mysterious connection of twins? Can they sense each other's feelings? ...She's also suspicious.

Anyway, why am I being blamed? And being a virgin is irrelevant, right? This is frustrating.

"I understand about the gemstone. So, you failed to confirm it, right? Maybe there was no love? Is that the cause of the trouble?"

Reria was speechless.

Because of that, Elik became troubled.

Didn't you rush things too much?

Marie was laughing at Reria.

"What? You criticize others and then fail yourself. Baka, baka, baka!"

"W-What! I just gave a push because it felt right! Can you do better than me?"

If you hadn't interfered, it might have gone better. But I'm too kind to say that.

After all, hypothetical scenarios are meaningless.

"Don't fight. Do you know that conflicts only happen between equals?"

Marie and Reria, who were pulling each other's hair, looked at me unhappily.

They seemed to want to say something, but I ignored them.

"Master, please use the mirror."

"Shut up, it's annoying."

Anyway, what I realized from talking to each other is that my information is lacking.

I was only paying attention to the protagonist's surroundings, but it seems that's not enough.

I didn't plan to fight—no, extort the Republic, but I really struggled because of Pierre.

While I'm at it, I might as well ask about something that's been bothering me.

"By the way, can we change the topic? Actually... I went into the dungeon with Mr. Narcissus, but isn't he weak? Is it okay? Is the target guy in the game weak? Pierre was a commoner, but Emile doesn't seem strong either."

Reria was fixing her hair and clothes.

Her chest was exposed, showing her bra, and she turned her back to me.

"Hide that scrawny thing quickly. I prefer big breasts. Besides, I have a fiancée, so I won't lust after you."

I don't know what I would be told if I did.

"...You're the worst. Or don't you know?"

"Big brother only played the first game."

"Playing an otome game as a guy is creepy."

What's with her? Apologize to male players!

"Hey, I can pretty up that non-existent chest for you. Should I tell Emile about your situation?"

I threatened her a little, and Reria started talking.

"In the second game, the characters have distinct features. Elik is the all-rounder type. Mr. Narcissus is more academic and knowledgeable, useful for investigating ruins. Emile has inferior abilities to Elik but has high support skills."

You're boasting, but the amazing ones are Elik and the others, not you.

You're really a useless reincarnated person.

"Why do they have distinct features?"

"Isn't it because the first game was unpopular? The second game aimed to be a game where you can clear it by using the characters well. ...Probably."

Marie agreed with Reria.

"But since it was originally made by a company that produced games for men, it's a bit off. But that's part of the fun."

...Otome games are deep.

It's not a genre to dive into lightly, right?

It's strange that a company that only made games for men could produce a hit and a sequel.

Would I have struggled less if there was no second game?

"Anyway, if Elik is no good, we need to target other guys. More importantly, trash sister."

Marie tilted her head.

"What?"

"Not you, but the trash sister of your sister."

"Call her by her name!"

"You're annoying. Because you failed, we're struggling too. Tell us the next target quickly."

If Elik is no good, we need to find the next one quickly.

We can't let our study abroad be meaningless by failing to avert the world's crisis.

Crushing Pierre socially and extorting the Republic was just a side effect.

Reria was silent.

"What? Tell us the next guy quickly."

Marie looked puzzled.

"Huh? Yandere Elik, adventure-obsessed Mr. Narcissus, and the safe choice Emile... I don't see the other two. But there was the hidden character Fernand."

Is Fernand a hidden character? Also, the second game's characters are really intense. Julius and the others are overshadowed.

But, thinking about it, Fernand is a handsome young man in his twenties with power and money, making him a potential target. Besides, the second game has regular teachers and adults mixed in.

It's quite different from the first game.

Reria spoke.

"The second son of the Droy family—Fernand's younger brother—is a senior. He returned to help his brother because of the problems you guys caused."

Fernand called back his younger brother.

Now, the last one.

Reria looked troubled.

"...The last one is also a reincarnated person. But they don't know about the otome game."

...So that's the reincarnated person!

◇

When I returned home and entered my room, I was surprised.

"...Dinner?"

Luxion was looking at the table.

"It's a local dish from Alzer."

As I was about to reach for the food on the table, Luxion shot a laser from his eyes, attacking my right hand.

"Ouch!"

"Master, that's bad manners."

"I just thought it looked delicious and wanted to taste it."

Looking at the back of my right hand, there was no burn mark, but the crest faintly appeared.

On the table was a sapling of the Holy Tree.

My sister entered, wearing an apron.

"Well, since I'm being taken care of, I thought I'd at least try to cook."

Reaching for the food on the table, Luxion attacked my right hand with a laser from his eyes.

"Ouch!"

"Master, that's bad manners."

"I just thought it looked delicious and wanted to taste it."

Looking at the back of my right hand, there was no burn mark, but the crest faintly appeared.

On the table was a sapling of the Holy Tree.

My sister entered, wearing an apron.

"Well, since I'm being taken care of, I thought I'd at least try to cook."

My sister entered, wearing an apron.

"I, um, thought I should at least try to cook since I'm being taken care of."

Reaching for the food on the table, Luxion attacked my right hand with a laser from his eyes.

"Ouch!"

"Master, that's bad manners."

"I just thought it looked delicious and wanted to taste it."

Looking at the back of my right hand, there was no burn mark, but the crest faintly appeared.

On the table was a sapling of the Holy Tree.

My sister, seeing us, giggled.

"I'm glad you said that. I'm actually good at housework."

It seems the fallen princess had struggled.

Reria, who had the same struggles, was different, and my sister was normal... reincarnated people are really troublesome.

My sister blushed a little.

"Um, would you like to have dinner together..."

"Let's eat soon. I'm starving and can't wait."

My sister smiled brightly.

"Yes!"

I hope she finds the next person quickly... but from what Reria said, it seems difficult. Really, how did it come to this?

Looking at the back of my right hand, I wished the Guardian's crest would soon find a proper owner.