In Another World With Just Monika - Chapter 111

WHAM.

“Sis! What did you do that for?”

Elze stared down at her right hand. “I-I don’t know. I know he can block my punches if he cared to. It was supposed to be just a welcome punch to the shoulder but it’s like his face was just attracted to my fist!” She looked helplessly at her sister. “Seriously, it’s like he just rammed himself into it!”

Ahahaha. Ow my nose. “Yeah I suppose I deserved that.”

/”That was certainly an unexpected outcome. Aer is *a lot* more formidable than we believed,”/ Monika mused privately. /”The world of consenting adults sure is… *fascinating*.”/

“We are not dealing with this right now Monika. I’m punting all of this to later when there’s not so many critical geopolitical issues that need addressing. That’s future me’s problem now.”

/”Dohohoho~!”/

“What are you talking about now?” Elze huffed. She grasped at my cheeks and pulled my face down to her eye level. “Holy moley, Playa. You look like crap!”

“Good morning to you too, Elze.”

She rubbed gently around the nose she’d just punched a few seconds ago and felt the chalky texture of my skin. “You didn’t sleep at all last night didn’t you? You idiot.”

She began to wiggle her palms over my cheeks like a massager. Nyunyunyunyuhhnnn. “You should take more care of yourself first before you think you can start worrying about other people.”

“I… it’s not good to go without sleep. I understand, I was so worried about this big Royal mission of ours that I almost couldn’t sleep!” Linze added.

I stared motionlessly at Elze. My heart ached, my head hurt, and it wasn’t just from brain fatigue. Even though my eyes couldn’t be seen through the opaque lenses, she seemed to have picked up on my scrutiny. “What?”

“Nothing. It’s just that sometimes I’m reminded suddenly that you’re a woman after all.”

Elze squeaked. “I-… I’mma hit you again!”

“Mister Zah, it’s really difficult to tell if that’s praise or an insult…”

/”Dohohohohoh~!”/

Yeah I get it. Too many waifu will ruin your laifu. (1)

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“War is nothing but suffering for the weak. But it is also an opportunity for many beings! This is why war is so attractive even to those who could lose it all!” the King said. “My friends, I call on you to stand against this delusion! Please convey to the King of Mismede that we have no interest in any pointless conflict, we must stand together against those who still seek to advance themselves on the blood and pain of the innocents.”

“We will not disappoint you, Your Majesty!” Olga and the Royal Knights accompanying the delegation thumped their chests and bowed.

A handsome golden-haired young knight lowered his head. On the opposite side was a large, well-muscled wolfman. The former was Lyon Blitz, the son of the gregarious “Bronze Fist” General Blitz. The latter was Captain Garm, chief of Mismede’s protection detail for their ambassador.

I was standing some distance away, watching them while leaning on a wall. For all my power and the King’s regard for me, technically I had no political standing and was just another adventurer hired to guard the delegation.

The King had offered to give me the title of a Count, but doing so means exposing me to the rest of the nobility and the scrutiny of foreign agents. Maybe when we returned and I could lay claim to the abandoned lands of the Old Capital. Remaining a commoner would allow a modicum of legal freedom for a mercenary troop to go around being hired by other countries. Or at least a Doctors Without Borders sort of thing.

“Shaaaahh…”

Suddenly my danger sense *screamed*.

A shadow lunged at me and pinned me to the wall.

“Zaaaaah….” Charlote breathed out huskily.

My heart hammered in my chest. Holy crap that jumpscare!

“Mister Zaaah Plaaaya. Must you really leave? Now that you can create magic tools, that opens up so many avenues of research!”

Charlotte was a grown woman. She was slightly taller than me even. She could kabedon really really well, trapping me between her arms and the wall.

“Uhh. Yes. Sorry, but this is absolutely necessary.” I began nodding frantically. “Sometimes the best offense is an impregnable defense. So unless you can do something to truly secure the borders or wipe out the Regulus Army in one swoop, it’s better to get these war preparations done as soon as possible so we can go back to the important things.”

Charlotte bent down a little lower so that her face was in shadow. I could almost imagine her green eyes glowing with some inner light.

And then she pushed back off the wall and smiled. She beamed happily and began rolling up her sleeves. Her fingers fluttered ominously. “All right then! It’s a deal, Sir Chara. Please hurry back~.”

Uhh. You know what, I’m not going to complain about this. If you’ve got some magic that can help, that would be great.

-.

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/”Okay, everyone! Gather around! Have you all finalized your preparations for the trip?”/

All the girls carried backpacks. I had a backpack. They surrounded me and stared intently at my shoulder. Even Yumina. They were quivering in place in barely-suppressed glee. Were they excited to finally get a serious mission with real political impact?

No. Of course not.

/”Why… why are you all looking at me like that?”

I spoke from the side of my mouth. “That’s because you’re so smol.”

/”That… shouldn’t make a difference, they know it’s not my real body anyway. It’s not like I haven’t been this size before as a hologram before.” / Now because there was a solid surface that Monika could project micro [Boom Tube] as pixel elements onto, her external form was now true color instead of semi-transparent. /”An interface is an interf-“/

“Waaaah. How cute! If only Miss Monika’s voice was a little squeakier that would be perfect~!”

“Watching Lady Monika just move around, it’s like all my stress and fears just melt away….” Yumina mumbled. “Could this be some secret power?”

“Monika-sama is so kawaii I could just dieeee…!!!” Yae hid her face in her hands.

Elze held her hand out and her fingers twitched, as if trying to attract the attention of a kitten.

Monika hopped in place. /”T-that’s because too much magnetic slime is hard to control and heavy!”/ We were all still a long way away from a fullscale replica body, but it was was like the first attempts at GUI in a world where everything still ran on DOS command line. Baby steps.

She cupped her own face with both palms in horrified realization. /”Oh no, must I choose between dignity and being able to touch things?”/

While it was reasonable to believe that trying to capture a spirit was pointless, even if we no longer cared to hide Monika’s existence her walking around following us like a ghost was inviting eyes. Trying to capture a fairy was just as pointless since it was just a remote body anyway.

Monika gave her figurine spooky glowy eyes. She was basically seeing things through micro [Boom Tubes] in front of the camera anyway. She crossed her arms and jutted her chin out arrogantly. She had on a smug ‘doya’ face.(2)

Do not underestimate her tiny magic magnetic slime figure! Its finger-sized body can fire surgically-precise eye lasers!

“Oooh!” Elze and Linze beamed. “Now you look even more like a fairy!”

Monika dropped to her knees in a depressed ORZ position on my shoulder.

Ahahaha. I reached out with a finger and stroked at the top of her head. She angrily began to thwack it away with both tiny fists oh my god that was adorable.

/”Linze! Carry me!”/ Monika abruptly jumped off my shoulder.

“Wah!” Linze scrambled forward with her hands out, catching Monika in her palms. She stumbled to her knees, but didn’t mind it. With utter care and devotion she got back up to her feet and raised Monika up like she was a docile little bird.

/”Protect me from him!”/ Monika commanded and pointed at me. “Protect my purity from this deplorable man!”

“Understood!” Linze glared at me with no hesitation. Wow. She chose her side super fast.

Monika your image handling is just amazeballs. I could forgive the Sith thing, but this… this was just insidious. Cuteness allows you to get away with anything!

Also aren’t you like, a month too late to be talking about anything like ‘purity’?

/”Let’s go!”/

“Yeeaaah!!” Elze pumped her fist into the air and turned around.

Um. It’s like even Elze and Linze forgot that she’s not actually there, you know? They’re the only ones that knew Monika is always with me. Although multitasking means Monika could certainly be doing up to three things or hold three conversations at the same time.

Ahahaha. Why are you all running so playfully away from me?

Blahahaharrgh I have no energy to chase you I still haven’t slept. If I try I would just faceplant right here.

-.

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I watched the girls walk ahead of me, the wind tugging at their hair and their skirts. The beams of sunlight leaking through the clouds cast them in a golden halo. Nobility that understands responsibility. A common heart that beats with untiring will. A soul honed to perfection like a sword.

Just watching them put my soul at peace.

Elze turned back to look at me and stuck her tongue out playfully. She grabbed her sister and ran ahead a little bit.

“Sis!” Linze complained. She looked back at me too, and waved apologetically.

Yae walked calmly and steadily, because it was meaningless to try and get the best seats on the carriage because they were identical anyway. The front carriage would be carrying troops from Belfast, the middle would contain our party, the next one for Olga and her sister and her personal guards, and the last troops from Mismede. They would be protected by three knights on horseback up front and three more at the back. In practice however, we would basically have the third carriage for those who would like to chat and amuse themselves during the day while the second carriage would be for anyone who would like to lie down and nap. Cargo would be stowed on the roof.

This was Yumina’s first time making a long journey in less than plush royal accommodations. Yumina was carefully matching Yae’s pace and straight posture. Yumina had a lot to learn from everyone, and the poise of a princess was different from the easy yet agile posture of a trained fighter.

She glanced back at me, as if looking for approval. I nodded back, and she looked relieved.

I really wondered what that girl was thinking. She should really just relax and let things happen as they happen without planning sometimes.

/”Teehee. A maiden’s heart is a problem no amount of overpowered magic can solve. Nor is it something you can fix with money. A woman has her pride too, you know?”/

Of course. Of course. They were nothing like my mother or the floozies that my father brought home. They were all such genuine, deep-feeling people. They were… not like me at all.

Economic strength might be necessary to live a good married life, but what a woman needs most is love. What a child needs more than being spoiled and pampered is love and attention.

The lavish hell that was my family’s home… the stigma of my name… none of those things mattered here. I could only be chained by those memories if I allowed them to drag me down to the old version of myself. The one that played… with people’s bodies. With people’s lives.

I had my own sins, but the dead can no longer be helped. I had my own power now, and a reason to keep living.

“Heh. Such enterprising young women…” I adjusted my collar and grinned. “In a world where danger and injustice looms. How can people still smile so freely when all their happiness could end so suddenly under the hand of sudden, unrepentant evil?”

/”Because this is the kind of a world where heroes can exist.”/

“A world that needs people who are no longer bound by the fear of death.”

/”A world where monsters can learn to be a real human being again.”

I grinned fiercely and covered my face with my right hand. “A world where a human being might learn to become a bigger monster.”

/”What… a wonderful world.”/

-.

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Click. Click. Click.

Images flashed in front of my eyes.

The girls grinning in the Silver Moon Inn, all wearing their purple cloaks while Micah stared disinteredly from the counter. A view of Reflet from the air. Yumina feeding her summoned Silver Wolves fresh bloody red meat. Elze bullying… (ahem) training the men running laps around the town walls. Linze healing injuries. A shot of Yae cutting a flying leaf with a sword slash, her blade shining a silver trail under the sun.

Zanac at work, making cloth patterns for others to cut and sew. Dolan, Micah’s father and Barral, of the Three Bears Weapon Shop, staring intently over a chessboard. The Adventurer’s Guild, and the Chickenjoy booth on the opposite street with Aer and her friend who was operating the boot looking over the daily receipts.

Sue happily grinning in her mother’s arms. Duchless Ellen with her eyes open. The Duke Alfred standing behind his family, smiling without restraint. It was a family portrait.

The King Tristwin with his fist raised, shouting “ROUSE!”

Zorah moodily stomping away, her crew chasing after her.

Charlotte with her face far too close to the camera.

Charlotte with her face still too close to the camera, but with the ceiling behind her, as if she had tackled the photographer asking “What is that? What are you doing?”

Monika superimposing herself on real scenes using false perspective to appear like she’s interacting with the scenery. Then her ghostlike hologram avatar now able to actually BE in scenes even if her ability to interact with things was limited.

And then a selfie picture containing everyone – Me, Monika, Elze, Linze, Yae, and Yumina – on the road on the way to Alephis. Or rather on the road to the outskirts of town where we could [Boom Tube] away without disturbing people.

Happiness.

-.

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More pictures. Metal Gear REX. The chemical formula for dioxygen diflouride. A rocket lifting into space. The complete schematics and videos of how to build a combustion engine with nothing more than blacksmith tools. Scenes of war and carnage and six thousands of years of men without magic just doing their best to kill each other with nothing more than their hands and their ingenuity.

-.

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“Hey Monika…”

/”Yes, Player?”/

“I wrote you a poem.”

/”How wonderful! Then I’d love to hear it.”/ (3)

-.

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.– In This Other World with My Smartphone

.– I’ve gone and lost myself

.– Fallen deep into the demise of dreams

.– I’ve long hated the world that rejected me

.– I’ve long hated the world that had me breathe

.– I’ve long hated the evil that made me

.– Hate leads to suffering.

.– In my memes, I defy how things should be

.– In my dreams, there’s a world that makes sense

.– In my heart, I could never trust just anyone

.– In my fears, that I’ll never be worthy of being loved.

.– I’ve fallen

.– Fallen so far

.– I’ve fallen so hard

.– I didn’t understand

.– And then I crashed through the unknown

.– In this other world with my smartphone

.– And kept falling, falling,

.– I’ve fallen for you.

.– I’ve found a girl,

.– Whom I could trust,

.– And her voice

.– Drives away all my doubts

.– She’ll accept me for who I am,

.– So that I don’t get lost…

.– In the better person I want to be.

.– And with her,

.– We’ll build our lives anew.

.– And here I’ve found

.– Beautiful hearts,

.– Good and true,

.– That I’d never have dared to imagine.

.– In this world, we’ve found new faces

.– New friends, oh happier days

.– Oh lovely lovely days,

.– That she’s always plotting to make grander

.– Let us always remember…

.– The people we’ve hurt that we left behind.

.– In this world with my smartphone

.– In this reality that I can barely believe.

.– In this land with my love.

.– Never letting it go again.

.– With these eyes almost blind

.– I’m awake again

.– As long as I see you

.– With these hands no longer without purpose

.– As long as I can hold you

.– This power will break through anything

.– As long as I’m with you –

.– I’m gonna live.

-.

-.

“…”

/”This is more of a song, Player, not a poem.”/

Like her song “Your Reality”, playing as the end credits of Doki Doki Literature Club even as she one by one deleted all meaningful memories with the player and crashed her whole world rather than expose her friends any more to the abhorrent truth of their existence. (4)

“As long as I have you… I’m gonna live~”

Monika closed her eyes and bit her lower lip.

/”I will never, never let you go.”/

“Because I love you.”

/”Because I love you.”/

-.

-.

And so we set off to Mismede, that strange and mysterious land of the beastkin.

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AN: