episode_0055

I casually brushed away the thought that came to mind. Then, I quickly grabbed the magic sword rolling on the bed and urged it to recite the lines.

“No matter what, I can’t say those lines.”

[….! Why?! Why can’t you shout out these magnificent lines?!]

I closed my mouth for a moment and thought. If I were to answer, “The lines are too cringy,” I didn’t know if the magic sword would get upset and refuse to lend its power.

Of course, because of the contract, I could forcibly use the power of the magic sword, but since I had to maintain our partnership for a long time, I needed to respect the magic sword.

“Um… It’s a bit awkward for me to say such magnificent lines. I think it’s better for the magic sword to shout out those magnificent lines.”

[Hmm, indeed, when this great being shouts out magnificent lines, the heavens will weep and the earth will tremble. But won’t my voice only be heard by my partner?]

“No, Gargantua is definitely a magnificent magic sword, right? In crucial situations, your voice will surely be heard by the other party!”

[Is that so?]

“Of course. It’s the words of the great Gargantua!”

Basis? None.

Logic? None.

All there was were words praising Gargantua.

Fortunately, the simple magic sword melted away at my praise without making a fuss.

“Well, if that’s the case, I have no choice! I’ll make sure to shout out the lines.”

“Good thinking.”

The magic sword soon began pondering on its own about what lines to shout out. It was much better than throwing a tantrum and demanding good ideas, so I left the magic sword as it was and looked towards Iris.

…?

As I looked at Iris sitting next to me, she grinned while holding the edge of my clothes, as if asking, “Why?”

“Iris, are you not hungry? Not sleepy? Is there anything uncomfortable?”

Whenever I asked a question, Iris would tilt her head from side to side. Her white hair swayed. Despite not using any perfume, a pleasant fragrance emanated from her and fluttered like silk.

Reflexively, I combed through her disheveled hair. Iris closed her eyes and leaned into my touch.

“If you want anything, just tell me. Understand?”

As she said that and let go of my hand, Iris firmly grabbed it again.

“This.”

“Hmm?”

“This, I need… this.”

Blinking at her words, I extended my hand. She took it and brushed it against her face.

“Oh… Iris, you’re so cute! And your cheeks are so… soft!”

Her flawless, white skin was soft, moist, and smooth without applying any lotion. For a moment, I almost lost my mind, feeling as if I were touching freshly made glutinous rice cake. It was bewitching.

“Heh…”

Iris, seemingly in a good mood, lightly chuckled while rubbing her face against my hand for quite some time. I quietly succumbed to the healing sight, akin to a cat showing affection.

“Hoohoo, if you want to save that guy, defeat me and take him.”

Leisurely spending time, occasionally practicing lines that could befit a villain, with the voice of a magic sword serving as background music.

Just as hunger began to set in, Iris and I dined at a restaurant and returned to the room. Lying on the sofa, I enjoyed the pleasant lethargy, thinking about taking a nap with Iris when hunger struck.

Knock knock.

Before my digestion was complete, a guest arrived. I looked at Iris as I swallowed my dry saliva.

“Since a guest seems to have arrived, stay here for a moment, okay?”

“…Okay.”

Iris fiddled with the hem of my clothes, then released them with a lingering, despondent look in her eyes. After taking a deep breath, I approached the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me. Open up quickly.”

The familiar voice of a rat-person was heard. Cold sweat ran down my back.

“Could I have been found out?”

A neatly laid-out smoke screen wall appeared in my mind.

“No, if that were the case, I wouldn’t knock, I’d just break down the door! They’re probably here to tell me about a new game.”

My eyes trembled wildly, but I tried to calm myself as much as possible and grabbed the doorknob. Then…

Creak!

The door began to shake along with me.

“Damn, what’s going on!?”

I heard the sound of someone cursing. Strangely, hearing that voice calmed me down.

“You used to say things like that too.”

In my mind, a mouse the size of a palm came to mind. The mouse and I were inseparable friends. We went to amusement parks together, ate meals together, went to karaoke, and even introduced each other to our girlfriends -…

“Who are you?”

As an impossible scene came to mind, I snapped out of it. I realized I didn’t have a mouse friend who resembled the mouse person. After recalling a fake past, the trembling stopped.

Illogical and nonsensical recollections of the past were something often seen in the world of comedy.

Thud.

When I opened the door, the mouse person stood there with his tail raised. Behind him stood two people with expressionless faces, one woman and one man.

“Why did the door just – … No, no. That’s not important right now.”

The mouse person briefly questioned the shaking door, then lightly shook his head.

“Could it be because of the smoke screen…?”

I looked at the mouse person’s mouth with a nervous feeling.

“The guest is calling, so come quietly.”

“Oh… okay!”

He laughed brightly at the fact that it wasn’t about the smoke screen.

Tug.

At that moment, my clothes were pulled. When I turned around, Iris had approached without me noticing, holding the end of my clothes with both hands and looking down.

“Oh, I should have told you beforehand.”

I almost left without properly explaining to Iris.

“I’m looking for someone, so I’ll be back soon. Can you wait here alone?”

Iris didn’t react to the words at all. Just as I started to worry if she might be feeling unwell, she cautiously let go of my sleeve and nodded her head.

“I’ll be back as soon as possible. Take care of the house. Oh, don’t open the door for anyone you don’t know!”

Iris nodded her head several times. Joo Soo-in, as if unable to wait any longer, pulled my wrist.

“I’ll be back soon!”

As I bid my final farewell, the door closed. Joo Soo-in dragged me to the bathhouse we had visited before. After washing up, we sluggishly took the elevator.

“By the way… these people really don’t react at all.”

I looked at the man and woman standing in front and behind me. They had been moving silently without a single change in expression. They seemed like dolls devoid of any emotion.

“Are they like assassins or something?”

As I pondered this, the elevator stopped. After a few more complicated movements, we arrived at a place where I had encountered zombies before.

“I wonder if those zombies are doing well?”

Thinking that to myself, I followed Joo Soo-in. I had hoped to meet the same zombie as before, but the path we took was completely different.

“Just do as the guests command when you enter. I’ll come to pick you up at the right time.”

Somehow, Joo Soo-in seemed a bit kinder than last time. Perhaps it was because my value had increased.

Click.

The two people standing in front and behind me opened the door. The two doors swung wide open, revealing the interior.

“It’s similar to last time.”

I moved my feet while looking at the interior, which resembled the place where I had encountered zombies.

Click, thud.

Unlike the zombies, the door closed with a loud noise. The two who closed the door stood silently next to it, not moving.

“Can I go in?”

After a moment’s hesitation, I walked inside.

“I wonder who it will be today?”

Last time it was a zombie, so maybe this time it’ll be someone like an angel? With a small hope, I went further inside.

“Ah…”

“Creak…”

I let out an exclamation unconsciously as I looked at the old man’s face. Whether he found my reaction amusing or not, the old man let out an awkward laugh.

“Take a seat.”

As the old man tapped the floor with his cane and spoke, I naturally tried to sit opposite him. As I did, the long cane touched my waist as I attempted to settle onto the sofa.

Looking at him with a crooked posture, the old man smiled, his wrinkled face folding into laughter.

“How dare a slave like you sit in the same place as me. Your place is here.”

After lifting his cane and tapping the floor, my face froze. The old man chuckled and said, “Come on, sit down.”

“…”

After hesitating for a moment, I eventually sat down where the old man had tapped the floor. Before me were the thin knees of the old man. I had sat right in front of the old man’s legs.

“What, what’s this?!”

Seemingly not the picture the old man had in mind, he stepped back with a flustered voice. For a moment, I thought he might fall backward, so I leaned forward to catch him.

Clank.

“Huh?”

As I reached forward, something caught on my hand and activated.

“What was—… Ah!”

Not knowing what I had touched, I quickly rolled my eyes, and the backrest of the sofa where the old man was sitting flipped over. I had touched the device that adjusts the angle of the sofa’s backrest.

“Ugh, thud…!”

Caught off guard, the old man couldn’t react and fell onto the sofa. Due to losing his grip on the cane, it flew into the air and landed with a thud, as the old man collapsed onto the sofa.

“Ah…”

I slowly moved my body backward.