Chapter 7: It Must Be a Fateful Encounter (Fake) ★

"No, seriously, that was something else."

After that, Rene and I desperately fled into the fortress city of Zalfedahl.

The combat ability and training of the fortress city's guards were incredible. The moment they spotted the giant boar, they immediately opened fire without a second thought (probably with some kind of magic) and took it down in an instant.

I learned later that when you're being pursued by a dangerous monster, fleeing into the nearest city is apparently a widely known method of dealing with the situation.

Small villages are an exception, but any town of a certain size has sufficient defensive capabilities. Naturally, that means they need to protect merchants and others who bring food or otherwise benefit the city, so that they don't get attacked by monsters along the way. I suppose it's something unique to a different world overflowing with monsters.

In other words, even though we had fled here with a monster in tow, we weren't charged with any crime for what we'd done. If they punished people for that every single time, they'd never get anything done.

"So, what do you want to do, Kizuna?"

"This is a little late to ask, but why do you believe what I'm telling you? Even though I'm amnesiac and can't even remember who entrusted this to me."

Afterward, I told Rene about the threat known as the "World Eater," which would eventually descend upon this world, and how it would be absolutely essential for the people of Chaos to join hands in order to oppose it.

She believed me, and that's why she was listening to my concerns like this.

"Hmm? Because you're Kizuna. Isn't that reason enough?"

"...Huh? What do you mean?"

Me? Just because I'm me?

"Kizuna didn't abandon me. You ran away with me. Even though I brought the monster here, you didn't blame me. You fought together with me. That's the Kizuna I know. Lots of reasons to believe you."

"...!"

I see. That's how she thought of me. And that's why she believed me.

"Besides, Kizuna and I are even, right?"

"Hahaha! Yeah, you're right. We are!"

Being "even" had been something we'd said in the heat of the moment. It wasn't really something that could serve as the foundation for a long-term relationship of trust.

But perhaps, for Rene and me, that was enough.

Two amnesiacs in a chaotic world.

Just as she had chosen to believe in me, I decided that I would continue to believe in her as well.

"So, going back to what we were talking about. What do you want to do, Kizuna?"

"I..."

What did I want to do?

Salvation. It was such a heavy word. A word that had nothing to do with an ordinary life, something I'd only ever encountered in works of fiction and biographies. And yet, it was right there in front of me now.

So, what exactly did I want to do about it? What did I, of all people, want to do?

There was no question that this would be a path overflowing with danger. I might suffer a serious injury. At worst, I could even die. I had no idea how to stop a war, nor did I know what I was supposed to do.

Even so.

"I want to save this world. I want to save Chaos. I can't turn my back on the destruction I've already learned is coming."

I had no idea what would happen.

So I'd make the choice that the me of today wouldn't regret.

Because if I chose to abandon this world even after learning of its impending destruction, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

"I see. Then I'll help you too. With you, Kizuna."

"...Huh? Are you sure?"

I was incredibly grateful that she would help me.

I couldn't even figure out what I was supposed to do on my own.

If I was going to follow through with the choice I'd just made, then taking her hand was essential.

But...

"But this is dangerous...!"

"I'm stronger than you. No need to worry."

That was a fact. She was stronger than me.

But even so, was it really right to drag a girl into something so dangerous?

"Did you forget? Kizuna and I are even. Hardships, battles, missions... Everything gets split between Kizuna and me, half and half. Is that okay?"

Ah. I couldn't win against her.

"Okay. Please, Rene. I want you to lend me your strength."

But that wasn't all.

"But I'll carry half of your hardships too. We're even, aren't we?"

Rene, the amnesiac girl.

She seemed so naturally carefree, as though there wasn't a thing in the world that bothered her. But it was obvious that, beneath the surface, she was being tormented by deep anxiety.

Her amnesia might even have been a lie meant to conceal her circumstances.

Even so.

No, precisely because of that.

I decided that I would carry some of the pain she was bearing.

"...! Yeah, I see. Thank you, Kizuna. The contract is sealed, then."

"Yeah. Contract sealed."

And so, we smiled at each other.

After that, Rene and I discussed what we should do next and how we could save the world.

While we struggled to come up with any concrete plans, Rene suddenly said something.

"Oh, right. Kizuna, have you noticed? This city is preparing to go to war."

"What?!"

According to her, it was well known that the city had prospered through trade, but even so, the number of caravans coming and going was far too high. And now that she mentioned it, there were an unusually large number of armored people patrolling the streets, their gazes sharp and wary.

If someone told me they were preparing for war, the scene suddenly made perfect sense.

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

"I don't know that much. But in this world, asking why people go to war every single time might be pointless."

"That's...! We have to stop them...!"

But how?

"...The person who decided on the war is probably the lord. The ruler here."

"Then I'll talk to him directly about the World Eater, and then...!"

"But you can't normally meet him. The lord is important."

Of course.

The person ruling a fortress city this enormous and prosperous wasn't someone you could simply walk up and meet.

Especially with a war approaching, he'd probably be on high alert against assassination attempts as well.

Wait. What exactly had she just said?

"What do you mean by 'normally'? Is there a way to meet him?"

"I can't say for certain, but... if you accomplish something great, perhaps."

"What do you mean?"

"If there's a problem that hasn't been solved for a long time, and you solve it, the lord will praise you."

"I see...! If we solve some major problem that this city is facing, we can get an audience with him...!"

"Yes, exactly."

"Then let's start by asking around! Let's talk to all kinds of people and find out what's going on! Come on, Rene!"

"Yeah."

I felt like I could finally see the road ahead.

Ask around. Solve the problem. Meet the lord, tell him about the World Eater, and stop the war. If necessary, find out why they're going to war and see if there's anything we can do to resolve the cause.

It was an incredibly narrow path, but it definitely led somewhere. It was worth trying.

Now that we'd decided—

"Ah!"

"Whoa, I'm sorry! Are you okay?!"

Just as I took a determined step forward, I collided with a woman. She fell straight to the ground.

Apparently, I'd gotten so caught up in my excitement that I'd stopped paying attention to my surroundings.

I'd done something terrible.

"Are you hurt?"

I held out my hand to help her up.

She was a woman dressed in black, with beautiful green hair that immediately caught my attention.

The woman reached out to take my hand.

Then, suddenly, her hand stopped, as though she'd been startled by something.

And then—

"I finally found you..."

With tears welling up in the blue eyes peeking out from beneath her pitch-black hood, she murmured.

Right now, Rene and I were having a meal at a café, courtesy of the woman.

I had initially refused, saying that after bumping into her, it was far too much to ask her to treat us as well. But the truth was, Rene and I didn't have a single coin between us.

When she pointed out that we wouldn't be able to properly discuss things without anything to eat, I couldn't bring myself to refuse.

I made up my mind that I would repay her someday and decided to accept her kindness.

The woman introduced herself as "Tierra."

She was a peculiar mismatch of a person. On one hand, she used the masculine-sounding first-person pronoun "ore," while her speech and mannerisms were thoroughly feminine. And strangest of all, there was something about her that made this contradiction feel completely natural. It was as though this was simply the way she was meant to be—as though her very existence was an unquestionable law of the world.

Since Ms. Tierra seemed to know me, naturally, that was what we talked about first.

Since the conversation was about Ms. Tierra and me, Rene didn't interrupt. She simply focused on devouring the dishes being placed before us.

The plates completely covered the table, and more were still being brought out.

Could you show at least a little restraint? Seriously, a little restraint.

...Although Ms. Tierra just smiled and let her eat to her heart's content.

Is she a goddess or something?

When I told her that I had amnesia and didn't remember ever meeting someone like her, Ms. Tierra's expression became terribly sorrowful.

"So, that's how it is... I see. I'm sorry. It seems I've mistaken you for someone else."

She murmured it weakly.

She said she'd mistaken me for someone else, but that was probably a lie meant to spare my feelings.

If she'd truly mistaken me for someone else, she wouldn't have reacted like that.

Most likely, before I lost my memories, I had been fairly close to her.

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

Wanting to learn even a little more about my own memories, I asked her.

She hesitated for a while, then, as though she'd finally made up her mind, slowly opened her mouth.

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

"Earth." "Japan."

Strangely, those words sounded familiar. Hearing them gave me a sense of comfort.

Then, it really was as I thought.

The person she had been searching for and the amnesiac me were the same person.

To confirm it, I asked whether the person she had been looking for had given his name as "Kizuna Harukawa."

"Yes. I'm certain that was the name. It feels so nostalgic."

It was a strange way of putting it, but once again, it seemed that I really was Kizuna Harukawa, and that Ms. Tierra had known me before I lost my memories.

Just as we were about to discuss things in greater detail, she suddenly looked at me with a serious gaze and asked:

"Do you... do you not want to go back?"

I vaguely remembered that my origins lay in a world different from this one. And after learning from Ms. Tierra that it was "Japan" on "Earth," she was asking whether that knowledge made me want to return.

"Well... I barely have any memories, so I don't really feel that way, I guess..."

"I see. As I thought..."

At my answer, she forced herself to maintain a bitter expression, as though she were struggling to suppress her anger.

But the target of that anger wasn't me. It seemed to be directed at something—or someone—entirely different.

In fact, it would be more accurate to say that she was angry on my behalf.

This is bad.

That's not it.

That's not what I meant.

Even if I had my memories, I still wouldn't be able to abandon this world and return home. I think I would have made the same choice.

"...!"

I was happy that she was angry on my behalf. I really was.

But that wasn't it.

My memories had nothing to do with it.

"I met Rene in this world. The guards saved us. And I've seen the people who live in this city. Now that I know about the danger threatening them, I can't just abandon them."

I'd decided to make the choice I wouldn't regret.

And the reason I'd made that decision was—

"This decision was made by me. I was the one who decided to walk this path."

It was none other than my own decision.

"Haha... What is that? What are you even saying? That's ridiculous. If that's the case, then, then, what was I, I, doing it all for—"

"Ms. Tierra?"

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

That was definitely a lie.

But her voice and the atmosphere around her were making it abundantly clear that she didn't want me to pry any further.

"...I understand. Saving the world... So that's the choice you've made. Do you have any specific plan for how to accomplish it?"

I shouldn't pry into something she clearly didn't want me to pry into, and I suppose I should pretend I hadn't heard her mutter those words earlier.

Since she continued as though nothing had happened, I decided to let it go as well.

Then, regarding what she'd just asked me, I told her about what Rene and I had discussed earlier.

"…I see. That's not a bad idea. The lord of this city is a fair and upright man. He consistently rewards merit and punishes wrongdoing, and he rewards those who achieve results. So if you accomplish some great feat, an audience with him is practically guaranteed."

"Really...?!"

"Yes. Furthermore, he is a rational and sharp-minded person. If he recognizes the truth in what you tell him, I'm sure he would put a stop to the war as well."

For the first time, I felt as though I could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

As expected, Tierra knew far more about this world than Rene and I did, especially given my amnesia.

Since we were already asking, I figured I should take the opportunity to ask her about other things as well.

"Do you know why they're going to war?"

"Yes, I do. That said, there are many factors intertwined, so it would be difficult to narrow it down to a single reason..."

After that preface, she began to explain.

First of all, the people this fortress city was preparing to fight were a major nomadic tribe based throughout the grasslands in the south. Calling them a "tribe" didn't quite convey their scale; the grasslands they called home were vast, and their population was correspondingly large. What's more, every individual was said to possess strength that could easily be described as enough to take on a hundred men alone. They had enough military power to stand against even this fortress city.

There was disagreement between the two sides over which had come first: the fortress city or the nomads who had lived there. Regardless, two completely different ways of life had come to occupy the same land.

Naturally, conflict between them had never ceased.

As they repeatedly raided and were raided in turn, religion eventually became entangled in the conflict as well. On top of that, the southern lands were fertile, bringing economic interests into the equation. The fact that the nomads sometimes attacked merchant caravans only made matters worse.

And now, a major problem had struck the nomads.

A powerful magical beast had made part of the grasslands its territory, inflicting heavy losses on the nomads. Then, with an epidemic striking on top of that, the great chieftain who had supported the tribe for so long passed away.

Internal struggles over succession broke out as well, severely weakening their military strength.

The fortress city's leaders apparently concluded that now was the perfect opportunity to conquer and destroy them.

"Well, that's more or less the situation. There may be other reasons involving political positions, popularity, or things only the powerful know about, but I believe that's more or less accurate."

"I see... Thank you. That helped me understand things very well."

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

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

"Rene, what about you?"

"...Mm. Kizuna and I are even. I'll move forward together with Kizuna."

Tierra asked Rene the same question, and Rene swallowed the food she'd stuffed into her mouth before answering.

She'd said something that made me happy, and her words sounded pretty cool, too.

Unfortunately, her mouth was covered in food.

When I wiped her mouth for her, she accepted it without resisting.

"Ahh... So both of you are truly determined, huh? I understand. In that case, I have one suggestion. It's about the great feat you two need to accomplish."

"Really?!"

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

"Please tell us!"

"But..."

She paused for a moment.

"I'm coming with you as well. I can't just leave the two of you to fend for yourselves."

And so she said it.

Original Author notes:

I received some wonderful illustrations from readers...! Every single one is an amazing piece of artwork!

I'm deeply moved! From the bottom of my heart, I feel that I'm truly glad I decided to write this story!

★Momijizaki Momiji

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Tierra with and without her black clothes! So cute and beautiful!

★Konpota Soup

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Tierra from her time as a rampaging Conceptual Spirit! Beautiful...!