What--what is this?　What the hell is this?!

　When I return to my room, I repeat the same lines as Rustyala.

　The emotions that had been lost have been rekindled in just a few minutes of exchange. Rustyala, who I thought was a head-banger earlier, is now starting to seem like an adorable girl.

　As a result, we exchanged like school children. I thought I was supposed to be smarter than that, to confirm our feelings for each other.

　After all, I seem to like Rustyala.
　Skill '?'? I'm not sure because I'm putting a stop to my emotions because of But I wouldn't be so distraught if I wasn't doing favors.

　Slowly, dustily, my suspicions are turning into conviction.
　It reminds me of Rustyala, whose face had turned bright red. Is it right to interpret that as embarrassment?
　No, it can only be interpreted that way. That's the only possible interpretation. I'd like to think so.

　In other words, this might be a kind of mutual love.
　My short life... 16 years or so.
　It's the first time in my short life of about 16 years that I've been in love with a girl.

No, no, wait! Don't be in a hurry.

　I chastise myself for being so ripe for the ride.

　Once, when I was in my former world, I got ahead of myself and had a sad experience.
　It's not uncommon for me to get a love letter, and then somehow no one is there to meet me. I once heard a rumor that a girl I was interested in liked me, and when I spoke to her the next day, she hated me to death. The only time I've ever received Valentine's Day chocolate was from my sister. Of course, I've only spent Christmas with my sister.
　There's not much sweetness in the world.

　There is a possibility of misunderstanding. It's the possibility that I'll expect as much as I can get, and then I'll be dropped in the end.

　There are other problems as well.
　First of all, Rustyala is three years old. He's not on the level of being the same age or younger.
　If you mess with a 3 year old, you're legally out of my world. It's not just adulterous heteros*xual intercourse, it's a crime that will be in the papers.
　Even if I were to fall in love with Rustyala, I might not be able to return to my world with a big smile afterwards. He could be treated as if he were tricking a naive girl.

　There's a lot of uncertainty.

　But that doesn't stop my heart from beating.
　The possibility that it might be mutual love drowns out all my worries.

　I wanted to share these feelings with someone. And I wanted to talk to someone about it.
　The emotions come up like a school trip to bedtime. I want to talk to someone about love. I want advice on how Rastiara feels about me and what I should do now.

　I've just learned the folly of working things out on my own.
　I like the idea of asking for advice.

　But unfortunately, I don't have anyone to talk to. There is not a single person on this ship of the same gender that you can talk to before bedtime on a school trip.

'd*mn it ......, there's no one ......!　No--!

　Maybe Deere would be okay with it.
　I feel that Dia, who has always called himself a man, would be able to talk to me without hesitation.
　Besides, Dia has a solid track record. Thanks to consulting with Dia on the eve of the Nativity, the recapture of Rastiara went well.

''--Let's consult with Dia!

　I try to head to Dear's room with conviction.
　But my body doesn't move.

"...... Oh, what?

　The treasured sword of the Aleiss family, Loewen, which is hung at his waist, shines.
　The skill 'Sensitivity' transcends 'Reason' and predicts a vision of the future.

　It's the scene of me, covered in blood, sinking with a burning ship.

　The skill 'sensitivity' that I inherited from my best friend told me that I would die if I went that way.
　The swordsman's intuition, which also senses the 'reason' of the world, senses 'death' even in normal times.

.............

　Huh?
　Are you going to die just because you consulted ......?
　I'll just blur it out like before.　And yet?

　No matter the excuse, the burning image won't leave my mind.

　It makes my blood boil.
　I don't think the skill 'sensitivity' will make the wrong decision. Dying may be an overstatement, but there's no doubt that something bad will happen to me. That's how much faith I have in this skill.

'...... and, let's not do that.'

　For some reason, the image of Rowen in a cold sweat comes to mind.

　I cancel my consultation with Dia and worry about it.
　I feel my plans crumble away.
　The ideal plan - after consulting with her, I'll be able to successfully express my feelings to Rustyala, we'll be happily united, receive the blessing of Maria and Snow and the others, and all my troubles will be solved! It was. A lot of rough edges were noticeable, but I was generally aiming for this trend.

　However, I fell down from the start.
　I had no choice but to move on to the next best thing.

　In that case, I have no choice but to be a man and confess my love to him right now.
　The best thing to do is to think about this kind of thing lazily and let it linger.

　To be honest, I'm not confident in my feelings right now. I know that my feelings of love are more ambiguous than they were one day. But it shouldn't be a bad idea to bet on the feelings I've lost and tell Rustyala as it is. Maybe she'll understand and accept everything. I have enough of a response right now to expect that.

　I picture myself falling in love with Rastiara.
　Just by doing that, I can feel my heart beating higher in my chest.

　--But at the same time, the skill "??" crawls in with great force. crawls over to me.

　In a panic, I drop the ice on my emotions and manage to stop it from going off.

　I'm not going to be able to get my hands on any of them. said that I would die even if I went that way.

''............''

　I see. .......
　If I confess, I'm going to die. ......

　Apparently, any further intensification of emotions is within the scope of the skill "? I'm not going to be able to get it done.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to use the "? I've found the boundaries of the "? I'm not sure if I've ever been in love enough to act as a confessor.

　In the end, I'm pronounced dead even if I walk in either direction, and I can't move.
　I freeze in a strange position and can't move a single step.

　I didn't expect the ship to be filled with so much danger without a single enemy. That's a little bit predictable, but it's too much than I expected.

　Nothing can be resolved at this point.
　I would have to travel on the ship while Maria and Snow's intense emotions lurked.
　My senses are more acute than others. The combination of Dimension and Sensibility will allow me to sensitively detect their goodwill. However, I have been unable to respond to their kindness.
　If I continue to live like this, there will be a hole in my stomach someday.

　Let's use the parallelism skill to make a prediction.

　The situation right now is like a third-rate romantic drama. If this continues, I'm a bad character who uses a girl to explore the labyrinth. If this were a daytime drama with a mixture of love and hate, I would be stabbed to death in the end.
　Even if it's not a daytime drama, the end result of a two-timing character is usually not a good one.

　All I can think of is a chilling scene.

　The result of integrating experience and knowledge - the skill "Parallel Thinking", the culmination of the battle to date, said that he would die even if he didn't.

　They say it's going to die either way.

'......What do you want me to do?'

　I break out in a cold sweat.
　Thanks to my capable skills, I've avoided the worst of it, but I know that if I don't, I'm going to die a strangling death with a blanket.

　I stand there.
　But there is no way to break the ice.

　I don't lie in bed alone, but I continue to stand.
　Then the Angel of Salvation appears.

'- Brother, you did a good job of staying on your feet. If you move lightly now, you'll really die.　Like, you know, a stab in the back - maybe not even close. Maybe not even a piece of meat.

　A bitterly smiling Reaper (Reaper) walked into the room.

''Reaper!''

　Tears in her eyes and an unprecedented smile greeted her.

'First of all, you must never go to your sister Dear. You're repeating your brother's name in your sleep, okay?　With a big smile on your face?　You're going to go talk to your sister Dear about the other girls. No, really, big brother, you're going to die, okay?

　Mmmm, the Reaper speaks while deploying The Dimension. Apparently, he's observing Dia's sleeping face in progress.

'Don't tell me you're dying ....... It's not fashionable right now .......
Yeah, no pun intended. Okay?　Sister Dear, you love your brother, so you should never ask him for advice.
...... "......, oh, geez, clearly not!　That sort of thing!

　The Reaper mercilessly blocked my escape.
　More troubles are dropped and I feel myself being surrounded by death.

'Even your brother realizes that, doesn't he?　I hate it when you fool yourself like that, you know?　Since you don't like me, you must hate your brother too, right?

　The Reaper scolds me for my sorrow.

'U......, I'm sorry. The Reaper really keeps reminding me of that .......

　I knew it.
　Losing The Christ threw Deere out of balance. The fact that she was even hallucinating means that she was more dependent on The Christ than I had imagined.

　With no memory, I had a date with Dear.
　We wore pretty clothes and Dia was laughing as a girl. We watched a play together, had dinner, and all the while she didn't let go of my hand.

　Intuition through 'sensitivity', guessing through 'parallel thinking'. I don't need to rely on those skills to know.
　I'm sure Dia would love me.
　It's also quite a distorted form of feelings.

　Once you admit it, you can no longer choose to consult with Dia.
　The innocent, dependable boy inside of me, Dia, will disappear.

　And I have to face a further reality.

　I can't imagine that Dia, who leaked her murderous intentions every chance she got, would bless me for being united with someone else. The same is true for Maria and Snow, who must be harboring distorted feelings as much as Dia.
　If those guys were the kind of people who would give up so easily, they wouldn't have been in that situation (・・・・・).

　My skill set agrees with that. That's not so sweet, "No way.

'Brother. Never, ever tell anyone you love or hate them. Even a child can see that if you're out of balance now, it's going to be terrible, right?
You still think so: ......?

　It seems to be obvious from an objective point of view.

I've been connected to my sisters before, for whatever reason. I understand the general situation. I'll put it into perspective. The fact that your brother is tied up with another person, because no one can accept that fact. Definitely.
'But we're all going to be stronger through the trials and tribulations ....... They should be able to fight reality with a strong mind. ......!　I like to believe so: ......!

　I appeal to him as if to cling to him.

'Do you really think so?'

　The logical 'Parallel Thinking' and the 'Sensitivity', which is like a best friend, shook their heads.
　The unidentified skill of "?? I'm not going to be able to say that it's a good idea.

I'd like to believe so ....... I think, I want to think ......!

　The more I say the words, the less confident I am.
　The trauma is back and my legs are struggling.

As your sister Snow says, people don't get stronger, brother. I'm sure you'll find that everyone looks different on the surface, but inside they have a fierce passion. ...... I'm the same way. I still haven't come to terms with the fact that I'm leaving Rowen.

　Just because you can successfully persuade someone once, doesn't mean you can't make a whole person change. The Leeper uses himself as an example to illustrate this harsh reality.

'The Reaper: ......'

　I have practically got my hands on Rowen.
　I have no say in the matter.

'...... Anyway, this ship is being kept just barely balanced, more so than you think, big brother. Be careful, okay?　Because it's too bad for Rowen to dress up like that and then break up with Rowen and then a few days later reunite in the afterlife with his best friend who was stabbed by a woman, because it's too bad for Rowen.
'Right. I won't tell anyone: ......, or rather, I can't tell you: ......
Yeah. Or we can all get married. One of two things.
Wait.

　I put a stop to the unheard words.
　I froze in a weird pose because I couldn't move an inch but overacted.

'All or nothing: ......!　This will work!
No, no, no, no. Oh, no, no, no, no. We're all getting married.
It's true. You have to take them all in. You did it, big brother. It's a harem.

　My childhood best friend, who I thought of as my daughter, says something outrageous with her innocent eyes.

　Who.
　Whoever taught our leaper the word "harem" is ......!
　Me and Rowen are going to go in there and rip you apart!

'No, that's not going to convince anyone, is it?　Or rather, don't say you're going to take him in.
Hmmm, I think it's going to be okay?　Big sister Snow and big sister Maria are very possessive, but if big brother does his best to spoil them, they'll agree. Maybe.
'Impossible ....... Is polygamy normal in the United States of America ......?
'There's a good mix of countries in the Confederacy that tolerate polygamy. Especially among the great merchants and aristocrats?
'Yeah, right. It's a great other world: ......

　I'm overwhelmed by otherworldly cultures.
　Reapers are "otherworldly? He tilted his head at me, but I fooled him by saying, "I'll tell you tomorrow.

　However, I don't think what the Reapers are saying is wrong.
　The skill 'Parallel Thinking' is used to analyze the companions.
　These women overreact to being discarded and left out of the group. Even when they are burning with jealousy, I think there are many cases of being neglected.

　Then, if you treat them equally, along with the assurance that you will never abandon them, they might be satisfied. If you are going to do it, as the Reaper says, you'll have to be flexible and indulge the ones who are starting to get shaded. -- this is just a logical calculation. I don't think it's going to work.

　...... The more I think about it, the more I think I'm becoming a lowly person. I feel like I'm falling into a place where I shouldn't be fallen as a person.

　A while ago, a bad ending, a typical daytime drama, repeatedly jumped sideways in my brain.

　Not yet.
　There has to be a way to avoid that end yet: ......!

'd*mn. You're really struggling with the worst of it, I'm ......!
It's your brother's fault. I guess that's the fate of womanizers.
'Just now, where did you learn words like harem and womanizer, and where did you learn those words: ......!　Tell you what, I'm going to go talk to him briefly.
'Ka, your face is scary, brother ......?　Not a specific person. It's when I connected with the Lauravian people. There's a lot of knowledge coming in, and it's actually a lot of stuff going on in my head.
'Oh, I see. So... ......

　'I'm a little disappointed to lose the eighteenth person,' he said.

'And those knowledge groups are saying. Big brother is a codger. And that's a lousy way to die, too, they say: ......!　The only way to avoid it is to have a harem: ......!
I would sue you for defamation, but I have an idea and can't argue with it at all: ......!
Take care of yourself, brother. To be honest, there is always the danger of death on the journey ahead. It's not just Palinclones and monsters, it's a lot of danger of dying related to you and your sisters!
'I see, more dangerous than Palinclone. ...... And that's going to be for a long time to come, huh? ......
But my brother has a lot of skills to see the danger of death before it happens. You'll find a way. Good job!

　Just imagining it has been a deepening trauma. Lately, instead of getting over it, I feel like it's getting worse.
　It's not good that these guys can easily form hell. That fact adds to my bad image.

'Mi, guys, I think we can manage it if we say we love each other like family: ......?
'Hmmm, I don't know.　I'm sure everyone's faces will be incredibly cloudy. After that, do you see nothing but a gradual buildup of frustration and doom to explode?
It's the best way for me to express my affection: ......
'In your brother's mind, yes, ....... But no, you can't. It's normal for people to want to be lovers as the opposite s*x, not family.
"So the Reapers are saying that if you don't want to die, you should make polygamy a reality: ......?
Yeah, I recommend it. Everyone's happy.
Obviously, it just seems like a hard and painful road to take: ......
'Yeah, your brother is, I guess. But everyone's happy.
Don't you think about including me in all those people?
No, you can't. It's my brother's fault for spreading his hands so far. Be quiet and take them all in.
So don't tell me you're taking them back ....... What do you think they're all about ......?
I grew up with my brother's memories and feelings. I think I'm probably just like my brother.　Still, should I tell you?
No, it's still good.

　It would break my heart to ask.
　That's what I thought, so I politely decline.

　Then I think about the reaper's push for polygamy.

　It comes up frequently in my world and in history. It would be a dream come true for a man living in the modern world.
　But what is important here is the reason for polygamy's existence. Depending on the reason, it has a very different meaning.

　This isn't polygamy for me, it's polygamy for them.
　It's not a harem that sounds nice to the ear. It's something else, something much more frightening.

"...... No. It's still no good.

　I'm going back in the first place. What should I say to my sister then?
　In the other world, polygamy was the norm and I had many wives.
　In modern Japan, polygamy is not accepted, and I am Japanese. I have my own reasons for rejecting it.

　Above all, I am longing for a normal relationship.
　My ideal is a pure love like a first-class drama.

　And yet, I don't want to be beaten down to something more horrible than a harem-skinned grave without ever experiencing a decent love.

　I spin my words (・・・・・) as if someone is controlling (・・・・・・・) me.

'Zee, I'm definitely in pure love with ....... One should (...) marry (・・・・・) only one (・・・・・・) person of destiny (・・・・・・・) ......
Heh.

　I get an absent-minded reply.
　The Reaper looks at me as if he's watching a pig trying to climb a tree.

　This guy thinks it's impossible.

'I will never allow polygamy!　Absolutely!
'Wow, all right. ...... So, if you don't do the harem, what are you going to do now?

　I was so desperate that the Reaper was pulling back a bit.

　I reconsidered the other path I should take from now on.
　It's no longer possible to express my feelings to Rustyala.

　If you think about it, confessing your feelings to her is an impossible proposition.
　Even if your confession is successful, what awaits you is destruction.
　If they can confirm their feelings for each other and keep each other company, their love for each other will grow by the day. And the more we spend time together, the more we love each other more and more, and so - and so on.

　--I'm the only one who loses affection through the skill "? I'm the only one who's going to lose my affection through ? Put Rustyala down.

　As always, if I control my emotions, the result is the same. The divergence of emotions with Rastiala is inevitable.

　The only person whose emotions swell is Rastiala, and I remain cold.
　That's not a proper relationship. I can't call it pure love, even if I can say so.

　There is no way it will work.
　Even if it does work, it's a loose, sinful, skill-driven "? It's a loose, sinful love that is governed by "?
　I don't want to do that kind of imitation - I don't want to do that to someone I love because I love them.

''For now, I'll stop confessing to you. Come to think of it, I've only known Rustyala for a week or so. When I calmed down, I realized that there's no such thing as being in a hurry. I guess I was thinking too much and getting a little confused.

　It wasn't a good idea to have a series of serious conversations with Maria, Snow and Rustyala. I realize that I was trapped and my head was boiling over.

　I laugh dryly.
　The Reaper laughs sadly, too.

'Yeah. I'm glad you're cool with it.'
I think I'll at least wait and see until I'm sure of my feelings.
You're right. Let's wait a little longer. Either your brother will see your sister again or ...... or at the very least, after you defeat Palinclone Legacy.
Yeah, ......--

　-- until the skill "? ?

Nothing new tomorrow. All right?
'Yeah, we'll have to do that: ......

　I finished sorting out my problems.
　I'm cooler now, and none of my skills are going to stop me.

　I take the first step in my new life.
　I'm afraid of death, and I take the first step - shamefully, I take the first safe step.

　Then the Reaper shakes like a cat with a pikun. Apparently, I saw something in the 'Dimension' that was unfolding.

''What's wrong?''
Your sister Rustyala is on her way. ......

　I stifled my racing heartbeat and listened to Rustyala's condition.

He was scurrying around in the bow just now. It's very clear now. It looks like things have calmed down over there.
Yeah. Good.

　I think I can have a calm conversation with Rustyala before things get too complicated.

'Well then, I'm leaving.

　The Reaper, being considerate, turns to leave the room.
　I thank him for his thoughtfulness.

"The Reaper ....... You know, I'm sorry I put you through the wringer. It was helpful .......
It's fine. Your brother and I are your best friends.

　No words are necessary, said my best friend coolly.
　As usual, a man of his age.

Oh, that's my best friend. Thank you.
Heavens. That's good enough for me. I'm really happy for you.

　I said back that I was a good friend too, and the Reaper was pleased with a carefree smile.
　And then, "Bye! I said and walked out the window.

　I suppose he didn't want to meet up with Rastiara coming through the doorway, but for me, I wish he hadn't used the window as a doorway. My common sense, as a substitute guardian, is in doubt.

　As I'm thinking like a parent struggling with the education of a child, Rustyala comes in.

　Rustyala called out to me from outside the door.
　I try to be normal and invite her in.

　Rastiara opens the door with a slightly awkward movement and walks in.
　Then she continues to mumble her mouth in a restless manner.

'Well, um, well, Kanami ......'

　The redness in my face is gone, having cooled my head from the wind.
　It's the same for me. They threatened me with all sorts of things, and I got chilled.

'-- That was just a surprise earlier, so don't get me wrong!
Uh-huh.

　In the end, Rustyala couldn't choose his words and tried to push me by shouting.
　I reflexively nodded at the abrupt shout.

''I was trying to do something a bit heroic, and I got caught in a situation!　Absentmindedness: ......!　That was not fair, that was not fair!　So no!　None!

　As if to tell himself, Rustyala repeats. No, I may not be the only one. I feel like I'm making excuses for my good friend Maria.

'I know ....... I was just about to do without too .......'

　I agree with Rastiala. --It has to be done.

"Yes, nada!　Well, I'm sure it was a heroic reference: ....... But that's not something to do lightly. I've reflected on it.
I hope it added a little something to your life. ......

　I respond weakly to Rustyala, who nods weakly, and I respond weakly too.

''I knew it was a bad idea to trick Kanami, who has no memory, into demanding ....... I have a great deal of regret .......
If you think that's the case, then I suggest you refrain from doing so in the future: ......
Yeah, I won't. That's it. That's it... that's it.

　Rustyala tries to change his mind by saying it out loud.
　I go along with it and pretend that what happened earlier didn't happen.


　--This is how we choose the tougher path.


　Having firmly changed my mind, I change my mind about something else entirely.

"Hey, Rustyala.
Hmm, what?
You're the only one who knows who I am. You know, I'm going to stop hiding it.
A background?
I'm from another world.

　Originally, it was promised that if I was brave enough to tell Maria, she would hear Rastiara's secret.
　But by mistake, I found out Rastiara's secret in the wrong order. I must make good on my promise right away.

'Oh, that. Come to think of it, I'm the only one who knows: ....... Ugh, I feel guilty again .......

　I feel so much guilt.
　I hope you'll be patient with Rastiala too.

"...... Actually, there are other things I'm hiding. Skills and magic.
Oh, yeah?　Kanami has a lot of stinking abilities. I figured as much.
I'm going to take this opportunity to reveal it all to you guys.
Oh, good. I'm going to have to listen carefully.
I'm going to get everyone together in the morning to talk, so if you see everyone, can you give a shout out to them?
Yeah, okay. I'll take care of it.

　As always, we speak as friends.
　On the surface, we seem to be back to normal.

　But I feel uncomfortable, as if I'm tricking a girl to save my own skin. No, it's not as if. It's as good as the word.
　The words the Reaper told me hang over me.

　It's okay if relationships get strained. But when you hear about people dying, it's a different story.
　This is the only way.

　And then Rustyala and I part from each other, both with sunny expressions on our faces.

　I watch Rustiala leave the room and stagger back to my bed.
　The end of the first day of new beginnings was greeted with the greatest self-loathing ever.