Side: Kaya

Ugh... she's so noisy.

Yesterday, we had such a great time at the beach—eating, drinking, and playing to our hearts' content—but one day later, it's back to work.

...If it were normal work, that would be fine.

But this time, the nature of the job is just a little different from what we've done before, so it's really annoying.

"Are you listening to me!? Hurry up and take me to my companions!!"

I flatten my fox ears and cover my human ears with both hands to block out the sound.

...How did things end up like this?

If I recall, Yuki and the others were ambushed along the way by those idiot Holy Sword wielders... Ta-chan and Aslin's Ten Magical Beasts had completely subdued and captured them.

Then there was the conversation about receiving Samantha in Rhodei, securing Rodei's base, and finally bringing this "baggage" to Weed.

Tori, Riel, and I were on standby at the Academy with Taiki, so as non-participants, we don't know much about what went down at the scene.

"...Where did I put the report again?"

"Do you know who I am!? If you're a fellow fox-kin, show some respect!!"

"Yeah, yeah. You're just a delusional, foolish female fox swinging around a toy stick like a brat, right?"

"Wha—!?"

Giving a half-hearted reply to the yapping Holy Sword wielder, I search for the report from when this foolish fox was captured.

Let's see... I don't see it on top of the desk... Is it inside a drawer, or maybe the cabinet?

There's no way the report isn't in this room. After all, this place is a special prison specifically for isolating the Holy Sword Wielders. This time, there were five idiots in total who tried to ambush Yuki and the others.

In terms of combat power, even with five of them, they couldn't land a single scratch on any one of us. However, since we don't know what kind of hidden trumps they might possess, and because having allies nearby makes them act cocky, we've separated and placed them under individual surveillance.

Back during Sia and Kishua's turn, we had even made them dance around naked and all sorts of things. Peace joined in too, so the two of them were now behaving themselves and were being given lessons in something Seraria, Rurua, Sheila, and Derieu called "the education of a ruler".

According to Yuki, the root of their mistake lies in their ignorance. The "absolute truths" they preach simply do not exist in the real world.

Even I, coming from a small village, knew that much.

The self-defense force had limited numbers, so prioritizing choices was a regular necessity. For instance, if a panicked traveler stopped by the village claiming their companions were being attacked by a swarm of Orcs, we wouldn't rush out to rescue them. Protecting the village came first. Under the pretext of going to help the traveler's companions, a small number would go scout.

Well, by then it was always too late.

The men were eaten, and the women were dead from overuse before they could even get pregnant.

Judging by the scale, we combat-specialized fox-kin could have driven them off. But it would have come with casualties. If we were to fight, doing so at a village fully prepared for defensive operations was best. We couldn't choose to engage in a reckless revenge match on the spot just to throw away lives uselessly.

..So, depending on your standing, what you should consider "right" changes.

Those girls genuinely believed that what they stood for was absolutely right and that everyone would agree with them. When the world betrayed those expectations, they decided to exterminate the people of the New Continent... Though honestly, after betraying and cutting down their own master, the Dungeon Master, I don't think they have any right to talk about what is right or wrong.

That's what made them so inconsistent... Like I said earlier, they're like brats given toys.

They reminded me of the children in my village when they were given wooden swords for the first time. But those children were immediately beaten black and blue during training with the adults and learned about reality—they learned just how much they lacked. It wasn't merely skill with a weapon. They lacked magic, knowledge about protecting the village and their companions, and countless other things.

But perhaps these girls had never had an adult capable of teaching them any of that.

Well, compared to the custom work made by Narjia-san, the weapons they carried—these "Holy Swords"—are mere toys. Still, on the New Continent, they were tools capable of instantly turning anyone into a powerhouse... And, thanks to those Holy Swords, they were easily able to force their opinions onto others.

And in the end, just as they had chopped down their predecessor, they were cast aside themselves.

So they gave up on the world.

...Serves them right. That was what I thought after hearing Sia and Kishua's stories.

Thinking about that, I ignore the yapping fellow fox-kin idiot and keep searching for the report.

"Let's see... is it in this drawer I haven't checked?"

At any rate, this is the last desk drawer.

If it's not here, I'll have to search through the files in the cabinet... but there are a lot of them.

If I don't find it here, I'll just put on headphones and sleep.

"...Ah, found it."

A file sat alone in the drawer.

Its titles read:

'Report on the Capture of the Holy Sword Wielders During the Journey to Rhodei' and 'Personal Records of the Holy Sword Wielders'.

Let's see... Prepared by Eris.

As meticulous as ever... I wonder when she even had time to make this.

I mean, sure, you can carry a laptop around inside an Item Box, but I'm not that dedicated to work. I usually just print out a template and fill it out by hand.

Looking at this, it seems she brought in a laptop and processed everything digitally. I'm still terrible at typing... I mostly just use it to listen to music or watch videos.

With those thoughts in mind, I place the file on the desk and skim through the "Capture Report".

I read through it, but it was mostly what I'd already heard:

Before they could even start trouble, Kuro-chan and the others launched a preemptive strike, wiping them out and capturing them.

Afterward, they were dragged all the way to Rhodei by Kuro-chan's group.

Then, under the supervision of Eris, Derieu, and Rurua, they spent about two days living in the courtyard stable.

Yuki handled marriage talks with Samantha's parents and laid the groundwork within Rhodei, securing a base there.

After that, they were moved to Weed, where security is tight.

However, perhaps realizing they weren't going to be killed, they started acting up and getting cocky.

Judging that meeting Siea and Kishua in this state wouldn't end well, all five were placed in separate confinement under watch to let them cool their heads again... I see.

"...Wait? Why did I want to look at this report again?"

I wanted to check it because I didn't know the exact details, so reading it in itself isn't a problem.

But I had another reason for looking for it.

Hm...

"...Hey!! Are you listening!? Can't you hear me!? Enough already!!"

"Ah, I remember now. It's about you."

"F-Forgot?! You forgot about me?!"

"Y-You remembered what!? You forgot about me?!"

No.

Strictly speaking, I was trying to find out why I was assigned to guard this foolish female fox.

Because she's so noisy. This idiot. I can't even take a peaceful afternoon nap.

what does it say... Let's see...

The Holy Sword Wielders will be individually monitored by the wives and magical beasts.

The information on each Holy Sword wielder has been compiled in their personal records, so select the appropriate monitor based on that information.

That last sentence gave me a strange feeling of unease.

"...Holy Sword wielder information... Surely they didn't just assign me because I'm also a fox-kin... right?"

I cautiously opened the personal records.

And there, I find the entry for the yapping, idiot fox.

Her name is Caya Regiment.

...Our names overlap?

Race: Fox-kin, as expected.

Though, as a fellow Fox-kin, her existence is painfully embarrassing... Her head is completely empty.

Appearance is better than mine. Good figure, well-featured face.

Her hair, ears, and tail are white, unlike my yellow fur.

Now, let's see... The criteria for selection were...

As with the other four, they are currently in an agitated state. It is considered optimal to assign wives of the same race to monitor them and allow them to calm down.

If this is deemed impossible, contact us immediately. Reassigning personnel should also be considered.

However, under no circumstances should the Holy Sword users be allowed to meet Yuki-san individually.

They have a history of murdering their previous master.

Therefore, regardless of what Yuki-san says, do not allow them to meet him individually.

I have also given strict orders to Ria, Jessica, Cleana, and Samantha, but all monitoring personnel are to exercise the utmost caution.

I see.

In that case, I'm probably the best choice.

The idiot fox seems agitated too, so I'll just continue ignoring her for the time being.

If I suggest changing monitors, Yuki might show up.

And if anything happens to Yuki, we'd be sad... If that happens, we aren't going to let these Holy Sword Wielders die as human beings anymore.

"Eek!?"

Ah.

Imagining Yuki getting hurt made my bloodlust leak out.

The idiot female fox has fled onto the bed and curled up.

Sigh... why does Yuki go so far as to provide such comfortable conditions for prisoners he's captured?

They caused us so many headaches; instead of taking the effort to tame them like this, he should just torture them into obedience. If they die, just throw them away. If they break, he could just turn them into his toys... He's still naive in those areas.

Well, now that children have been born, having "toys" around might not be good for their education. If I ever have kids I wouldn't know how to explain "toys" either.

...No, wait, Yuki using them as toys would mean doing things with them, and that's a no-go... That kind of fun should be exclusive to us—his wives... Yeah, if these girls break, sending them to a brothel should suffice. They have nice faces and figures, so even if broken, they can earn enough to cover their own living expenses.

Ah, bad, bad.

It's not like we've decided to torture them yet.

Because this idiot fox is so loud, my thoughts kept veering in that direction.

"Wait, I thought she went quiet, and she's already under the covers sleeping..."

Just when I noticed the yapping had stopped, this happens.

She really did spend several hundred years doing nothing but being a NEET... I have my complaints, but since it's quiet now, whatever.

Nothing particularly strange written... Ohh—she can use the same Illusion skill as me... Heh, I guess living long wasn't entirely for show.

According to Yuki, "Illusion magic" is a type of hypnosis. Apparently, there are even foxes on Earth that used it to do all sorts of nasty things and became famous for it... As a fellow fox, that's truly disgraceful.

"Yaaawn. I'm sleepy. I woke up early for field work, so I'm sleepy... I guess I'll sleep."

We sometimes have to take night shifts monitoring prisoners, so there's a futon in this room... Most of the time we leave night shifts to the monsters, though.

The subject of observation is asleep, and no specific instructions were given to me... I'm seriously going to sleep.

I quickly lay out the futon and crawl inside.

Tori, who's taking the next shift, will wake me up anyway...

Thinking that, I quickly fell asleep.

* * *

"Kyahhh!! Waaahhh!!"

BAM—THUD—CRASH—CLATTER—!!

Surrounded by furious shouting, I open my eyes.

...Did something happen?

I hurriedly looked around, trying to understand the situation.

And then...

"Burn the village to the ground!! This village is colluding with Gartz!! Do not let a single villager escape!!"

There stood the minister—who had long ago been set up by Yuki and publicly punished.

The one being attacked is my village.

The village that no longer exists... All that remained were the small graves where everyone from the village had been buried.

...A dream.

Even when confronted with that gruesome sight, I felt nothing.

I recognized it for what it was—a dream. It's a dream I've seen over and over again.

I thought the frequency had dropped quite a bit lately, but... sigh... I guess I still see it... After all—it's the moment my old life collapsed and a new one began.

『See? As I thought, humans aren't worth saving. You've experienced something this terrible, so you of all people should understand, right?』

...Looks like this isn't just an ordinary dream.

Turning around, I see Caya looking at me intently.

That idiot female fox... She must have interfered with my mind while I was asleep.

But emission-type magic is supposed to be restricted here—how did she manage to use Illusion magic?

『Since it's a dream, your reaction is dull. Well, fine. Obey me. By doing so, your revenge can be fulfilled. There is no need for you to serve a man like that.』

『Save your nonsense for after you're dead, you stupid female fox.』

『Wha—!?』

Caya wears a shocked expression, but I show no mercy.

I immediately punch her in the face and restrain her while she was stunned.

『Guh...!? W-Why?! You're being used as that man's slave, aren't you!?』

Sigh... what the hell is wrong with this idiot?

...At the same time, the dream had progressed to the point of despair, where our village's squad Captain and I were forced into a duel to the death.

"Hahaha! Listen, woman!! Kill that man beside you, and I'll spare the villagers!"

Words I heard long ago—words with no intention of saving anyone.

But Captain and I both knew it was a lie. Even so, we risked our lives to create an opening for the villagers to escape.

The moment my knife plunged into Captain's chest, the villagers who had been captured each used their magic to flee.

"What!? Damn it!! Screw it!! kill them!! Kill them all!!"

I desperately cut down the pursuing soldiers.

So that at least as many of my companions as possible could escape.

However, having fought up to this point and exchanged blows with Captain, I was quickly backed into a corner.

"Kaya!! Over here!!"

But my childhood friend came to my rescue and pulled me away.

Even though he was usually so weak, he was so dependable at that moment... I remember thinking how happy I was to see that manly expression on his face.

However... an axe flew into his head, and... it was over... I couldn't even mourn him before being taken as a slave.

I cried my eyes out—over losing him and my comrades, and over my own pathetic helplessness in failing to protect them.

『See!? A world like this shouldn't exist!! You understand that, don't you!?』

Caya, who saw that vision with me, said desperately.

But how could I possibly agree?

『I don't understand it at all. Sure, this event was painful enough to make me want to die. But that is no reason to bring misfortune upon the people of today who live happily without knowing anything. What you girls are doing is nothing more than a selfish, troublesome temper tantrum. If you want to die, die alone.』

『Even so—!!』

Well, if I had only known despair, I might have ended up like her, too.

However, I had everyone.

Even after losing everything, there were people who, like me, had lost so much yet were fighting frantically to live in the present.

And among them was a strange boy who had everything stripped away from him and was brought into this world against his will.

Yet, that boy barely uttered a word of complaint, fighting desperately to fulfill a request from a God.

While he claimed to be doing all sorts of cruel things, that wasn't true at all—he was kinder and gentle than anyone else.

『Even so. My husband said the same words, yet unlike you people he taught me something completely different from what you learned. He taught me how to guide people—or rather, how to keep moving forward through my own efforts.』

『W-What are you—』

『I didn't succumb to despair. And—you must have had someone who reached out to you as well, no?』

『......』

That's right. They had someone, too.

Just like Yuki was to me, there was someone who reached out to them in the midst of despair.

『...I'll show you. What lies beyond my despair.』

『Huh?』

Since it's a dream, this is convenient. I'll show her what happened back then.

—My memories of the village don't end here; there's a continuation.

And as I focus my mind, the scenery from that day comes back to life.

The houses are burned to ashes, and the remains of my fellow villagers—perhaps eaten by beasts—are nothing but bones.

Yet, somehow, the air feels gentler than it did that day.

It signals that there is no longer any conflict here.

"...So this is Kaya's village."

"...Yes."

Yuki and I walk ahead, with everyone else following behind us.

Sheila isn't here, so if I remember correctly, this was before Weed was established, right?

Back then, I threw a tantrum and insisted on coming to the village.

I wanted to mourn my fallen comrades, after all.

Since Yuki tended to shut himself indoors, I thought he'd say no, but he easily gave his permission, and everyone came along to this village.

"...So Loire is behind this, huh?"

"......"

"Listen, you two. You must never avert your eyes. Because of our incompetence as rulers, Kaya's village was lost. Accept that fact. And take this as a reminder so that something like this never happens again."

""Yes.""

Ah, Seraria, Rurua, and Elju came along back then, too.

"Well then, let's gather everyone's remains. Leaving them like this would be too sad. Is that okay, Kaya?"

"...Yes. Please."

With Riel saying that, everyone begins gathering the scattered bones in their own way.

I moved to gather bones as well, but my feet unconsciously carried me toward a wooden club thrust into the ground in the middle of the plaza.

"...Captain."

It was the favorite club of our village's squad captain—the man whose life I took with my own hands that day.

"Is that the squad captain who raised you, the one you talked about, Kaya?"

"...Sniff. Yeah. My parents died of illness when I was little. The one who took me in and raised me was Captain."

Yuki wasn't feeling down like the others.

Just like talking to a friend, he placed his hands together toward the bones lying beside the club and spoke.

"Captain-san. Nice to meet you. I'm Yuki, the one who bought and took in Kaya. I know you must be worried about her, but don't worry. I've already freed her from slavery, and I intend to let her live however she wants. So, she's going to be fine."

"...Yuki."

Hearing those words made me so happy I wanted to cry.

...I was planning to apologize.

To Captain, who literally gave his life telling me to survive and live on.

"...Cap... tain. T-Thanks to you, I... I was saved. Thank... you so much. Sob..."

『Hoh? Knowing you, I thought for sure you'd apologize, saying 'I'm sorry I couldn't protect everyone.' Seems you've grown up a little after experiencing the world.』

"Eh?"

Standing there was the spirit of Captain.

『Well, forgive the bloodstains. It's my first time maintaining a body in spirit form. It doesn't seem to go smoothly.』

He scratched his head while saying something so trivial.

"C-Captain!"

『Still, what am I going to do with you? Just as I thought you came to apologize in regret for surviving, you went and became forward-looking. I missed my timing to pop out. Ah, and Yuki-dono, was it? Thank you for picking up a girl like this.』

"No, I figured you were there after all."

『Oh? Was I exposed?』

"Nah, just a hunch. I figured someone of your caliber could manage it."

『Hahaha! What incredible insight. If I had a physical body, I'd ask for a sparring match. Now then...』

Laughing like that, though covered in blood, Captain stood straight, gave a splendid salute, and opened his mouth.

『On behalf of the villagers who passed away before me, I offer our deepest gratitude. I am certain everyone will be satisfied with the memorial you have held for us. Thank you very much.』

It was in his usual loud, crisp voice—the one he always used during self-defense force practice. It was the Captain I always knew.

"No, Kaya is already family to us. Escorting her to mourn her family is only natural."

『In times like these, there are few people of such noble character. A whole village was wiped out; it would be natural to assume the villagers became undead or that dangerous monsters lurk nearby. Yuki-dono's actions are admirable, but leading such lovely young ladies around is not something I can entirely approve of.』

"Yes. I will keep that in mind."

『Fuh, fuhahaha!! You truly are an eccentric gentleman! I thought for sure you'd say it's fine because you can protect them. I see—you aren't overconfident, yet you still came here for Kaya's sake. Everyone, thank you so much for what you've done for my daughter.』

And after a hearty laugh, Captain's form begins to fade.

『Well then, I no longer have any regrets left... Kaya.』

"Yes."

『It seems you've met wonderful people.』

"...Yes."

『Don't cry. The parting may have been painful. But constantly looking back will only make life dull. If you're going to pray for our peace in the afterlife, then go and be happy.』

"Yes!!"

『That's a good answer. The current Kaya should be ready to hear this.』

"Captain?"

『This is my final test for you. At our usual spot in the forest, there is a single undead.』

"...Could that be—"

『Put his mind at ease. And then, live in the present.』

Without waiting to see the Commander fade away completely, I sprinted off into the forest.

Our usual spot—that sunlit clearing in the forest where he always periodically gathered medicinal herbs.

And when I arrived, there stood a person with an axe buried in his head.

No, an undead. Decay was already heavy upon him.

Even so, he remained standing.

"Gugh... Ka-Kaya... must... protect..."

He was still standing in the forest, trying to protect me.

All that effort, wasted...

'Don't show off after you're dead'... I couldn't even say the words.

My tears wouldn't stop flowing.

But I had to say it—

I had to put his mind at ease so he could rest peacefully.

"It's okay now!!"

When I yelled that, he reacted and turned toward me.

His face was severely decayed, but it was still his face.

"Gu? Ka...ya?"

"That's right! Thanks to you, I was saved!! It's okay now!!"

"Okay... now? Don't... really... understand. Will... keep... protecting... Kaya."

Ah, if I remember correctly, he hadn't realized it back then.

That he had already died.

"...Kaya, is it alright if I handle the talking?"

Yuki, who had chased after me, offered as everyone watched from behind.

But this was something I had to say myself.

Because...

"Stay... away from... Kaya!! I... will... protect... her!!"

Because this was the last thing I could do for the person who was still trying to protect me even now...

"It's okay!! Really, it's okay!! Tang, you can rest now!!"

"Not... an enemy? Can... I... rest?"

"Yup!! You saved me. They're not enemies, so it's okay now!!"

When I said that, Tang's legs buckled, as if dropping to his knees on the spot.

He had reached his absolute limit.

I hurriedly rushed forward to support his collapsing body.

"I... see. Then... I'll... rest... a bit."

"Un..."

"But... just... a little more..."

Saying that, Tang turned his face away from me, looking at Yuki standing behind me.

I see... Yuki had been standing ready to protect me at any moment.

That's why Tang had been so wary of him.

"T-Thank you... for saving... Kaya."

"Don't worry about it. Besides, the biggest hero here is without a doubt you."

"Just one... request... for you..."

"It's Yuki. Sorry for using a fake name. But this is fate—if it's within my power, ask me anything."

"Yu...ki. ...Please take care of... Kaya. If possible... don't clumsily leave her behind... like I did."

"Yeah. Leave it to me."

"...If possible... please marry her. Kaya definitely... likes you. I can tell... because we're childhood friends."

"W-What are you saying!?"

What the hell was this childhood friend saying even after becoming a zombie!?

"I can't promise that just yet. That depends on her feelings. But I'll work hard to become a man worthy of Kaya's affection. So rest easy, my friend."

"Haha... friend, huh. Thank you. Kaya... please be... happy..."

And with that, Tang returned to being a ordinary corpse.

After crying for a while, we buried Tang in the same place as Captain and the villagers, offering our prayers.

"Well then, shall we go home?"

"...Yeah."

"But before that, I have to say it."

"Eh?"

"Kaya, I was entrusted with all sorts of things by the Captain and your friend. It might be a bother to you, but I now have to propose to you at least once. Until then, will you stay by my side? I could just propose right now, but I can't just take your friend's words at face value. For a while, I'm going to work hard to become a man suitable for you... Is that alright?"

Yes, that was Yuki's "declaration to propose" to his wives for the very first time.

In truth, I was the very first one.

Though, on the flip side, I had told Yuki I loved him plenty of times.

Plus, it was officially approved by Captain and my childhood friend.

Everyone says it's sweet enough to make them throw up sugar, though.

"...Yeah. I'll be waiting for that time."

Yup.

What a great smile I had.

It's fine. Even though it took a little while after that, he properly proposed to me in the end.

『This is all a delusion!! Excuses!! Deflection!! Nothing you've lost has ever come back!!』

As the scene fades, Caya finally screams out like that.

Since she watched it so intently, did she calm down a bit?

『So what? That still doesn't give you a reason to bring misfortune upon unrelated people, or upon people living in the present who have nothing to do with the past.』

『T-That's...』

『Now then, since you got to see my raw, personal past, you're going to pay the price.』

『Huh?』

Don't tilt your head at me.

This is one of the most precious memories between Yuki and me.

Since you forced me to dig it up, you're going to pay the price.

『Wait, no way?! The Illusion magic is being turned against me?! Ho-How?!』

『For now, after having a Resident Evil-style biohazard nightmare, enjoy a dream where you sprint completely naked through your town of memories.』

『Eh? I don't really get the first half, but I definitely understand the second half!! What kind of harassment is that!?』

No objections.

It's mandatory.

* * *

"Phew... I don't feel like I slept at all."

Saying that, I awaken from my sleep.

For now, looking over at the cell, Caya is groaning in agony.

Judging from her state, she's currently experiencing the biohazard nightmare.

Since her abilities in the dream are restricted to that of a normal person, all she can do is run.

I've put plenty of game creatures in there, so she'd better do her best to clear it.

Ah, if you die in the dream, you're sent back to the start, so unless she fulfills the condition of surviving, she won't wake up.

"Hmm? I see. So this is how she managed to use Illusion magic."

Looking closely, a strand of her hair reaches over to me.

She probably tied her long hair together and flicked it over here.

This way, she only needed to pass magic through her own hair, allowing her to use Illusion magic even while magic emission to the outside was restricted.

"...I'll have to report this later. But before that, I'm going to go hug Yuki."

That dream made me feel a bit restless.

Being able to do this without holding back is a wife's special privilege.

"...Everyone in the village. Captain. Tang... Right now, I am happy."

Muttering that, I relax until it's time for Tori to arrive for the shift rotation.