Volume 5 Chapter 1 The Count's Mansion
When I was sleeping, I never "saw" dreams.
For me, dreams were always something I "heard."
Drifting through a sea of darkness, I just kept hearing voices. The voices sounded muffled, like they were echoing underwater, making it hard to understand them.
――Equipment slot, 9... It's a wonderful vessel.
I can hear a voice.
――Little xxx, I'm going too.
――When we meet again... please help me, okay?
――It's a promise, Little xxx.
I can hear a voice.
――Mr. xxx, there's a child here!
――What? An abandoned child? In a place like this?
I can hear a voice.
――Even so, just touching it killed them...
――It was a terrifying cursed equipment... I still shake just thinking about it.
――Really, it doesn’t match up to xxxxxxxx...
I can hear a voice.
――xxx xxxxxx? What a weird name, huh?
――If anything happens, come to my shop. Though I can’t do anything for you.
I can hear a voice.
――Hey... are you having fun playing xxx?
...The voices don’t stop.
Unfamiliar memories, unknown voices, they seep into my mind through my ears without permission.
The voices always hurry my heart.
I have to help xxx quickly, they say.
Surely, somewhere right now, xxx is crying.
This time, I have to help xxx.
But... who is xxx?
And anyway, who am I...?
...Who?
* * *
'――Noroa! Noroa!'
Someone's call pulled my consciousness sharply to the surface.
I noticed the light behind my eyelids. I felt my cheeks being gently slapped.
"Juju...?"
I slowly opened my eyes and saw a small girl through my eyelashes.
She was holding a small jar labeled 'Mustard'...
'If this doesn't wake you up... I guess I'll have to shove mustard up your nose...'
"Let's not do that."
Juju's ominous words woke me up instantly. Close call. If I'd woken up a bit later, it would have been a disaster.
'Huh, Noroa...?'
When I suddenly opened my eyes, Juju's expression froze. Then, it quickly turned to one of surprise.
'Noroa...! You're awake!'
"Gah!"
Juju jumped onto me, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck. It was probably meant to be an affectionate gesture, but she squeezed so hard my vision started to fade.
"L-let's... calm down for a bit."
'I'm always calm! Being a cool beauty is my best trait!'
"Yeah, you seem pretty far from calm right now."
I managed to peel Juju off me and took a deep breath.
For a moment, I thought I might have been put to sleep forever.
"Sir Noroa, I'm so glad you're awake."
I noticed Cirrul, now in human form, standing by the bed. She must have kissed me while I was asleep. The worried tears in her eyes made me realize I must have been in pretty bad shape.
"How long was I out?"
"...About a full day."
'I thought you were going to pass away just like that. You're so frail, Noroa...'
"I don't think one day is a big deal."
I probably just needed some deep sleep. I hadn't slept at all the previous night.
"But, I'm sorry for making you worry."
'I wasn't worried at all.'
She turned away with a pout.
"But you were calling my name a lot."
'That was just vocal practice.'
"And the face slapping?"
'That was to tone my arms and enhance my bust.'
"I see."
I couldn't help but smile at her lack of honesty.
"Still, I can't believe I'm alive..."
Talking with Juju, memories started to come back.
I had collapsed due to the cost of the cursed equipment at the Underground Equipment Guild's hideout. The new slime equipment I got had a combined cost of '1% of max HP damage per second.' Even at full HP, I'd die in 100 seconds...
"What happened to the cost?"
'We managed to cover it with healing potions. The knights had a lot of extra potions.'
"And there were also some knights with healing equipment."
So, in other words, they're saying that they dealt with the continuous damage by continuous recovery. It's a really simple method, but it must have been effective for me, with my low HP. The recovery potion is enough bit by bit, and the MP consumption for healing magic is also minimal.
I used the Knight's recovery potion and a recovery-equipped person to prolong my life, and then Cirrul transported me to the town at high speed.
Looking at my arm, I noticed a needle attached. A tube extended from the needle, connecting to a glass container filled with recovery potion. Is this what they call a drip? By administering the recovery potion little by little through this drip, I managed to maintain my HP until now.
"But, I see. I'm glad if I'm okay."
Feeling relieved, I sink deeply into the bed.
I was really worried for a moment, but I'm relieved that I managed to recover somehow. I had mentally prepared myself for the possibility of dying, so the sense of relief is substantial.
Perhaps due to the release of tension, my mind begins to focus on other things.
For example... the softness of the bed.
It's a feeling as if I'm wrapped in feathers, unlike the bug-infested rotten straw. This isn't the kind of bed I'm familiar with.
"Or rather, it's a bit late to ask... but where is this?"
Looking up, all I can see is an unfamiliar ceiling. Or rather, an unfamiliar canopy.
It seems I'm lying on a bed with a canopy. The furnishings around the bed, upon closer inspection, are all high-quality items. It's so different from the bedroom in the world I've lived in. It feels uncomfortable, as if I've stumbled into a fairytale world.
"This is the mansion of Count Emdo."
"Wow... Wait, what?"
Cirrul said it casually, so my reaction was delayed for a moment.
"T-The mansion of Count Emdo...?"
"Yes, that's right."
Cirrul says it as if it's obvious. In her mind, a noble mansion might be equivalent to an ordinary house.
'Well, it's just a detached building, though.'
"Miss Sera brought you here."
"I see..."
Certainly, if it's called a noble's mansion, I can understand various things. A regular hospital wouldn't prepare such luxurious rooms. I don't know why I was brought here, but... I never thought the day would come when I'd enter a noble's mansion.
"This is a noble's mansion, huh. The world they live in is really different."
'Getting scared at this level, what are you going to do? You have the obligation to build a richer mansion and provide for me.'
"That's news to me."
'I said it just now.'
"By the way, what about those twins?"
When I collapsed, there should have been twin girls with slime sword and slime shield by my side.
If it's cursed equipment, they shouldn't be far away. There should be some sort of distance limit.
'If they're twins, they're over there.'
"Huh? Oh, you're right."
Certainly, there were twin girls in the corner of the room.
With aqua-colored hair, aqua-colored eyes, and an aqua-colored dress... there's no mistaking it, those are the twins from that time.
I'm sure their names were Sui and Ram.
However, they seem less energetic than when I last saw them, huddling together with a sense of fear. When they lock eyes with me, they flinch and shrink further. Perhaps they think I'm going to scold them. I'm not used to dealing with children, so I don't know what to do in these situations.
"Little Sui, Little Ram, Sir Noroa isn't angry."
Instead of me, Cirrul beckoned the 2. It seems like Cirrul is very used to dealing with children.
The twins looked at each other and timidly approached.
"Sorry, master..." "...lord, I'm sorry."
They seem to feel responsible for their Cost.
Unlike some dolls, they have a conscience.
"You don't need to apologize."
The twins probably didn't choose their Cost. They probably can't even control it.
And in cursed equipment, there are some things that can kill you just by touching them. Compared to that, this Cost is quite lenient.
"Master, are you really not angry?" "...Ram, you're wrong. This is the pattern of scolding while saying you're not angry."
"No, I really am not angry."
"So, what should we do, Sui?" "...Well, as Dear Big Sister Juju said, there's no choice but to do 'that'."
"Hmm, what's up with Juju?"
"Oh, it's nothing." "...Dear Big Sister Juju didn't say anything."
"Oh, really?"
"Anyway, Master. Can we get in the futon?" "...Sui wants to get in too."
"Huh? It's fine, I guess..."
For some reason, the twins' behavior seemed unnatural.
I wonder if they're planning something...? It doesn't seem malicious, though.
Just as I was confused, the twins climbed onto the bed and snuggled into my arms.
"Phew..." "...Cuddle session complete."
"Huh?"
Did they just say "cuddle session"? Oh, yeah.
It definitely is a cuddle session.
"Well, I'm happy about the feeling, but I wonder if the way to thank them is strange."
Having a situation with equipment and cuddling is natural, but it's hard to believe that these innocent girls would choose cuddling as an apology. I can sense Juju's influence somehow.
"First, why cuddling?"
"Because Big Sister Juju said so." "...Lord, she said that touching a little girl makes you a hundred times more energetic."
"Oh, really?"
I look at Juju.
'Huff, huff...'
"You can't whistle."
'Well, I haven't given it my all yet! My whistling still has 2 more transformations to go!'
"Well, I'm not interested in your whistling skills. But seriously, why are you telling such nonsensical lies? Do you want to fight with me?"
'...Noroa, are you angry?'
"Yes."
'Why are you getting angry? Are you trying to turn the tables?'
"Probably, I think it's a justified anger."
If someone spreads baseless lolicon suspicions, even the most virtuous person would get seriously angry.
Besides, I can't let anyone see this situation. Right now, no matter how you look at it, I'm a pervert with little girls clinging to me. It's not a situation I want anyone I know to witness.
I'll have to ask the twins to get off the bed right away.
"Hey, both of you..."
Could you get off the bed? Just as I was about to say that...
"Oh! Mr. Noroa, did you wake up? Good..."
Miss Sera burst into the room with great momentum and froze as soon as she saw the twins.
After staring at me in bewilderment for a while...
"...Sorry. I didn't know you were busy. I'll come back later."
She turned around and went home.
Yeah... Looks like I arrived late for various things.
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