Chapter 8: Tierra Behind the Scenes

"'I've finally found you'... Hmm, that's not quite right."

The beginning of the main story seems to take place in some kind of fortified city.

The reason I'm being vague with "seems" is because this happened over five years ago, as far as I can remember, so I barely remember anything about the game itself. I'd written down a few things in a notebook so I wouldn't forget, like "Starts in a fortified city. War with nomads. Appeal directly to the lord," so I'm guessing that's probably how it went.

I'd also written down things like the reason for the war and various other details. Thank you, five-years-ago me.

If there happens to be some junior who gets reincarnated into the game world after me, I'm going to advise them to obtain a notebook and pen at all costs.

Following the direction indicated by Tierra As's so-called "protagonist-kun tracking function," an instinctive ability of hers, I can see a city surrounded by an impressive fortress up ahead. So that's probably it. I don't know its name or anything, though.

"'I finally found you.' 'I found you.' 'I found you.' 'I've wanted to see you.' 'I've been looking for you.'"

As for what I'm muttering while flying low through the air with magic, I'm doing a final check of my lines for our first contact.

For a while now, I'd been predicting how protagonist-kun would react, coming up with lines accordingly, and practicing them every night like I was memorizing the script for a play. But now that the moment is almost here, I've started worrying that maybe there's a better line I could use.

It's the kind of thing that happens right before an important exam.

"'I finally found you...' ...This is the one. After all."

But of course, that's exactly when you end up realizing that your original idea really was the best one.

The concept is that Tierra As, who normally speaks politely with a proper "desu/masu" manner of speech, loses that composure when overwhelmed by enormous emotions such as joy.

To emphasize the fateful nature of our reunion, it might be good for us to accidentally bump into each other in the middle of the city. Yes, and the line at that moment should be, "Eek!"

It would be the first and last time—at least for the foreseeable future; maybe I'll have more opportunities later in the story—that the normally boyish "ore" version of me lets out a completely girlish cry.

Surely everyone on the other side of the screen would mistake that girly side of me for the real "me," and interpret my use of "ore" and my masculine behavior as nothing more than an act of bravado.

A normally strong-willed girl who secretly has a fragile side... Isn't that great? Makes you want to protect her, doesn't it? Doesn't it? You'd better think so. Think that and protect me with everything you've got. Support me. Make me number one.

"Hmm, protagonist-kun's sensor is heading straight toward this city."

I enter the fortified city.

This world is a fusion of various different worlds. As a result, a universal identification system hasn't been properly established yet. There are some places that use their own country's unique methods of verifying people's identities to keep outsiders out, but they're extremely rare exceptions.

"Now, this is my first time coming to this city, so naturally, I have absolutely no knowledge of the area."

Well, that's a problem. I'd visited several places that looked like fortified cities during my five-year journey, but apparently all of them had been the wrong ones.

At first, I wanted to calmly feed him some homemade food—Japanese cuisine recreated in this world—but that's difficult in a place I've never been before. First of all, securing a kitchen where I can actually cook is difficult. Finding an inn or somewhere similar where we can sit down and eat in peace isn't something I can arrange immediately, either. I don't know what ingredients are available locally, or their freshness or quality.

In that case, at the very least, I'll find some stylish little café and enjoy an elegant tea time.

There's no room for compromise here. It'd be pretty pathetic if the place I went out of my way to guide them to was full and we couldn't get in, wouldn't it? I'd end up with the clumsy-girl or hopeless-girl tag. And unfortunately, that's not the direction Tierra As is aiming for.

So the ideal place would be somewhere inconspicuous, yet impeccably clean. Besides, with my current cooking skills, I can figure out most things just by smelling the food drifting out of a restaurant and observing the cooks.

"Hmm, what's that smell...?"

I peer into a restaurant that catches my attention.

Hmm. Judging by the wear and tear from years of use, they've been running this place for quite some time. Yet it's thoroughly cleaned, and the interior is spotless. Even the scent that has soaked into the restaurant is refined. They clearly take their craft very seriously. The owner has an excellent bearing and presence as well. Those are a craftsman's hands. And the customers don't look like young amateurs who've merely picked up bits and pieces of knowledge; they look like regulars who truly know a good establishment. No doubt about it. This is a good restaurant.

Now that I've decided on the restaurant, what's next?

Right.

First, let's eliminate one rival.

According to my five-year-old notes and the scraps of memory I have left, protagonist-kun and the main heroine, Rune, flee from a magical beast and arrive in this city. Then, in order to stop the impending war between the nomads and the fortified city, they start going around asking people for information.

While gathering all kinds of information, the protagonist and Rune travel around the city. Along the way, the story also has them search for a cat at the request of a little girl, and the plot continues from there.

And that cat search is my greatest immediate enemy.

Well, to be precise, it's the little girl who asks them to find the cat who's the problem.

There are two reasons I made Tierra As's appearance a green-haired, blue-eyed girl.

The first is to fit the setting of being the "will of Earth."

The second is because there was no character overlap. As far as I knew, there weren't any playable green-haired characters in WF at the time. That would make me completely unique. There are plenty of black-haired, silver-haired, white-haired, red-haired, blonde, and blue-haired characters, after all.

But that only applies to playable characters.

That's right. The little girl who appears early in the story has an absurdly elaborate illustration, is ridiculously cute, and—most importantly—has green hair.

People speculated that she might be an important character because of her incredibly distinctive appearance, but even after three years since the service began, she never appeared again. What's more, the official staff even explicitly stated during some livestream or another that "she won't be appearing again." Fans affectionately call her "Cat Girl," and she has this strange popularity that's half genuine affection and half a running joke.

First, I'll steal her spotlight.

I'll find the cat, return it, and then casually rejoin protagonist-kun as though nothing happened. I could ignore her, but it'd be a problem if the scenario's narrative force somehow kicked off the cat search anyway.

While I'm at it, I'll also tell them everything they would normally learn by asking around—the reason for the war and all the other important details.

There is no need for nameless extras to have any screen time. Become sacrifices for my popularity.

"Thank you, big sis!"

Heh. How carefree. Completely unaware that I've devoured her entire role.

But don't worry, Cat Girl. I'll establish the popularity of green-haired characters on your behalf, too.

Now, while I was searching for the cat, protagonist-kun has completely entered the city. Judging from the fact that his reaction is currently staying in one location, he's probably talking with little Rune and deepening their relationship.

I'm not planning to interfere with that. I never thought I could beat her in heroine power from the beginning, and I'm not trying to claim the official-wife slot, either.

But the role of the mysterious woman from his past? And the mysterious woman whose origins are shrouded in mystery? Those I won't surrender.

Those belong to me.

And although I've been deliberately looking away from it this whole time...

Earth-san is going absolutely wild.

I'm currently spending a ridiculous amount of effort trying to maintain my mental composure.

Stay. Stay. Calm down.

At this rate, I have no idea what she's going to do the moment I meet protagonist-kun.

I need to be even more careful.

"Why would they go to war...?"

"I don't know that much. But in this world, maybe there's no point in constantly asking what the meaning behind a war is."

"No...! We have to stop it...!"

Yes, we're here live with Tierra. The original protagonist-kun and his future wife are flirting.

I'm hiding in a nearby bush and listening to the two of them talk. I'm planning to intervene at just the right moment.

Green hair is really convenient at times like this. I can blend in with the plants.

Protagonist-kun is a boy, huh? Yes, Earth-san, stay. Stay, okay~? Don't get all excited in your spirit body~. Mental discipline, mental discipline. Right, at times like this, you're supposed to think about prime numbers... Wait, does one count as a prime number again? I haven't done any proper calculations in five years, so I forgot. If I ever go back there, I'm seriously going to have to study a lot. This is bad.

Actually, this protagonist really is crazy. Who in their right mind would think about saving a completely unfamiliar world like this? He's insane. Doesn't he ever feel like abandoning it all and going home?

"Then let's start by asking around! Let's talk to all kinds of people and see what they know! Come on, Rune!"

"Yeah!"

...And while I was thinking about all that, the timing became perfect.

Tierra As begins her intervention in WF's original story!

"Eek!"

"Whoa, I'm sorry! Are you all right?"

I bumped into protagonist-kun as he took his first step forward.

Naturally, it was deliberate.

The impact is nothing to me, but I collapse in such a way that it doesn't look intentional. So, Earth-san, stay, stay! I told you to stay! It's getting a little difficult to control my emotions.

"Are you hurt?"

Good. This is it.

While keeping my head lowered, I perfectly arrange my expression and finally deliver the line I've practiced over and over—

"I finally found you..."

Huh? My voice is trembling... Wait!? Why are tears welling up!?

Damn it. Because Earth-sama is rampaging so aggressively, "ore" and "watashi" are starting to split apart.

The conceptual spirit Tierra As's very setting—the "heart" that has spent ten years searching for the one she was destined to find—has gone completely out of control...!

Wait, would tears actually work well for this scene? They might make it even more moving.

If so, then it's all good.

Still...

The tears worked in my favor this time, but who knows what will happen from here on out...!

For the time being, it's time for a little conversation at the café I'd spotted earlier.

As expected, both Rune and protagonist-kun—whose name turned out to be Kizuna Harukawa—were completely penniless, so I'm treating them.

I'd saved up a decent amount over the past five years, so it's not a problem, but...

Hey, you little brat. Show some restraint.

I can't get angry at you without ruining my character.

Oh, you're ordering something else? Seriously?

"—So, I'm sorry. I don't remember you, Tierra."

"Is that so? I see. I'm sorry. It seems I've mistaken you for someone else."

Of course he doesn't. We've never met before.

But the facts don't matter.

For now, if I just say it in a weak, concerned manner, I should be able to earn some points.

A woman who is hurting herself but still takes the other person's feelings into consideration and takes a step back...

Yeah, that's good.

That looks like some high-value points.

"I'm sorry that I lost my memories and forgot about you, Tierra. But if you know anything, I'd like you to tell me. It might give me a clue that helps me remember."

Well, I figured he'd ask something like this.

For now, I should probably reveal the information little by little. Say something cryptic and give the theory-crafting crowd something to work with.

"...All right. That said, there isn't much I can tell you. But you originally came from a world different from this one. You were born and raised in a place called Japan, on a planet known as 'Earth.' Does any of that sound familiar?"

The protagonist's appearance was unchanged in the overseas version, so this line should work.

If some American had shown up instead, I might have handled things differently. I'm glad the game stayed faithful to the original.

"Yes. I don't have any memories of it, but 'Earth'... 'Japan'... They feel strangely nostalgic."

I know what you mean~. It's an arrangement of sounds that's obviously different from the language of this world. It's incredibly nostalgic. It makes you feel safe, doesn't it?

When I'm feeling lonely, I sometimes mutter to myself in Japanese. I even sing songs in Japanese. It really helps me calm down.

Then protagonist-kun asked about his own name, "Kizuna Harukawa."

He wanted to confirm whether he was the same person I'd been searching for...

No. At its core, he was probably trying to confirm whether he really was Kizuna Harukawa.

Hmm. It's not entirely impossible that his name could actually be wrong, either. I don't know exactly how much of his memory this guy has lost.

I'd better phrase my answer vaguely enough that it sounds meaningful, while leaving myself an excuse in case I'm wrong.

"Yes. I'm almost certain that was your name. It feels nostalgic to me."

In the first place, Tierra As doesn't possess any clear memories of someone who lived on Earth. She's simply the manifestation of a thought, with no memories attached to it. So this answer should be perfect.

Ggh... Earth-sama is starting to get dangerous.

All right, all right, I'll ask. I will. Properly.

So calm down.

Of course, I'm interested in this question myself.

No, "I" am interested. "I," "watashi," "ore," and, naturally, "Earth" as well.

Everything that makes up the current Tierra As wants to ask the exact same question.

I understand.

At this very moment, "Tierra As" is more complete than she has ever been before.

"Do you... Do you not want to go home?"

Yes.

This is it.

I want to go home.

No matter what happens, I want to return to that world—the world where my family and friends are.

Even if I had no memories of it, I am certain that this feeling would never disappear.

But what about him?

What about Kizuna Harukawa?

Earth, the spirit, and the human being were all watching for his answer.

"Well... I have almost no memories, so I don't think I can really say that I feel that way..."

Hmm.

I see.

So that's how it is.

In a sense, it was a disappointing answer.

And in another sense, it was the most obvious answer he could have given.

Nostalgia is something born from the accumulation of memories.

Without those memories, it's difficult to feel the desire to return home.

In that sense, her plan had been exactly right.

This way, he wouldn't become homesick. He would simply throw himself headfirst into his mission.

She really was a damn bastard.

As I thought about that, I did my best not to let my inner anger—especially the dangerously agitated Earth-sama—show on my face.

However, his next words left the star, the spirit, the human being, and everything that made up me utterly stunned.

"Even if I did have my memories, I don't think I could abandon this world and go home. I think I'd make the same choice."

Huh?

"I met Rune in this world. The members of the city guard helped me. And I've seen the people living in this city. Now that I know about the danger they're facing, I can't just abandon them."

What? What is he talking about?

My mind is falling into chaos. I can't understand it. I'm losing my mind.

What is this?

"This decision is something I made for myself. I'm the one who decided to walk this path."

Ah... No. The self that had been unified is falling apart.

And so.

What spilled out afterward was the unfiltered, true heart of "I"—of the "conceptual spirit Tierra As."

"Haha... What is that? What is that supposed to mean? That's ridiculous. That's just ridiculous. Then... then what was I—what was I—for...?"

With those words spilling out from the depths of her heart, "I" fell completely silent.

"Earth" did the same.

Of course.

It was as though the very existence they had been trying to save had looked them straight in the face and rejected them.

"Tierra?"

"...Ah. Ah, haha. It's nothing. I was just talking to myself. Don't worry about it."

Sigh.

It looks like it'll be difficult for all the different wills within me to keep facing in the same direction from now on...

Well, from my perspective, it just means I'll have to move my plans up a little.

It's not a fatal situation. Nothing irreversible has happened.

At last, the disturbance within my personality settled down.

I had enough room to act again.

"...I understand. Saving the world... So that is the choice you've made. ...Do you have any specific plan for accomplishing it?"

Well then.

The out-of-character seriousness is over.

Let's get back to acting for those popularity points.

I listen to their plan for stopping the war.

Of course, I'd known about it from the beginning because it was written in my notes.

During the conversation, I casually feed them the information they were originally supposed to gather themselves, pretending to be some kind of walking encyclopedia.

"Well, that's more or less the situation. There may be other reasons related to political positions, popularity, or matters known only to people in high places. But I'd say that's more or less accurate."

"I see... Thank you. I understand it much better now."

"Even knowing all this, you still intend to stop the war?"

"Yes. My resolve hasn't changed. If anything, it's become stronger. If the war truly won't end until one side is destroyed... then if we can put an end to something that tragic, it's worth moving forward."

"Rune, what about you?"

"...Mm. Kizuna and I are in this together. I'm going with Kizuna."

The heroine of the hour answers after swallowing the food she'd stuffed into her mouth.

How much did you eat?

We should have enough money, I guess.

I'm never taking this girl out to eat again.

If you're going out, go on a date with Kizuna.

You'll be eating my cheap but delicious home cooking for a while.

"Both of you are really stubborn, aren't you...? Very well. Then I have one proposal for you. It's about the great deed you must accomplish."

"Really?"

And so, I give Kizuna-kun's clumsy ideal a concrete direction and shape.

By showing understanding toward Kizuna and Rune—two people who, to put it kindly, are pure-hearted, or, to put it less kindly, rather immature—and showing them the path they should take...

I've established myself as a capable and reliable guide.

And, as an added bonus, I've completely erased the extras—especially Cat Girl—from the story.

"Yes. If you accomplish this, the lord will certainly agree to meet with you."

"Please, tell us!"

"But..."

Ah.

It's been a long road.

Five years.

I've spent five years preparing for this.

Finally.

Finally, I've made it this far.

No matter what it takes, I will return to my original world. And I will save my little sister, too.

That purpose alone will never change.

"I'll accompany you. I can't just leave you two to fend for yourselves."

And so, "Tierra As" successfully joined the protagonist's party.