Shujinkou Janai! - Ch 15

[————I’ll ask you again. Who are “you”?]

Resilia’s gaze and her sword were fixed squarely on my forehead.

The room of the luxury inn in the middle of the night is filled with a tense atmosphere.

[What are you suddenly……]

[Don’t play dumb. You think I don’t know my own brother?]

Underneath the tension, I could sense quiet anger in her tone.

I was daunted by her will that seemed to tell me that she wouldn’t allow me to evade this.

[This is……]

In front of me, I could feel the power of the sword in Resilia’s hand.

The fact that I was at a loss for words seemed to have convinced her.

[……Alright. I’ll tell you everything.]

At this point, I just gave up.

It wasn’t that I was quite desperate about this matter.

I did originally intend to hide this, but I wasn’t going to keep it from her.

I’m not a softie, nor am I a saint, but I’m not so rotten that I would lie to someone who wanted to know about her relative.

It’s just, you need to be prepared, Resilia.

[First, I’m not the Rex Toren you know. I was born in a different world……]

If this is how it’s going to be, we’re in this together.

I’m sorry, but I’m going to have you bear these secrets of mine as well.

※　※　※

I told Resilia the whole truth.

I could have fooled her about all sorts of things, but I don’t feel the need to do so.

It wasn’t just about my reincarnation.

I told her about how if things continue like this, the Evil Deity will resurrect and destroy the world, about what I was thinking of doing from now on, and then, without hiding it, I also told her that her hometown, Ash City, had fallen into the hands of monsters.

[……I see.]

I could have envisioned a number of different patterns of how angry or sad she would be after hearing all of this, but she just quietly mumbled something like that.

It didn’t seem like she was not shocked, but I was puzzled by her lack of reaction.

[You don’t think I’m lying?]

I couldn’t hold myself back from asking her this.

For some reason, Resilia nodded at the question, and sounding rather moved, she spoke.

[That’s a very “typical” reaction.]

I raised my eyebrows, not knowing what she meant, to which she added.

[If we were to go to the church for a “Tribunal’s Ruling”, all the lies would be revealed. Knowing that, people from this world wouldn’t make up such pointless lies.]

[……I see, that’s why you described it as “typical” huh.]

So, she thought I was either from another world that didn’t know about the “Tribunal’s Ruling”, or that I was acting like one huh.

In fact, I did know about the “Tribunal’s Ruling” in the game’s worldbuilding, but I hadn’t thought of making use of it in this situation.

I know the world of B&B from the game, but I must admit that there are some holes in my knowledge when it comes to the parts of the game that have little to do with strategies.

[Besides, “you” don’t actually know anything about Rex…… no, about my brother huh.]

[What do you mean?]

Resilia, her gaze looking rather distant, bluntly spoke.

[It’s been ten years since I last saw my brother.]

[Eh……]

I was speechless at the words I didn’t expect.

[Ten years ago, my brother suddenly gave up everything and ran away from home to become an adventurer. At that time, it threw everything around us into disarray. ……When those monsters attacked, all I knew was that my brother had shown up near the city. So, I frantically asked around and headed for the east gate.]

[W- Wait a moment. But what you said earlier, about how there’s no way you wouldn’t know about your own brother……]

[Of course, it was a bluff. However, it seems like we found ourself the dunce.]

Without even acting shy at all, Resilia actually said this.

[So, even if a different person were inside of my brother, I wouldn’t know what to think. After all, I don’t know my brother either.]

“”

[That is……]

I don’t know what to say.

One of the most popular characters in B&B, <The Lone Wolf Adventurer, Rex>.

Despite his overwhelming popularity, not much is known about him.

After all, he is……

[However, there’s one thing I want to know…… What did my brother, what did <Rex> do in the “story” from your world?]

I hesitated to answer that question.

However, the one who decided to let her hear everything was me.

As I gathered my thoughts, thinking about what to say, I calmly spoke.

Rex is a Support Character right from the start.

He was strong only in the beginning, but gradually, his strength began to be overshadowed.

Not only that, there’s a “definite goodbye” in store for him.

“”

[Rex would stay with the “Hero” to help them grow up to a certain degree, then say “I have business to attend to” and would leave the Hero’s side.]

The condition is that either one year has passed since the game started or the Hero has stepped on one of the “Twelve Dark Ruins”.

Either way, Rex will disappear from the party for sure.

And……

[From then on, he would never appear before the “Hero” again. But……]

I hesitated.

I tried looking at Resilia, looking for a reason that could help me, but she didn’t look away and just looked at me.

[But what?]

[……If you go deep within the castles in the ruins of Ash City, you will find a corpse dressed all in black.]

Perhaps, the “business he had to attend to” that “Rex” was referring to was to retake Ash City or something similar.

However, what met him there was an extremely cruel end.

B&B’s famed <The Lone Wolf Adventurer> will truly meet the end of a lone wolf, all by himself.

[……I see.]

After saying this, Resilia didn’t move for a while.

However……

[……You must be thirsty after talking so much.]

[Huh?]

As I wondered why she suddenly looked up, she took out two beautiful glass bottles of water and started drinking from one of them.

Staring at her, astounded at her sudden eccentricity, I wondered what she was thinking……

[……Here you go.]

——–and she held out the other one to me.

[N- No……]

[Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned.]

I was about to refuse, but her momentum compelled me to accept it.

Swept along with her pace, I timidly took a sip.

……The water was very much normal.

[That’s great.]

Watching me take a sip of the water, she smiled.

Wondering what she was so happy about……

[That was Holy Water.]

[Huh?]

She said that so nonchalantly.

[I heard how there are some Demons that can possess people.]

[You……]

In short, she was being suspicious if I was possessed by a Demon.

[It was just in case. Besides, this tells me that you have a less guarded personality.]

She says the most outrageous things without hesitation.

I thought she was just a heroic general mob from my impression from the game, but it seems that this girl is much more of a swindler than I thought.

She looked at me for a moment, before she nodded her head.

[……I’ve decided. Please let me accompany you for the time being.]

[Wha!?]

I couldn’t help but be surprised at her sudden proposal.

[Regardless of who you are, that body belongs to my brother. I can’t just leave it alone.]

[N- No, that might be the case……]

[You don’t seem to be familiar with the general knowledge of this world, and it should be convenient for you to have someone by your side who’s knowledgeable about the situation. Besides, the Toren Family is a warrior family so I’ll be of some use in battle.]

She spoke without hesitation.

The look in her eyes showed that she was determined not to budge in this matter, but I also can’t simply nod in agreement.

[Wait a minute! This and that are entirely different matters! At the very least, I can’t say anything about you fighting because I don’t know how strong you are.]

At least, she isn’t even strong enough to beat a Gargoyle.

In the first place, Resilia was an Event Character at the very beginning of the game, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s doubtful if she had a decent setting established.

I don’t intend to throw out Rex’s blood relatives, even if it’s temporarily, but there’s no way I could send people who can’t fight into battle.

[Let’s start with your level, or rather, tell me your status in detail first, and then we can go from there.]

I tried to persuade her, but Resilia’s reaction was strange.

What came to her face was neither understanding nor repulsion.

She just said, with confusion that she might have shown for the first time since we met……

[————Ummm, what is this Status and Level?]