Episode 14: The Truth Reached After 3 Years

For a while, we enjoyed conversation and sweets.

Well, it was the night after a big party ended, so there were plenty of things to talk about.

Combined with the confections made by a first-class patissier, it was truly an enjoyable time.

“Shall I prepare some tea as well?”

As the arranged plates began to empty, Eleanore said that, though it seemed a bit late.

She extended her white, delicate hand toward the cupboard.

It was certainly not a distance where her hand could reach by stretching.

Naturally, she probably wasn’t thinking of taking it with her own hand, so what was that just now?

As if providing an answer, a shadow wriggled smoothly.

A black tentacle.

It skillfully opened the cupboard, rummaged through as if with purpose, and just as intended, wrapped its entire body around only the wooden box containing tea leaves and brought it over here.

Magic that freely manipulates something to carry objects like this isn’t particularly rare. Even I could reproduce it if I tried.

But from that tentacle, I felt an indescribably primal fear.

“Yes, Arcs?”

“…Eh, ah, yeah. …So in the end I’m the one brewing it”

Coming back to my senses at her voice, I received the wooden box from the tentacle.

I selected the tea leaves by eye, generated hot water with magic, and brewed it in the pot.

This was a process I had done many times since becoming a servant.

By now I could do it smoothly. Or so it should have been.

In reality, the selection took time, and the hot water magic went awry, making it too hot or too lukewarm.

It strangely didn’t go well.

But even seeing that, Eleanore didn’t say anything.

With downcast eyes, she just watched my state.

After finally succeeding and pouring it into teacups, we only briefly exchanged words like “Here you go” and “Thank you very much,” and then an indescribable silence flowed.

After some time like that, as Eleanore reached for her third cake, I spoke up.

“Um,”

“Wh-what is it? Today is informal, so it’s fine to eat however many, right? Besides, since I’ve already eaten them, one or two more at this point wouldn’t make much difference—”

“Ah, no. That’s not what I meant”

Overreacting to my voice, she rapidly rattled off those words.

The sheer force almost made me lose my composure and laugh…

She was clearly more talkative than usual.

The timing of my bringing it up was probably bad too, but even accounting for that, I could sense an obvious disturbance or… discomfort.

“About earlier, that magic…”

“…”

When I continued my interrupted words, she fell silent and withdrew the hand she had extended toward the cake.

Her expression somehow looked lonely, and tinged with something like resignation, she opened her mouth.

“Yes. It’s my… Celestia unique magic, the ‘Black of the Evil God'”

She said it as if it were nothing.

Only as if, though. The trembling of her lips told the story that it was anything but.

Magic granted to each individual that only that person can use… Celestia.

Even the protagonist had it, as did conquest targets like Razer and Caesar, and of course I had it too—it was established as an important element that colored the work called ‘Celestia Kingdom’.

It’s not like I didn’t know what kind of magic Eleanore possessed.

Even in the story, her Celestia appeared many times.

…Of course, as the magic of an enemy, or rather, the final boss.

“It’s kind of eerie though… But it’s just a little convenient, you know? Look, I can carry things like just now…”

When she stirred the air with her finger, the black tentacle spun round and round following that movement.

Seeing just that, it was like a street performer controlling a snake, but still, from that appearance I felt something that could be called revulsion.

“Well… that’s the only good point about it. My Celestia… seems to frighten people”

She laughed self-deprecatingly.

…I know.

That’s the reason why the person called Eleanore is called ‘cursed child’ or ‘enemy of humanity’.

In fact, in the story, she does deeds befitting the ‘enemy of humanity’.

“…I apologize. Just now, and earlier too, I didn’t mean to frighten you, Arcs. …Really”

“Earlier” must refer to when she let me into this room.

That too was probably by means of this black tentacle.

And that inexplicable intimidating presence I felt from her as well.

“…Since when?”

“Around last month, I suppose. When I woke up in the morning, this was overflowing before I knew it…”

Understanding my insufficient question, she answered.

Last month. So it’s been… for a while?

I hadn’t noticed at all until now though.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Th-at is…”

With tearful eyes, she looked at me.

Hiding her eyes, hiding her mouth, pressing between her brows.

The words she finally spun were trembling beyond what she could hide.

“I was afraid… that Arcs might come to hate me”

Endlessly, tears overflowed from both eyes.

Come to think of it, I may have never seen Eleanore explode with emotion to this extent before.

When I reflexively rubbed her back, she leaned toward me as if clinging.

“Either way I’d be found out, so it shouldn’t matter. In fact I let my guard down and ended up frightening you”

Had she calmed down a little? Though her voice trembled, she widened the distance of our closeness just slightly.

However, the content of her words was still self-mocking as before.

…And I couldn’t clearly deny that.

Just as she said, I was frightened. I was afraid.

Whatever I said now would only be smooth talk.

“Today… when Arcs was pushed down… I manifested ‘this’ just a little”

When she held her right hand over the air, a black tentacle rose up from there.

She gazed at that sight with something like disgust.

“When that happened, everyone’s eyes looking at me changed. Well, it was really just a little… so only those who were present at that commotion…”

…

Those strange looks from them at that time… weren’t just directed at Razer and me grappling with each other?

I felt something like fear or contempt, but all of that was due to… her unique magic Celestia…?

“Hearing everyone’s… stories. I thought, as I suspected, this power is no good”

She sighed and looked up at the ceiling of the dark room.

“And at the same time, I became certain. I really am cursed after all. No matter how much I try to suppress it, these tentacles… have settled in like limbs. Like breathing, I end up using them before I know it”

“…”

“Surely from now on, I’ll unconsciously use this… and frighten people. And surely, everyone will disappear from around me”

“…However, I—”

“Arcs. You too will surely disappear”

If we continued talking like this, it seemed we’d go deeper and deeper into darkness. I tried to voice my intention to stop her, but then I was suddenly pushed away.

Without light dwelling in her pupils, she continued speaking.

“Because the one who said that and disappeared was Mother”

Her mother…

Eleanore’s mother doesn’t appear in the story. Adalbert’s presence is also generally thin, but I remember his name appearing somewhat in text and such.

And in this reincarnated world too, I’ve never met her mother even once.

Come to think of it, perhaps I should have felt it strange that living in the mansion, the topic of her mother never came up even once.

“When I was still unable to control my magic power and was shunned by everyone, Mother held me and said similar things”

As if reminiscing, her gaze traced the empty air.

“But by the time I turned five, even that Mother no longer appeared before my eyes. According to Father, she returned to her family home. It seems the marriage hasn’t been annulled yet… but surely she has no intention of meeting me anymore”

I couldn’t easily deny it saying that’s not true.

In fact, she hasn’t appeared even once in these three years.

Probably that experience robbed her of her confidence… her heart that affirms herself.

Those eyes when I first met her are the greatest proof.

I can’t deny the wounds inflicted on her heart with casual feelings. I can’t make them not have happened.

…But.

Couldn’t I affirm Eleanore herself?

She may have been… abandoned by her mother, but that wasn’t because there was a problem with Eleanore.

It’s all the fault of the world that gave her such power… and the trend of unfairly disparaging that ability.

“Eleanore-sama,”

“…It’s fine. This is my fate. Surely no one will—”

“Eleanore-sama!”

I forcibly grabbed her shoulders and held her back as she seemed about to shake free and sink into darkness.

Perhaps surprised by the suddenly loud voice, or by my sudden grabbing, or both, she shuddered and her eyes widened.

But if she stopped, that was good enough.

“Certainly, your unique magic Celestia… may be something everyone shuns. But… but!”

I thought I should now discard formalities and honorifics and convey my true feelings.

I took those small, white, delicate hands trembling with fear of being hated by people.

“I won’t… let go of this hand!”

Her eyes still round, she showed an expression like she was dumbfounded.

Blinking repeatedly, she stared at my face without saying anything.

(Did I mess up? Well yeah, suddenly saying something like this is creepy… but no, it’s my true feelings though…)

The blank time was so long, and the line itself was somehow embarrassing, so I rapidly lost confidence.

But just then, she laughed as if bursting out.

“Fufu… I really am hopeless”

She cast her eyes down.

That laughter wasn’t mocking me, but rather directed at herself.

“Actually… I was hoping… that Arcs would say that. Taking advantage of… your kindness”

“…I’ll say it as many times as you need. Not out of kindness or formality. …Um, because it’s my true feelings”

When I said that while searching for words, Eleanore cried once more.

While diving into my chest, as if holding back, she cried suppressing her voice.

That appearance was just like a child’s, but that’s exactly right—she’s still a child.

And yet, just because she has such an ability, she’s being unfairly disparaged.

I gently embraced her as she wept.

The strength of her grip on my hand tightened.

…I must protect her.

Surely disasters will continue to befall her from now on.

As her servant, as her friend…

As her childhood friend, I absolutely cannot let her meet an end like in the main story… cannot let her fall into darkness.

My resolution solidified in my heart. At that moment.

Suddenly, I remembered.

That nagging thought that was recalled in the earlier conversation with Nanai-san.

Eleanore’s childhood friend… something that shouldn’t have existed in the main story.

Was there really not one?

As if helping my thoughts, memories from my past life brought up another word.

Why did Eleanore fall into darkness… becoming an existence that tormented people like in the main story?

Was it the unfair discrimination from childhood?

Well, that’s not impossible.

But can I say that’s everything?

As a result of discrimination, she lost confidence and tried to give up on everything.

That can be inferred from our current exchange too.

But I don’t really feel much aggression toward others there. Just emotions of self-deprecation directed at herself.

It feels a bit insufficient as a reason.

So what else is there…

There, my memories from the past life brought out a new word again.

That was, yes. A line included in the setting materials collection published in the official fanbook.

This is…

No, that can’t be, surely not.

“…I understood from our current exchange”

While I was caught up in rapidly tangling thoughts, she said quietly within my chest.

“Surely if you disappeared… I might break down somehow”

“…Eh?”

My stomach area felt like the blood was draining from it.

“Um, when I think about what if Arcs had pushed me away… I end up imagining something scary—”

Eleanore laughed weakly.

She said it as if joking.

But that surely… isn’t a joke.

It will become reality, at least in the main story.

I’m shaken.

By my magnitude within her, and the future that will likely occur.

The reason for Eleanore’s fall into darkness is the death… of someone precious.

And that precious person is a childhood friend who spent their early years together.

And now, that childhood friend is me.

I keep questioning myself wondering if I’m misremembering, but I had a strangely strong conviction.

And her current statement heightened its credibility even more.

Then, wait.

Does that mean I’ll die within at least five years, by age 15 when the main story begins?

And because of that, Eleanore becomes the final boss… who torments people…?

“Hey, Arcs?”

My consciousness that seemed about to fly away was held back by her voice.

“Please let me believe those words from earlier, okay?”

“Ah, of course”

Those few words got stuck in my throat.

Even trying to nod, my neck trembled and wouldn’t move.

Something enormous seemed to be pressing down on my head and neck… whispering “you will betray her.”