Ch.345Everyone’s Past Life

“Now everyone, sit in a circle and hold hands. I’ll take you to the consciousness realm.”

Violet said.

Following her instructions, we all sat in a circle. Sitting in a round formation with our eyes closed and hands joined felt strangely like a cult gathering.

“Human souls persist throughout the ages. Through the flow of souls, we can glimpse past lives.”

Violet explained.

“Hey guys… isn’t the present what matters? Do we really need to peek at past lives?”

I tried to salvage the situation somehow.

No one knows about past lives. Who knows? If we were enemies in a past life, the atmosphere could turn ugly in an instant.

“No. I’m definitely looking at past lives.”

Eri stated firmly.

“Violet already has the unfair advantage of being your first woman in a past life. If I fall behind, my position as your primary wife will be in danger.”

Eri declared decisively. She seemed to harbor quite a competitive spirit against Violet.

“Y-Yeah…”

It appeared the other girlfriends were equally determined. Ugh… whatever. I just closed my eyes tightly with a “let whatever happens happen” attitude.

——–

“Whoa…!”

As soon as we closed our eyes, it felt like all our consciousnesses were transported somewhere else.

“Wow… this is amazing.”

Kana looked around.

“Augmented reality… reminds me of last time.”

Tina said.

A fantasy-like world was spread out before us.

“Well… it seems everyone was in the same world in their past lives. That’s fortunate. The probability of having connections is higher.”

Violet said.

“Ah! It’s Shota!”

Just then, Umi shouted. A swordsman wearing fantasy-style leather armor was running through the forest. It was me from my hero days.

“Shota looked pretty good back then too… he has that world-weary look about him.”

Eri said with a smile.

“I understand. Like a husband who just got home from work.”

Ms. Aiko nodded in agreement, smiling.

“Yeah. I want to service him right at the entrance.”

Aki, seemingly influenced by her slightly perverted mother, indulged in her fantasies.

“A hero in a past life… you’re covered in web novel protagonist clichés.”

Mika remarked. Honestly, I have to agree. There was a reason my autobiographical story sold as a web novel. Even I think I’m too trope-heavy.

“Hyaaah!!”

I was running with a sword toward a specific point in the forest.

My target was a crude wooden fortress.

“Geh-geh-gek!!”

“Gehuk!!”

The wooden fortress was occupied by goblins. They all rushed toward me, wielding crude weapons.

Swoosh-! Swish-! Sheen-!

Arrows flew from a distance.

Ting-! Tiddik-! Tiing-!!

My past self skillfully deflected the arrows.

“Kieeeek!!”

“Kieak!!”

The best-equipped goblins among them blocked my path. They were probably using weapons looted from soldiers or knights.

I raised my sword, facing the goblin horde.

“When do we appear?”

Umi asked, sounding bored.

“In typical fantasy stories, there are usually villagers captured by goblins. We’re probably those villagers, right?”

Mika displayed her otaku knowledge.

“How romantic… like a prince on a white horse.”

Umi’s eyes sparkled.

“I’d prefer to be a fellow warrior. Like a beautiful female warrior type.”

Taiga subtly expressed her opinion.

“I’d like to be… the hero’s sex slave!”

Tina seized the opportunity to express her somewhat lewd thoughts. Tina… you’re into that?

“Well, here’s where we met.”

Just then, Violet made an unexpected statement.

“What do you mean we met here?”

Eri asked.

“Those goblins… they’re the past lives of Eri, Umi, Taiga, Tina, Kana, and Mika. You’re all siblings. Goblin siblings… no wonder you all get along so well. It must be the lingering memory of being siblings in a past life.”

Violet said.

“Kehehehe!! Human meat!! Fresh and tasty!”

“Meat!!”

We silently watched the goblins charging madly toward me.

“Don’t talk nonsense!!! We were goblins in our past lives?!!”

Umi immediately grabbed Violet by the collar.

“At least make us succubi or something!! Those are pretty!! What’s with goblins?! Goblins!!”

Mika shouted.

“I’d be satisfied even as a hobgoblin!!! Regular goblins are just cannon fodder!!”

Tina also got angry. Tina… you’d be satisfied with being a hobgoblin?

“I’m too weak!!”

Kana seemed more devastated by the fact that she was weak rather than being a goblin.

“That’s why… I told you not to look at past lives.”

Violet said with a troubled expression.

“Die!! Monsters!!”

My past self swung his sword, cutting down the goblins one after another.

“Kieeeeek!!”

“Kieeeek!!”

“Human… strong!!”

The goblins were swept away and died.

“Aaaaargh!! My past self died!”

Umi cried out loudly.

“Hey!! Violet!! You’re not just making this up, are you?!!”

Taiga shook her head while looking at the goblin corpses.

“…….”

Rather than insisting, Violet looked down at the ground with a troubled expression. That was answer enough.

“W-We still have hope.”

Kirtan said with twitching lips.

“Y-Yeah.”

“I’d be satisfied just being human.”

Aki and Aiko also exchanged opinions with smiles.

——-

Anyway, the hero’s journey continued. Occasionally, Violet could fast-forward the timeline to quickly move to the next encounter location.

The hero—me—was now traveling with a harem of companions under the guise of party members.

“The next town is the desert city, Hiangtan.”

“A desert city… I heard the dancers there are so beautiful.”

“Hero… always thinking about women…”

The party members were chatting as they walked.

“Ah. Found Kirtan.”

Just then, Violet spoke.

“Where? Where exactly?”

Kirtan looked around.

“There.”

Violet pointed to a corner. It was just beyond the small forest where the hero’s party was walking.

Squeak-! Squeak-! Squeak-!

There was a dung beetle diligently rolling a ball of dung. The dung beetle was earnestly transporting the dung somewhere. It somehow warmed my heart. Even such a small creature works hard every day. I should stop whining and work hard too. That’s what I thought.

“That’s… Kirtan’s past life.”

Violet said.

“A dung beetle?!! A dung beetle?!!”

Kirtan immediately got angry.

“All life has equal value. The idea that humans are superior to insects is an extremely human-centric thought.”

Violet lectured.

“Enough!! With that enlightened philosophy!! A dung beetle is just not acceptable no matter how you look at it!!”

Kirtan exploded in anger.

“D-Dung beetles are perfectly magnificent creatures! Don’t be prejudiced just because they eat dung!!”

I stated firmly.

“In ancient Egypt, they were revered as sacred beings rolling the sun! There was even a god with a dung beetle’s face!”

I immediately came to the dung beetle’s defense.

“No!! Not a dung beetle!! It eats poop!!”

Kirtan shouted.

“Don’t complain at the dinner table!! Dung beetle!!”

I snapped.

“You just called me a dung beetle!!”

Kirtan shouted loudly, arguing with me.

“Haven’t you seen ‘The Mummy’?! It’s better than those man-eating scarabs!! Look at the dung beetle! How endearing and cute is it?!”

I shouted.

“I’d rather be that!! At least those are scary!!”

Kirtan yelled.

“Phew… are all the others out of luck?”

Aki breathed nervously.

“As long as we’re human, my daughter and I break even, right?”

Aiko said with a smile.

“Then… let me search for the threads of your souls.”

Aiko said as she quickly flipped through memories like fast-forwarding a video.

——–

And the hero’s party ended up staying at an inn.

“Welcome.”

The beautiful female innkeeper greeted them. Beside her, her daughter, working as an employee, bowed politely.

“My… you must be the hero! I’ve heard so much about you. You’re even more handsome and gallant than the rumors say.”

The innkeeper smiled flirtatiously at the hero.

“My daughter and I… we live for the joy of hearing about your exploits. You can stay at our inn for free.”

The innkeeper said with a smile.

“Ah… thank you.”

The hero grinned broadly. This… may be my past self, but he’s really consistent. The hero already seemed completely smitten with the mother-daughter duo.

———

And time flowed into the night.

While the party members were asleep, the hero secretly left his room at dawn and began spending a happy time with the mother and daughter.

“Really… Shota is always Shota, no matter when you look at him.”

Eri said in a tone of disbelief.

“Truly a dick-brained bastard…”

Taiga also spoke with exasperation.

“Aki and Aiko’s past lives seem to be those two. A mother-daughter pair even in a past life. What an incredible connection.”

Violet said.

“We did it!!”

“We were human!! And we had a relationship with Shota!!”

Aki and Aiko ran to each other with joyful expressions and embraced.

“So this is why I converted to Buddhism and accumulated good deeds!”

Suddenly, Ms. Aiko started chanting Buddhist prayers. No, Head Priestess? You shouldn’t say such things!!

In the end… the winners of this past life peeking seemed to be the mother-daughter pair, Aki and Aiko.

———

Shortly after, we returned to reality.

“…….”

The atmosphere had become quite gloomy. I knew this would happen.

“Um… everyone, you know, Green Beard gave us pumpkins? Let’s make pumpkin porridge together! Okay?”

I desperately tried to salvage the mood.

However, my girlfriends showed no reaction at all. It seemed like it would take some time for everyone’s mood to improve.