Chapter 65 – Amnesia

R‌e‍ad‌ ‌​o​​n‍​ K‍a‌​t​Re​​a​di​n‍g‍C‌a‌f​​e

–

Thankfully, Yuika didn’t become the first murderer on the Floating Island.

Of course, at first, she panicked, thinking Miao was really dead, but she quickly realized that she had only fainted from a concussion and was able to calm down.

But how could she tell the difference between being dead and being unconscious? I was suddenly curious and asked, and Yuika replied in a trembling voice, as if the aftermath of the panic hadn’t subsided.

“You know how monsters turn to dust and leave behind only magic stones when you catch them, right? It’s similar with people. Only, unlike monsters, they disappear without leaving behind a magic stone.”

“I see…”

It was the first time I learned that. I’ve died before, but I’ve never seen anyone die.

Anyway, even though she wasn’t dead, it was true that she had suffered a major blow to the head, so Yuika carried Miao on her back and prepared to head straight to the cathedral.

With me tucked under her arm.

“Huh?”

Why me? I looked up with a puzzled face, and Yuika looked a little flustered, showing a look of apology as she said,

“I’m sorry. I think it’ll take a long time if I just go, so can you bear with me for a little bit?”

“W-Well, I don’t mind, but just-“

“Okay, then I’ll leave right away.”

“Hwaeck!”

Before I could say that we could just go separately, Yuika ran off at a very fast pace.

As I squinted against the fearsomely blowing wind, I belatedly remembered that I hadn’t taken the giant wooden doll 505 with me.

​I’m sorry, giant wooden doll 505… I’ll definitely come back for you later, so please bear with me for just one day.

​Thanks to Yuika’s desperation and eagerness, we were able to arrive at the cathedral quickly. As I got down from under her arm and tidied my disheveled hair, Yuika knocked on the door urgently.

Thump, thump, thump! The sound was so loud that it felt like she was going to break the door down, and I flinched without realizing it. If this goes wrong, Andreina might get angry.

​”You don’t have to try to break the door down like that, you know, I’ll open it for you?”

Sure enough, Andreina appeared with a displeased expression, opening the door.

She was smiling benevolently as usual, but the slightly narrowed eyebrows and the subtly lowered voice revealed her uncomfortable mood.

But unlike usual, Yuika didn’t have the time. Instead of apologizing for the rudeness, she grabbed Andreina’s hand tightly and shouted in a desperate voice.

“Andreina! Please help me…!”

“Yuika? What are you suddenly saying after coming here… Wait, is that person on your back a patient?”

Andreina’s expression changed as she looked bewildered at the sudden request.

When she asked in a more serious voice than usual, Yuika nodded her head furiously.

“Haa… From now on, please just start by saying you have a patient. First, come inside.”

“Thank you!”

As I watched Yuika rushing inside after opening the door, I made eye contact with Andreina, who was sighing. I bowed my head and apologized on behalf of Yuika.

​”I’m sorry, Andreina. Yuika is not in her right mind right now…”

“It’s okay. More importantly, is Mari okay? Judging by Yuika’s reaction, it seems like the person on her back is quite seriously injured.”

“Yes? Well, I’m fine…?”

The reason Yuika is reacting like that is because she almost killed someone, but it’s not like Miao is really dead, so there was no reason for me to be flustered too.

Of course, if Yuika were in this situation instead of Miao, she might have reacted even more strongly than Yuika is now… Ah, I’m a little worried about leaving the giant wooden doll 505 in the dungeon.

“Hmm…? Anyway, Mari, come inside too.”

“Ah, excuse me…”

I followed Andreina into the cathedral, feeling a little dubious about her expression.

​Afterwards, Miao’s treatment was carried out quickly. 

Andreina asked Yuika about the injured area (there was a huge lump that made me exclaim “Whoa” without realizing it), and used healing magic, and the lump subsided before long.

Andreina let out a short breath as she watched Miao, who had quickly started breathing evenly.

“The treatment is over, so she’ll wake up soon.”

“Thank you. Andreina… I’m alive thanks to you…”

Andreina smiled benevolently and shook her head at the sincere expression of gratitude.

“There’s no need to thank me. This is what I have to do. By the way, seeing as you came here carrying her injured like this, she must have been attacked by a monster.”

“Yes? Ah, haha, yes, th-that’s right…”

…Well, it’s hard to say that she did it herself. Yeah.

I was looking at Yuika with pity as she trembled and sweated profusely, when I heard a small sound from the direction where Miao was lying.

​”Ugh, hmm…”

“Ah, Miao…! Are you awake?!”

“Where is this…”

“It’s the cathedral, Miao.”

“Saintess-nim…?”

Miao looked back and forth between Yuika and Andreina, and muttered in a subdued voice as if she had sensed something.

​”I guess I’m dead. Seeing as I woke up in the cathedral…”

“No. You’re not dead.”

“Ah, I knew it. I thought so. I didn’t feel that unique languor when I died and was resurrected.”

Somehow, I didn’t want to sympathize, but I did. Of course, if I had said it out loud, the atmosphere would have become awkward, so I kept my mouth shut.

In the meantime, Miao, who had gotten up and was chattering in her usual cheerful tone as if her voice had never been subdued, scratched the back of her head and asked.

“By the way, why am I here?”

“Well, you should probably hear the details from Yuika. She’s the one who brought you here, Miao-nim.”

“Yuika…?”

“M-Miao, are you feeling better? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you that hard, but I was so surprised for a moment…”

Yuika’s appearance, pouring out words with a very apologetic expression as soon as Miao turned her head, was very different from usual. I wanted to tell her that it was okay even though I wasn’t the person involved.

But Miao’s expression as she received the apology was somehow strange. It wasn’t like she was angry or comforting, but her face was full of embarrassment.

Wait, is this that pattern? I watched with a hopeful eye, and finally Miao’s mouth opened.

​”Excuse me… who are you?”

“…Yes?”

Hwaeck… I was surprised by the unexpected turn of events, but I inhaled without realizing it. Yuika, who was also surprised, lost her words for a moment and stammered.

“M-Miao-ssi. Are you joking? It’s me, Yuika. Aoki Yuika…”

“Um… I’m sorry. I’ve really never heard that name before…”

“Ah, ah…”

I couldn’t stand to see Yuika, who was gaping with wide eyes as if she had lost her words, so I hurriedly approached Andreina and whispered.

“A-Andreina. Is it possible for someone who has suffered a head injury to lose their memory even after receiving healing…?!”

“Yes? That’s impossible.”

“Eh.”

As I blinked at the clear denial, Andreina said in a rarely confident voice.

“The power of healing is the ability to restore any injury to its original state perfectly. So amnesia can’t happen.”

“Then what is that…”

“Perhaps Miao is playing a prank.”

That’s just a prank. No matter how you look at it, she looks like someone with amnesia.

I was dumbfounded as I watched Yuika still flailing and Miao making an awkward expression.

​Even though Yuika is flustered right now, she’s basically a good judge of character. If her acting skills are so good that she can even fool someone like that… shouldn’t she be an actress instead of a designer?

​As I was thinking that to myself, Yuika, unable to overcome the guilt of causing Miao to have amnesia, said with tears welling up in her eyes.

​”Hic, I’m, I’m sorry. Miao. I really, I never thought it would turn out like this, heuu…!”

“Don’t cry, Yuika-nim. It’s okay, I’m fine.”

“Heeup, h-how can it be okay…! You lost your… you lost your memory…”

​

“I’m really okay, you know? I never lost my memory in the first place?”

“Hic…?”

Yuika’s eyes widened as she hiccuped at the sudden informal speech.

Miao, who had been wearing a strange expression until just now, burst into laughter as if nothing had happened.

“Seeing you cry so much, I guess you know you did something wrong.”

“M-Miao? What is this…”

“Can’t you tell? Yuika was tricked by me. But I’ll let you off for hitting me with this, so we’re even.”

Yuika, who was still looking dazed even after hearing those words, finally understood the situation and burst into tears, shouting.

​”Hwaa, Miaoi, heeu, you really surprised me…!”

​”I was just as surprised, so please forgive me. Who would have expected to be hit in the back of the head there?”

“That’s because you were suddenly trying to harm yourself in front of Mari, so I was surprised…!”

“Hey, of course that was also a joke-“

​”What are you trying to do in front of whom…?”

Chills. I shuddered at the sudden chill I felt beside me.

Yuika, who was sobbing, and Miao, who was laughing hollowly, stiffened and turned their creaking movements towards this side, or rather, towards Andreina, who was looking at the two of them with cold eyes.

“Ah, haha, S-Saintess-nim? Why are you making that expression-“

“Miao-nim.”

Crack.

​”In detail.”

Crack.

“Please explain…?”

If you only consider height, Miao was a little taller than Andreina.

But despite the height difference, Miao was overwhelmed by Andreina’s spirit as she approached, and didn’t know what to do. Watching her even hide her tail between her legs, I quietly thought.

‘I must never do anything that would make Andreina-nim angry in the future.’

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading today!

The weather suddenly turned freezing cold today—a full 10°C drop from yesterday!

Between my scratchy throat and constantly dry mouth despite drinking water…

I might be teetering on the brink of a full-blown cold…!

Everyone, please take care during this seasonal transition!!!

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Starting off the day! With work…

Well, can I really call this work? It’s more like volunteering, isn’t it?

Money? Well… due to personal circumstances, outside from the small sum used to buy my new (actually usable) laptop… you could consider me not paid at all.

Oh well, either way, certain novels always left me drained till death once I’m finished proofreading them!