Dream

Everything was black.

An inky darkness where nothing was visible.

No sounds, no smells, no gravity, no sensations of any kind.

This strange numbness…

This absolute silence…

This terrifying feeling…

Was it similar to the hellish state I experienced when I was a seed?

Could it be that I had regressed?

No!

Please tell me it’s not true!

Driven by fear, I instinctively placed my hands on my cheeks.

Hmm?

I could feel the soft flesh clearly.

The warmth and tenderness of my cheeks were transmitted through my fingertips.

Phew…

It wasn’t a regression…

I wiped my chest and let out a sigh of relief.

As I slowly grew accustomed to this strange space, I began to sense the floor beneath me.

It was hard and cold, smooth like marble.

When I lightly pressed my toes against it, a solid sensation returned.

Where was this place?

As I thought about it, my last memory resurfaced.

I had been lying in bed with Cecile, telling her about Earth…

Aha!

It was a dream!

Good to know!

I completely understood now!

In a dream, no matter where I am, it’s not strange!

“…Sir, would you like to hear the story about me crafting daggers?”

A voice suddenly echoed from afar.

It was a sticky, gloomy voice, like an echo reverberating from a deep underground cave.

The tone itself had a hint of pleading.

“That story I’ve already heard 17 times.”

Another voice responded, completely different from the first.

It was refined, like a noble, with dignity and elegance.

However, unlike the cold tone of my master, it carried a warm, gentle quality.

The speech had a classic rhythm, as if from an old novel.

What was this?

Were these characters from my dream?

But thinking about it, something felt off.

My dreams are usually bright and often feature my master, but this one felt different.

These voices were unfamiliar too…

Was it a nightmare?

Perhaps my PTSD from when I was a seed had manifested into something else?

But regardless, what was there to fear in a dream?

I stood up abruptly and began walking in the direction of the voices.

Strangely, my footsteps made no sound.

It was as if I were walking on clouds between the heavens and the underworld, completely silent.

The air felt oddly heavy, like walking underwater.

“Well… what about the story of stealing the dragon’s egg?”

The gloomy voice spoke again, this time with a more despairing and tedious tone.

“That’s the 38th time. You have so few stories.”

The refined voice sighed in response.

He had told the same story 38 times?

Was this some kind of prison concept?

Oh, I see…

Since I knew it was a dream, the fear of not being able to escape didn’t apply.

But still, if I just slapped my cheek, I could wake up!

But there was something strange.

As I listened, both voices felt oddly familiar.

The polite one seemed like someone I’d heard before…

And the casual one had an unfamiliar voice but a familiar way of speaking.

Could they be people I knew?

Since it was a dream, it was likely created from my memories.

But I couldn’t quite place them.

Were they people I wasn’t close to?

As I continued walking, I began to see two small, flickering lights in the distance.

They were a mysterious aqua color.

In the darkness, they shimmered like lighthouses, softly twinkling.

Upon closer inspection, the lights were pulsing regularly, like a heartbeat.

Over there!

With anticipation, I approached them.

Huh!?

The aqua light was a blue flame burning in the empty eye sockets of a skull.

The white skull was sitting primly, a sight that felt out of place.

And in front of the skull, someone clad in black armor lay prone.

The armor was sleek and well-maintained, with intricate carvings throughout.

Even the helmet had elegantly curved horns on either side, with a faint purple glow.

What was this?

This familiar appearance…

And this combination also felt familiar…

“Huh!! P-kun and a skeleton soldier!?”

It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a Classy Royal!!

“What the…! Huh! Lycoris!?”

P-kun jumped up in surprise, and a refined voice erupted from within the helmet.

The metallic sound of clashing armor echoed.

But he was only slightly taller than me.

Mini P-kun, no less!

“Kyaa! Are you here to capture me!?”

The skeleton suddenly jumped up, its voice trembling.

Its joints rattled noisily as it spoke.

The aqua eye sockets flickered rapidly with fear.

“Suddenly, I’m glad. Finally, I can escape this boring place…”

Mini P-kun tilted his helmet slightly and let out a sigh of relief.

“Uh, not now… I’m not ready yet…”

The skeleton muttered, taking a few steps back.

What was he talking about?

Sorry, but if I woke up, you two would just disappear.

But that wasn’t the point.

Why did their voices sound so different?

Their appearances were similar but didn’t quite match.

My memories of their lines and designs were still fresh, but these knockoffs were different!

“Hey! Mini P-kun shouldn’t talk like that! Ang-ang! Inyoung-ing! Don’t you know!?”

The two of them froze.

Mini P-kun tilted his helmet back slightly, looking flustered, and the skeleton’s jaw dropped.

“What…?”

“Well, seeing you in person makes it even crazier…”

“What’s wrong? Don’t you know who I am? Even if this is our first meeting, I’ve spent over three years with you.”

From within the helmet, the voice was dignified and noble, like that of a aristocrat educated in court manners.

But I had no idea!

“I do know! Mini P-kun! Ang-ang! Inyoung-ing!”

I shouted, and P-kun subtly leaned back.

“What’s with that ridiculous noise, and what’s this ‘Mini P-kun’ business.”

P-kun shook his head slightly and grasped his helmet with both hands.

The metallic gloves clinked against the helmet.

“I am not Mini P-kun.”

Clank!

The helmet slowly began to remove.

Long, beautiful hair spilled out.

“Huh…?”

What emerged was… me!

A face identical to mine!

But upon closer inspection, there were subtle differences.

The eyes were a deep purple, not my red, and the hair ends were a mysterious purple, not my pink.

And most importantly, the face was expressionless, unlike my cheerful self.

And there were horns on the head!

They weren’t part of the helmet!

“Huh! Lord Carpe…”

Even the skeleton reacted, its skull rattling in surprise as the aqua flames flickered rapidly.

But Carpe?

What, does Mini P-kun have a name?

“What’s with this dream… Why are you using my face…?”

“What are you talking about? This is my face! And this isn’t a dream, do you know where you are?”

Carpe glared at me with an identical face, his purple eyes blazing with anger.

“Of course it’s a dream! Otherwise, why would you be using my face?”

“You’re the one using my face!”

Carpe argued, clenching his small fist, his horns tilting slightly forward.

“What’s wrong with you…?”

Carpe sighed deeply, placing a hand on his forehead.

Even that gesture was elegant.

“Ugh, you’re so frustrating…”

“First of all, this place is Lycoris, your inner self. I am Carpe, your noble trait, and this skeleton is Asterisk, born from your Crimson Bind.”

…?

My inner self?

Mini P-kun is my noble trait named Carpe, and this skeleton is Asterisk from Crimson Bind?

I glanced at the skeleton, which nodded its skull and cautiously opened its mouth.

Its jaw moved up and down, clicking noisily.

“And Lord Carpe is the legendary demon king from the past…”

Carpe smiled slightly with my face, his purple eyes glowing softly.

Demon king…?

Really?

No way.

“What demon king nonsense. If a demon king’s soul meets a human noble, does he suddenly appear and speak like a noble? What nonsense. It’s definitely a dream.”

Carpe’s expression stiffened momentarily.

His purple eyes fluttered in confusion, and Asterisk also awkwardly shook his skull.

Sigh.

What kind of dream was this?

Probably due to recent fatigue.

Anyway, time to wake up.

“I’ll take my leave. Farewell, Mini P-kun and skeleton soldier.”

“Wait! Set me free! Or at least listen to my explanation!”

Carpe reached out urgently.

The metallic gloves gleamed as they cut through the air…

Snatch!

I slapped my cheeks strongly, feeling the warm sunlight.

“Oh! I slept well!”

A sunlight that felt like Domain Control Radar for the first time in ages!

And Iris was cleaning nearby!

Huh?

Domain Control Radar…?

What, why am I a flower?

Lying in bed as a flower, with the stem and roots under the blankets and the flower part on the pillow…

Wait…

Who planted me…?

“Polymorph!”

A crimson fog unfolded, and I returned to my human form.

Immediately, Iris’s voice came from beside me.

“Huh! Lady Lycoris, you’ve finally awakened!”

Her voice was filled with relief and joy.

…?

Finally?

Awoke?

Iris’s eyes were teary, her expression dire.

“How long… did I sleep?”

Iris approached me cautiously.

Her expression looked apologetic, her hands tightly clenched.

“Well… you slept for two whole months…”

Huh?

Two months?

Just two months?

Not years, which I half-expected from her reaction…

Like my master…

Huh?

Was I becoming like my master?

Like me… not stupid, but as charming?

Heh-heh…

Even if it wasn’t good to sleep so much, the fact that I was becoming more like my master lifted my spirits.

The power of love!

Anyway, two months wasn’t too bad.

“Iris, was anything unusual while I slept?”

Iris’s expression darkened.

Her eyes became complex and restless.

“Well… I’ll show you what’s been arranged.”

?

What was arranged…?

Iris went to the desk, returned with a massive pile of papers, and handed them to me.

It was a stack of hundreds of sheets, thicker than my fist, rustling as she moved.

What the…?

Was there a world war?