Chapter 34: An Unexpected Encounter

Magical beasts.

Experiencing them firsthand had been far more disturbing than seeing their concept art, but… even considering her aversion to anything scary, grotesque, or violent, her reaction had been excessive. She didn’t consider herself mentally resilient, but the monster had been a low-level weakling.

‘What’s wrong with me?’

Her abnormal reaction during the day was a serious problem, so upon returning to her dorm, she had spent hours trying to figure out the cause. She retraced Sayoreinne’s memories, consulted the textbooks on magical beasts used in class, and tried to recall every detail of the game’s lore.

While Sayoreinne’s memories and the textbooks offered no clues, she did find a possible explanation within the game’s lore, though it was a vague, half-forgotten detail.

She recalled a piece of lore mentioning that the mere sight of a magical beast could induce negative emotions – unease, fear, anxiety – due to their inherently grotesque nature and the miasma they emitted, causing psychological distress.

Furthermore, if one’s mental defenses weakened, their soul could also be affected, leading to various abnormalities.

There was no “soul points” mechanic in the game, and this particular piece of lore wasn’t mentioned in the main storyline. Only those who actively sought out obscure details in the game’s settings would have known about it. Even Sayoreinne, who had delved into the lore, had only skimmed over this detail. She was surprised she had even remembered it.

While she couldn’t be certain that this soul-related lore was the cause of her distress… it was the only explanation she could think of. Her current situation – two souls, hers and Sayoreinne’s, sharing one body – was inherently abnormal, so it stood to reason that this could be the root of the problem. If it wasn’t, then she would have to conclude that she was simply incredibly weak-minded, which she refused to believe.

If her theory was correct, it was a serious problem. She would be facing magical beasts regularly, not just during the academy’s training exercises, and in her current state, she would be nothing but a burden.

Even as an antagonist, Sayoreinne’s presence hadn’t prevented the heroines from succeeding in the game, so perhaps simply staying out of the way would be enough. But this wasn’t a game with save-load functionality. She couldn’t take that risk.

She needed a solution, a way to protect herself…

Even if her theory about the soul interference was correct, she didn’t know how or why it was causing the problem, so finding a solution was impossible. She had no idea how to deal with something as intangible and elusive as the soul.

‘Haah…’

All she could do was sigh. She had pondered countless mysteries since arriving in this world, but she hadn’t solved a single one, always resorting to simply ignoring them.

She was just an ordinary person, with average intelligence and problem-solving skills. There was no way she could unravel the complexities of her situation, especially without any precedent to guide her. It felt like she was groping in the dark.

Having reached this familiar dead end, she arrived at her usual conclusion: there was no point in agonizing over something she couldn’t solve. She would just go to sleep.

It was late, and she was mentally exhausted, so she drifted off to sleep almost instantly.

The next day, Sayoreinne woke up late, the sun already high in the sky.

The first thing she saw was Ahrin, sitting quietly beside her bed. Ahrin had been told not to wake her, so she had simply waited patiently. Sayoreinne gave Ahrin a brief hug, exchanged greetings, then headed to the bathroom.

After a quick shower, she let Ahrin brush her hair.

“Shall we eat lunch out today? It’s too late to go to the academy dining hall.”

“Ah, you’re right. It is late… Or I could cook something for you?”

“It’s almost lunchtime. There wouldn’t be enough time to shop for groceries and cook. Let’s eat at a restaurant outside the academy.”

While the allowance from the marquisate wasn’t substantial, she hadn’t had much use for it, so she had accumulated a considerable sum. Since she had no other use for the money, she figured she might as well treat Ahrin to a nice meal at a decent restaurant. ‘Perhaps we could try that place Miner recommended.’

She relaxed, enjoying the feeling of Ahrin’s fingers brushing through her hair. ‘Why is it so relaxing to have someone else brush your hair?’ ‘Is it because my hair is longer now than it was when I was a man? Or is it just… more pleasant as Sayoreinne?’

Thinking about her hair,

“I wonder what I’d look like with my hair tied up….”

“Miss, do you want to try tying your hair up?”

It had been an idle thought, a quiet mumble to herself, but Ahrin had somehow overheard it. Now that Ahrin had asked, she was curious to see what she would look like with her hair tied up. It was pure curiosity, not a desire to look pretty or anything.

“Ah, it was just a thought. Nothing serious.”

“Even so, I’d like to see it, Miss. Let me tie your hair up. Alright?”

“Well, if you insist. Let’s see what you can do.”

Ahrin smiled, pulling out a hair tie.

“How should I style it?”

“I’ve never done this before, so I wouldn’t know. Surprise me.”

“Alright! I’ll make you look beautiful.”

Ahrin styled her hair in side ponytails, just like her own. Looking in the mirror, Sayoreinne decided she looked… decent enough.

She decided a change of hairstyle might be a good idea from time to time.

Sayoreinne, her hair newly styled, dressed in a flowing beige dress, left the dorm with Ahrin, feeling strangely excited.

“Um, Miss, this place is too expensive… I’ll just eat somewhere else.”

“What kind of lady’s maid abandons her mistress and eats elsewhere? Nonsense. Sit down. Money is meant to be spent, especially when you have no other use for it.”

Ahrin, knowing Sayoreinne’s financial situation, seemed hesitant about the restaurant’s prices, but Sayoreinne insisted. If she let Ahrin choose, she would probably order the cheapest salad on the menu. Sayoreinne could certainly afford to treat her to a decent meal.

Ahrin, initially fidgety, visibly relaxed upon seeing the food, carefully taking a bite, then her expression transforming into one of pure bliss. The dramatic shift made Sayoreinne chuckle. The food was excellent, living up to Miner’s recommendation.

After lunch, they decided to visit a cafe, since they were already out and about. The cafe was crowded, typical for a weekend afternoon, and there were hardly any empty seats. Sayoreinne went ahead to secure a table while Ahrin waited for their drinks.

The unpleasant experience with the magical beast the day before felt like a distant memory. The delicious meal, the prospect of a relaxing afternoon at a cafe… she felt strangely content. She had always enjoyed quiet moments of solitude, simply emptying her mind and relaxing, and she looked forward to this peaceful interlude.

“Excuse me, would you mind if I shared this table? There are no other seats available.”

“Huh? Oh, yes! Please, sit down.”

Lost in thought, Sayoreinne had agreed to the request before even looking at the speaker. Glancing around, she saw that the cafe was indeed full, and hers was the only table with an empty seat.

Turning back to the person who had just sat down, she saw…

A girl with smooth, golden hair and a beautiful face.

“Emelly…?”

“Do I… know you?”

Did Emelly not recognize her? Perhaps the change in hairstyle had altered her appearance enough to throw Emelly off. ‘Did my hair really change me that much?’

“Are you… Sayoreinne?”

Emelly stared intently at her for a moment, then seemed to recognize her. But then,

“Why are you suddenly speaking formally?”

“We’re not at the academy. We’re outside, where I’m not under its protection. I have to be careful. I can’t afford to give you any leverage over me.”

The formality felt awkward and uncomfortable. Emelly clearly still disliked her. Well, it made sense. They hadn’t exactly had any meaningful conversations to clear the air.

She saw Ahrin approaching with their drinks. ‘Please, hurry.’

“This is perfect. Consider this chance encounter a sign from the heavens. Let’s have a chat, shall we?”

A chat… Sayoreinne felt a familiar sense of intimidation in Emelly’s presence. She had been avoiding Emelly, both consciously and unconsciously. She knew she would have to face her eventually, but…

‘Well, now that it’s come to this, I might as well try to make a good impression.’