26 - Their Respective Times
Today was Wednesday. The day for the visitation with Rui. After going through the procedures he had now become completely accustomed to, Ray reached the cell where Rui was held. Rui, inside the cell, also knew that today was the day Ray would come. She welcomed the appearing Ray with a smile, but...
"Yo. Long time no see."
"You... who are you?"
Hearing Ray's greeting, the smile vanished from Rui's face.
"I said long time no see... though I guess you wouldn't know. This is the second time we've met. And the first time, I didn't have the luxury to even say hello."
"...I see. Are you the other Ray?"
"Correct."
"Why are you the one here?"
The Ray who had come to visit was the alternate personality. Once Rui realized this, her expression turned slightly sad. Seeing that, a sense of loneliness spread through Ray's heart as well.
"Did I disappoint you? My bad."
"No, it's fine. I was just wondering why."
"The other me is a bit exhausted. He's resting right now."
"Exhausted..."
"There's less than two months left. I'm in a rush. I pushed myself and kept staying up all night, and I collapsed. Well, I say collapsed, but I mean mentally."
"I see... for my sake."
Hearing the reason why the main personality Ray didn't appear, a bit of brightness returned to Rui's face. Seeing that made Ray's heart ache again.
(See? I told you he should have been the one to come visit.)
(...Sorry. I just found it too difficult to face Rui.)
The reason his heart ached was because it was a fake illness. His physical relationship with Cecil was continuing. Feeling pathetic for that, and feeling sorry toward Rui, he had used a fake illness as an excuse. Though it was completely meaningless since he was still conscious like this.
(Well, whatever. Next time, make sure you come visit her yourself.)
(...Yeah, I get it.)
There was the option of switching places, but in the end, it was decided that he would stay as he was for today.
"What's wrong? Are you tired too?"
Rui spoke to Ray, who had remained silent, with a worried tone.
"...No, it's kind of like the first time we're meeting, right? I was just worrying about what I should talk about."
"I see... Ah, that's right. Thank you."
"Huh?"
"You're the one who saved me, right?"
What Rui was thanking him for was the time Ray had lost his sanity during the battle with the magic beasts. When Ray, corrupted by the madness of the magic beasts, had pinned Rui down and tried to strike her, it was the alternate personality Ray who had stopped him.
"Is that something to be thanked for? I just stopped myself."
"Even so, it's a fact that I was saved."
"...Then, I'll accept the thanks. Are you okay today?"
"Okay in what way?"
"Last time, you didn't seem energetic."
"Ah... I'm fine. Sometimes my mood just drops terribly. That's how it was the other day."
"I see."
Seeing Rui's expression darken, Ray regretted his question. He realized he had reminded her of unnecessary things.
"How much do you know?"
"About what?"
"Ray, no, should I say your daily life?"
"Yeah. I know almost everything. Lately... it hasn't changed since last time. Every day is just endless training. Of course, I haven't forgotten to think about the plan."
"But there's still no plan."
That was why the main personality Ray continued to stay up all night until he was exhausted. This was Rui's thought, believing Ray's lie, but it was a fact that no plan had been established.
"Don't make the conversation gloomy. At least when you're with me, think only of bright things."
"Yeah... but when we meet, it's kind of like the first time, right?"
"That's exactly why. It's a precious time that's different from usual. Think of it that way."
"...I guess so. Then, tell me something fun."
Rui decided to honestly follow Ray's words. Even if she was depressed, it wouldn't solve anything. Especially if death was waiting, she wanted to increase the amount of fun times, even if only by a little.
"Something fun, huh... Then, a story from when I was in kindergarten."
After thinking for a bit, Ray decided to talk about his childhood. Since Ray had been bullied after growing up, he had no stories he could talk about happily except for when he was very young.
"What is 'kindergarten'?"
However, the conversation stumbled immediately. Rui didn't know what kindergarten was.
"Ugh, we're starting with that explanation? If I have to explain every little thing, it'll take forever to get to the punchline."
"Punchline?"
Even 'punchline' didn't get through.
"...Alright, let's talk about something else."
"You haven't told me anything yet, have you? Explain it properly."
"No, but look. It's not fun if it's just explanations of words, right?"
If he tried to talk about his original world, there would be many more other-world terms that Rui didn't know. Ray thought that would make the story itself boring.
"Stories about another world might be interesting. Because there are many things I don't know, right?"
There are times when not knowing something is what makes it interesting. Because it allows one to let their imagination run wild.
"...I guess that's true. Interesting stories about another world, then."
"Anything is fine."
"Then—"
Ray didn't know what kind of stories would be interesting to Rui. For now, he just told her everything that came to mind one after another. That was enough for Rui. A world full of things unimaginable in this world. It was likely influenced by the fact that Ray didn't mention the unpleasant aspects of the other world, but Rui listened to every story with a happy expression. Forgetting the time, and forgetting the unpleasant things of her daily life.
(...She looked happy.)
On the way back to the castle after the visitation time ended, the main personality Ray muttered in his heart.
(Yeah, she listened to any story with such a happy look.)
(Rui was, but what I'm saying is that you looked happy.)
(Eh... Ah, that's because if I look like I'm having fun, she can forget the painful things, right?)
(True... I wasn't like that.)
When meeting Rui, his feelings of impatience would grow strong, and he would occasionally show a gloomy face. The main personality Ray reflected on this.
(Be careful from next time.)
(...If Rui is happy, wouldn't it be fine if it's you again?)
(Idiot. To her, Ray is you. Even with the same face and voice, I'm not the 'you' she knows. The one she wants to see is the you who spent time with her.)
(...I see. You're right.)
Main Personality and Sub-personality. The two of them now were no longer suited to be described this way. Two people whose feelings were completely transparent to each other. But now it was not so. They were in the same body, and yet they could hide their feelings. Only the main personality Ray didn't know that.
◇◇◇
The Heroes' rooms were even further into the castle than the room prepared for Ray. It was a place close to the private space where the royalty lived. This was not a sign that the Heroes were being given preferential treatment. Placing them deep in the castle limited their encounters with people. Since the Heroes' own movements were also restricted, surveillance was easier. It wasn't quite house arrest, but it was the result of an intention close to that. However, there was no need to let the Heroes know. Living deep in the castle was explained to the Heroes as a sign of preferential treatment, and to make them believe that, they were provided with quite spacious private rooms. It meant they could do whatever they wanted as long as they were inside the room. This applied specifically to Fumiya.
Fumiya was taking advantage of that freedom. Fumiya was gazing at the scenery outside from the room's window. That's how it looked from the outside, but in the shadow of the window, a naked woman was holding Fumiya's exposed lower body in her mouth, moving her face back and forth.
(...It's kind of a turn-off when doing this becomes so commonplace.)
Looking down at the woman kneeling before him, Fumiya was thinking such things. He had taken a pure-hearted maid and, over time, gradually made her obedient to his will. Just to taste the feeling of a little bit of training. Now, she was completely at Fumiya's beck and call. She had stopped saying anything even about being made to perform such acts in broad daylight. And Fumiya was complaining in his heart.
(For a woman from a poor noble family, I guess this is the limit. That said, if I ask if there's anyone else...)
Since he had been summoned as a Hero, he expected a harem galore. Fumiya's expectation was betrayed. In reality, he was able to have relationships with several women, but the harem Fumiya desired was not that kind of thing. In terms of the quality of women Fumiya envisioned.
(A certain amount of selfishness works. But the status of a Hero is lower than I thought.)
At first, Fumiya had also stayed quiet. But the preferential treatment he expected—at least in Fumiya's mind—was not given. Thinking that it was no good to stay silent, he gradually started to voice his demands. At first tentatively, and then gradually more boldly. However, the existence of a Hero was not what Fumiya had initially thought. Not an existence that stood above others and was worshipped, but rather a position of serving others.
(If possible, I'd want to make the princess do it, but she doesn't show any opening to get close. Normally, she should fall for me first.)
If he were to train someone, he wanted a woman as noble as possible. He wanted to target Princess Ekaterina, but the opponent wouldn't allow it. It was a problem before romance, even becoming personally close was not permitted. That made Fumiya realize that the status of a Hero was low.
"...Fumiya-sama?"
"Eh? Ah, what?"
Being spoken to by the maid, Fumiya hurriedly put on a fake smile.
"...You are not satisfied, are you? I am sorry."
"No, that's not it. It feels great."
"Is that true?"
"Yeah. Let's both feel good soon. Let's go to the bed."
Before hearing the maid's reply, Fumiya started walking toward the bed. The maid followed behind him. Fumiya, with his lower body still exposed, lay down on the bed and waited for the maid to come.
"I think I want it from behind today."
"As you wish."
As Fumiya told her, the maid straddled Fumiya facing away from him and slowly lowered her hips.
"...Ah... ngh..."
Accepting Fumiya's member, the maid let out a small moan.
"Good. Move slowly."
"Y-yes."
The maid's hips moved slowly. Fumiya watched those movements with cold eyes.
(Sigh... I want to make the princess do this too. But it's probably impossible. If I achieve military merit, I wonder if there's any reward like that?)
Fumiya began to think about another woman again. It wasn't that he felt genuine dissatisfaction with the act with the maid itself. Fumiya, who continued to pretend to be kind on the surface, was trying to satisfy his sadistic desires by belittling the maid in his heart like this.
(If it's come to this, maybe I'll try to seduce one of those two soon? I wanted both if possible, but those two have high pride as well.)
Humiliating a proud woman. As targets, Hinata and Akemi also matched Fumiya's preferences. The only problem was that, because of that high pride which was Fumiya's preference, the two would absolutely never allow cheating.
(If it's one of them... Hinata, I guess. But she's serious. I'm not confident I can definitely make her fall.)
Not just having a relationship. If that were all, Fumiya would be confident. What he was thinking about was making Hinata perform embarrassing acts, if possible even more so than the current maid. If he were to choose based on the point of making a serious woman lose herself, it would be Hinata, but that's exactly why Fumiya thought the conquest would be difficult.
(...In terms of appearance alone, she's like a demon.)
Thinking about the difficulty of conquering Hinata, Fumiya's thoughts moved to the next thing. Fumiya had been surprised by the beauty of Kamiira and Rui, whom he met in the Forest of Bewilderment. Even for Fumiya, who was confident that he was quite popular in his original world, their appearances felt like flowers on a high peak. The moment he saw the two, the idea that the demon race were enemies vanished from Fumiya's heart. It was fine if they were enemies. He just wanted to get his hands on demon race women.
(Things aren't going very well. If it was going to be like this, I should have been summoned by the demon race.)
Capturing the enemy demon race and making them his slaves. Fumiya thought that would also be an option. His showing affection toward Rui was just a facade. He thought that if he showed that much obsession, they would let him do as he pleased. However, things did not go as Fumiya hoped. The rejection reaction of the people of this world toward the demon race was unexpectedly strong. In reality, there were people who secretly kept the demon race as slaves. However, that was strictly something done in secret, and keeping a demon race alive was not permitted in public. Moreover, Fumiya was a Hero. There was no way that keeping a demon race by his side would be accepted.
(...Just being a Hero isn't enough. Though it can't be helped for now. I'll endure within that range... Ah...)
Even if he tried to keep his mind calm, that was just him trying to make himself believe so. It didn't mean he could suppress the rising pleasure. Unable to withstand the maid's intensified movements, Fumiya finished.
◇◇◇
Further beyond the area where the Heroes' rooms were. At the end of a complex corridor lay the residential district where the royalty lived. Only a limited number of people could enter that residential district. Only trusted maids and royal guard knights. That said, the number of people serving in the castle was large. Even if they were chosen from among them, the number was still considerable. The only place where subjects truly could not enter was a small part deep within the residential district.
In a room in the residential district that was not that deep, Princess Ekaterina was staring at the mirror as if glaring at it. In the room used by her, a princess, one of the few full-length mirrors in the castle was placed.
"...Hey. Do I lack charm?"
"Impossible. Her Highness the Princess is a very charming woman."
To Princess Ekaterina's question, the maid waiting nearby answered with a beaming smile.
"I'm not asking about my charm as a woman."
"Eh?"
She gave the wrong answer. The maid's complexion changed upon realizing this. However, it was impossible for the maid to intuit this.
"...If I can't make just one man fall for me, how can I stand above a great many people?"
"F-fall for you?"
"As a subject. Do I lack charm as someone to serve?"
Princess Ekaterina had ambition. To realize that ambition, the support of many subjects was necessary. Despite that, the fact that she had been rejected by Ray made Princess Ekaterina unbearably frustrated.
"That is not the case. You are worth serving."
When asked by Princess Ekaterina, she had no choice but to answer this way. In reality, she was worth serving. In the sense that she was entrusted with difficult work.
"But I was rejected by him."
"That is because he has circumstances that he cannot help."
There was a reason why Ray refused to serve. The existence of that reason had been told by Ray himself. The maid knew this.
"...As I thought, you know about the interactions with him, don't you?"
"That is..."
Another slip of the tongue. It was discovered that she had heard the fact that Princess Ekaterina had been refused service by Ray, including the content of the conversation at the time.
"I wonder how far it has spread?"
"...Not that much. Only a very limited number of people in the castle know. It will not spread any further than that."
"...I've been humiliated."
Princess Ekaterina saw right through the fact that the maid's explanation was a lie. She knew how fond of gossip the maids were, who stayed in the limited space of the castle's depths. It was better to think that it had spread considerably. There were undoubtedly people who, noticing Princess Ekaterina's ambition, were intentionally spreading a bad reputation.
"Eventually, he will come to know his own foolishness."
The maid spoke words to comfort Princess Ekaterina.
"...Yes. I will definitely make him regret it."
But Princess Ekaterina took the maid's words in a different sense. Princess Ekaterina's pride could not be healed by the comfort of a distant 'eventually', and moreover, by a possibility that might not actually happen.