#041
Of course, it would have been better if I had stylish armor like Carlisle Lightinger, but what can I do when there’s no choice? It’s not like I want to go to dangerous places like this either.
I grumbled inwardly.
‘And why bring up marriage talk unnecessarily?’
I didn’t know this bastard had such a shitty personality back then either. We’d only had a few conversations and events in the game anyway, so how could we know each other well?
‘Well…’
To be more precise, Carlisle probably knew me even less than I knew him. At least I could read Carlisle’s character settings, but NPCs have no information about players at all.
“Well, I trust you’ve prepared accordingly. If you get in the way, I’ll just abandon you and go.”
Carlisle spoke curtly and coldly, radiating chilliness as he got into the back seat of the car first.
“Have a safe trip.”
The stern-faced Butler bowed to Carlisle, and Taro also waved at the Butler with a smile before climbing into the driver’s seat. I hesitated for a moment before opening the passenger door, but the passenger seat was occupied by what seemed to be Taro’s backpack and weapons.
Taro gestured with his eyes for me to get in the back, so I cautiously glanced at Carlisle, but he remained silent with his gaze cast out the window. As I walked around the car body to the back seat, I glanced in the direction Carlisle’s face was turned.
Carlisle’s gaze was directed toward the lake, where the Administrator of the Sacred Tree stood on the island in the center. It was quite a distance so I couldn’t see the expression, but somehow it felt like they were smiling. As I looked briefly, the Priest bowed their head. It seemed like they were greeting me, so I almost reflexively bowed back. But it must have been directed at Carlisle.
However, Carlisle was already facing forward with his arms crossed. When I looked at the Priest again, this time they were waving their hand. I was the only one watching them.
‘It might not be the case, but…’
Since it seemed strange for no one to respond, I timidly raised my hand and waved slightly. I’d forgotten again that the Priest couldn’t see and was even an NPC without Favorability.
“When exactly can we depart?”
Carlisle’s voice flowed out, sounding bored. I flinched and hurriedly got into the car. Taro had already started the engine, so the car departed immediately.
“Are you close?”
Carlisle asked me while I was still in a flustered state. When I looked puzzled at the contextless question, Carlisle gestured toward the lake. Was he asking if I was close with the Priest?
“Not so much close as… it seemed like they were greeting.”
“Hmm…”
Despite asking, Carlisle showed an ambiguous reaction. One corner of his mouth curved up crookedly. What? What’s your problem?
As the car went around the lake, the figure of the Priest still standing alone on the island came into view. Even though they couldn’t see, their face was still following the direction the car was moving. Could they hear? They say when one sense is impaired, other senses become more acute.
I thought it would be more natural to come out here to see us off rather than doing it from there, but thinking again, that slippery narrow stone bridge would be too dangerous for someone who couldn’t see ahead. No matter how much it’s a path they’ve walked their whole life, one slip could mean immediate death.
Anyway, seeing them see us off for so long made me deeply feel the Priest’s desperate desire for the Fragment of the Sacred Tree.
‘Will everything be ruined if I can’t open the hidden dungeon?’
Well, if that happens, neither the Priest nor the townspeople would have time to think about it. I might die first, abandoned in the desert and killed by monsters.
I’m confident I can open it because I’m the player.
‘But is this confidence correct…?’
I couldn’t help but feel secretly anxious.
***
The desert is actually quite a considerable distance away. Of course, in the game, warping is possible so no matter how far it is doesn’t matter, but with the reality patch applied, if we had to drive there by car, it might take days of driving.
“Obviously we have to warp. How else would we get there by car?”
But my roundabout question was immediately treated as stupid. Carlisle’s tone was irritated, but it was fortunate that the travel time would be reduced.
No, is it really fortunate? In the tutorial, I couldn’t use the warp function because I hadn’t leveled up properly. This time too, my level is still insufficient, but can I piggyback on Carlisle to go? Surely I won’t be the only one bounced out while everyone else warps?
In the game, I moved by having my character place their hand on something like a stone monument with the Sacred Tree’s mark at warp points, but I was curious how it would be implemented in reality. Do NPCs do the same thing as me, or do they have separate warp items?
How do they take the car? From the luggage loaded in the back, it doesn’t seem like they’re leaving it behind. In the game, I crossed over alone and summoned a mount. Does it work the same way in reality?
Withered black roadside trees flashed past outside the car window. The wind noise was tremendous. The speed was gradually increasing. There were no other cars, but this isn’t the Autobahn – is it okay to drive like this? While I was having such thoughts, Carlisle’s voice was heard.
“Don’t space out and put on your seatbelt.”
“…?”
Suddenly, what seatbelt? When I turned around, Carlisle, who had been sitting leisurely, was already wearing a seatbelt and gripping the handle above the car window. Wait, where did the seatbelt suddenly come from? Did this car originally have seatbelts? I’d never seen seatbelts on vehicles in the game. Were these things implemented with the reality patch?
As I stared blankly, Carlisle looked at my face quietly for a moment, then made a small mouth shape.
“What…, front?”
Why the front? Look ahead?
I turned my gaze.
“…?”
And I was horrified. As soon as we turned the corner at the end of the road, a massive rock wall appeared right in front of us. And the car was charging straight toward that rock wall. The speed was even getting faster!
“Crazy!”
I frantically fumbled around. But I couldn’t see a seatbelt on my side. What, there isn’t one? Only I don’t have one?
“Taro! Wait a minute!”
“Uhahahaha!”
I called out to Taro in terror, but the guy gripping the steering wheel just laughed like a maniac. The seatbelt I barely found was stuck in the gap between seats. Even when I pulled with all my strength to extract it, it wouldn’t cooperate.
“It won’t come out! Taro, you crazy bastard!”
The sky and trees disappeared. Massive gray filled the car’s front window completely.
“Carlisle!”
KWAAAAABANG!!!
A tremendous impact swept through my body. It felt like something solid was pulling my body, but in an instant my vision went black and I couldn’t perceive anything.
***
When I opened my eyes, I was a bit confused. My vision was hazily blurred so I couldn’t see anything properly. I recalled the last scene of crashing into the rock wall while in the car. If those crazy bastards want to commit suicide, they should die by themselves. Why drag me into it and cause such a fuss?
Come to think of it, those two had their seatbelts on. Why didn’t they tell me in advance? Was it a plan to kill me and dump me before going because I was bothersome?
My head spun in confusion, not knowing whether I was dead or alive, in reality or in the game.
“Stop being dramatic and get up. We have a long way to go.”
A cold, dry voice fell from above. The annoying tone and voice were definitely Carlisle’s. It seems I’m still in the game. Did I not die? Or did Carlisle die together with me? (Was it really a suicide squad after all?)
When I blinked several times, my vision became clear. As expected, Carlisle’s face appeared.
‘He’s really handsome.’
With his straight forehead, nose bridge, and jawline excessively sculpture-like. That hairstyle with that face might emphasize his handsomeness, but it looks too cold and sharp. In a word, it lacks humanity. My personal preference is for naturally disheveled hair. That feels softer and nicer. Of course, what completes a soft atmosphere would be the look in one’s eyes rather than hairstyle…
“How long do you plan to lie there? Your head is quite heavy.”
Lying down? Ah, I was lying down. But I was in the car, so where exactly was I lying like this…
‘Agh!’
I screamed inwardly and bolted upright. Right, I was still in the car. Taro was still driving in front, and in the back seat I was… I had been lying with my head on Carlisle’s thigh.
‘Ah really, what is this situation.’
My heart was pounding. I couldn’t bring myself to look to the side. But my surprised heart quickly calmed at the following muttering.
“It’s small too… and doesn’t seem to have anything in it, so how can it be this heavy?”
What are you saying, this bastard?
“Isn’t it that your thigh muscles are weak?”
I tried attacking once too.
“Ah, does it look that way?”
“……”
I could almost see the corner of his mouth curving up crookedly. Irritation surged, but I kept my mouth shut. Even if I said something, the fact that it was a lie was known by him, by me, and even by Taro who was driving with a grinning face up front. It wasn’t just that he looked solid on the outside – the sensation of firm muscle that had touched the back of my head still remained. And…
‘His body temperature seemed quite high… or not? Was it heat from my body?’
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
