Ch.305Understanding NPCs. (2)

The reincarnated human named Jack knows nothing about [Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman].

If someone were to ask what this means, Jack would proudly reply:

“I was just a salmon-tasting casual player, you know?”

That’s right. He claims to know quite a bit about the current Ragni Bluemoon—the blue-haired, red-eyed intelligent woman whose neck he’s collared—but about the Queen of Games, [Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman], he truly knows nothing beyond what was shown in-game, and even then, only the unskippable story parts.

He knows how the current Ragni smiles contentedly when Ira calls her “big sister,” how she prefers the tea Rey makes over Gorga’s, and how she sometimes blushes while cleaning her gun as if remembering someone. He even knows how she awakened to her masochistic tendencies and occasionally tries to suppress her moans during Ira’s “education” at night, while still letting little sounds escape. But he has no idea what history the Queen of Games carries or what story led to her corruption, turning her into the depraved trash boss of Episode 5.

That’s why Jack was terrified when Ragni fired the Queen Beam she used in the game, worried that some trigger had activated, awakening her as the patricidal queen who wanted to kill her parents. His plan was to crash into her with his lips the moment he arrived, to bring her back as his woman.

“Well, I didn’t exactly mean it that way? As I said before, based on my past life memories, I just wanted to eliminate even the slightest possibility of you becoming that kind of queen…”

“…Can I honestly tell you what I’m thinking right now?”

“Huh? Sure. What are you thinking?”

“I’m actually wondering if during your journey away from us, you fell for that beast-kin woman Miho more than me, and now you’re just making excuses to break up with me because you think I’m a bitch. That’s what I’m thinking.”

“W-what?! No, that’s such an absurd conclusion…!!”

“You mentioned Miho’s name earlier, and since my relationship with her isn’t great. I thought maybe you decided you need to push me away to have her. So you’re constructing this narrative thinking I’m a complete bitch, hoping I’ll just step aside. That interpretation is possible…”

Jack’s eyes widen hearing Ragni’s words. He thought she believed his story about his past life and was quietly accepting it. But in reality, she didn’t believe him at all and was even making these wild assumptions. Realizing this, he’s afraid to let go of her small hand he’s holding, as that might seem like confirming what she just said. So instead—

—WHOOSH!!

“That’s absolutely not it! I, well, Miho, um, yes! As you’ve probably noticed! It just happened somehow!! I was planning to properly explain and apologize for that! But it’s not what you’re thinking at all!!”

He pulls Ragni, who was sitting beside him, into his arms. Her status window shows all stats above 3,000, and frighteningly, they’re still gradually increasing. If she decided to push him away now, he might actually be overpowered.

“…Really? So this isn’t because I acted stupidly, bringing everyone to the Empire and completely turning you off…?”

“I was genuinely angry about that part! And I told you earlier that you need to apologize to the others too, right? Wait, telling a woman I’m supposedly dumping to go apologize to our companions… What kind of thick-skinned madman would that make me…”

“A man who seduced a woman who molested him and now plans to live with four women?”

Ragni looks up at him from under his chin, playfully kneading her chest with her palm like Miho did, her cute eyes half-serious and half-joking. Jack sighs nervously before continuing.

“I’ll explain everything later, including what happened with Miho. And it’s not four… it’s six.”

“…Oh. So three more have been added…?”

Ragni’s eyes widen at his confession, which he blurted out knowing there was no point in hiding it. At least he doesn’t seem to be lying to change the subject or going crazy with talk about past lives or online games. Moreover, his face as he mentions two more women besides Miho shows the most tension she’s seen all day—meaning it’s all true.

“I honestly expected Miho, but who are the other two?”

“…You expected Miho? Well… I’ll properly explain about the other two later. That’s not what’s important right now, right?”

She thought Jack had changed a lot, but she never expected him to change this much regarding relationships. She worries if this is really the same man who previously pretended not to notice when she, Rey, and Gorga made advances every day. Nevertheless, Jack steered the conversation back to the topic of the [Queen] from his past life’s online game.

“The reason I brought this up is that while I know who you are now, to be frank, I don’t know what process you went through to become that queen. I told you before that I was afraid because you had dangerous skills, but it’s not just that…”

“Mmm. A bitch who uses her people, makes contracts with demons, and leads the Empire and continent to ruin, plus kills her parents as a bonus—I’d be scared too if I were you.”

“Bonus, you say…”

As Jack holds Ragni in his embrace, she presses her body closer, as if asking him to hold her tighter. His body twitches as her now more voluptuous chest, which has grown since before, touches near his solar plexus. Ragni thinks to herself: If he really planned to break up with me, he wouldn’t be this embarrassed by such physical contact. But then again, you’ve been the one initiating kisses and hugs all day, haven’t you?

“But that’s just the Queen of the Game…”

“And a form I could potentially become in the future, right?”

“No, I wouldn’t exactly say that…”

“But you said it was my future earlier, didn’t you?”

“…I just said it that way to make the explanation easier! I know who you are now, and I don’t think you’ll become like that. I just don’t know what circumstances led to that, so I want you to think about what shocking events might lead you to become such a queen, so you can be aware and prevent it.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

—SQUEEZE!

Pressing even closer, Ragni sits fully on Jack’s thighs and pushes her chest against him while looking at his face. Judging by his reactions, everything he’s saying is true. Normally, she wouldn’t try to read the thoughts of a companion—especially the man she loves most—by observing his complexion or eye movements, but since everything Jack is saying now is so hard to believe, she can’t help but think a little harder.

Even now, while he’s distracted by the sensation of her bottom on his thighs and the soft pressure of her larger breasts, his eyes remain unchanged, hoping she’ll understand something. Hmm, reasons I might become like that? What could there be…?

[You tooooo!!! You’re a monster like me, so why!! Why!!! Are you the only one who gets protection?! Why are you the only one who’s revered?!!!]

“…Ragni?”

“Jack, I just realized something.”

My expression becomes serious as I recall the voice of a woman with male genitalia that stopped my thoughts like hitting a protruding rock. I hope I’m wrong, but…

“What is it? Ask me anything. Just don’t say weird things like I’m abandoning you.”

“In that online game world you mentioned, did I never meet [Jack]?”

“Huh?”

Seeing Jack’s expression as if he’d been hit by my question, I quickly organize my thoughts. Could it be that I…

“Well, if you’re asking if we didn’t meet… I guess we couldn’t meet because before that I—”

“Jack, I know why ‘I’ became like that.”

Seeing Jack unable to hide his completely caught-off-guard expression from a simple question about whether I met him, I recalled something else ominous. But let’s set that aside for now. If my guess is correct, that matter would be better discussed when all his women are present.

“Really? What’s the reason?”

Jack quickly seized on my words, perhaps thinking he could change the subject. I pretended not to notice his effort and continued.

“I didn’t have anyone to protect me. In that world, I was always exposed to threats from my parents and the Emperor. The Emperor probably didn’t even recognize me as a princess and tried to use me with the ‘Holy Nation’ just like now. If my guess is right, he probably tried to sell me—with my [Skills]—to the Holy Nation, and I hated that. So…”

I can understand because I saw what happened to that woman. Since she said she was recognized by the Pope, the Pope, as the highest authority in the Holy Nation, must know about Skills and probably tried to have me absorbed by that woman. Or perhaps they tried to give me to demons to be used in some other way. And the me in that world noticed this.

Haha. Beyond being treated as breeding livestock, the future me wasn’t even considered a “living being”…

“If Father had merely tried to use me for national gain, that would be one thing, but once he abandoned treating me as a person, I probably thought there was nothing in this world that could protect me. That only I could protect myself. So I killed the Emperor and turned the Empire into a ‘prison’ that even the Holy Nation couldn’t touch.”

“…Ragni.”

When I look at him with a bitter smile, feeling a little sad after my explanation, Jack strokes my head while biting his lip. Haha, you fool, don’t do that… You’ll make yourself bleed.

“I promise, I’ll love and protect you for life. When I meet your father-in-law, I’ll start by slapping his face as a greeting. You will never, ever be alone again, even in death.”

Hearing her words, Jack wondered why parents who should protect their child would go to such lengths. And the sub-quest after the Ragni raid in the game—he skipped all of it so he didn’t know the content, but somehow he felt like he knew what it was about. This seemed to be something essential for her, even before deciding what to do with the Empire.

After gently stroking his woman’s hair several times as she smiled sadly, Jack kissed Ragni’s lips again. The small amount of blood from his lip mixed with their tongues, entering her body—hoping to let her know she was no longer alone.

[(!) Sub-Quest – Deliver a certain item in the Empire to Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman.]

[Reward: Something will be unlocked.]

The quest notification in the status window appeared behind Jack, out of sight as he was engaged in the kiss.