I Reincarnated as the Villain in an Eroge, But Before I Realized, I Became a Capture Target
Translator: Reo
Editor: PalenMisha
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 75 (Part 2)
The horses slowed down their pace and carefully proceeded along the snow-covered road. We were all relaxing inside the carriage, but perhaps due to the thought of what was to come, there was an air of anxiety around us.
I also pretended to be calm, though my nerves wouldn’t settle.
In the game, by the time the hero’s party reached the Dark Organization, they had all already died. Even though I gave them the magic barrier tool, I couldn’t help but worry about them.
However, rushing leads to mistakes. If we force the horses to run, their feet might get caught in the snow and the carriage could topple over.
It was hard to see the layout of the land through the snow-covered road, and it would be a problem if we unknowingly took the wrong road.
Also, we met Klage in the dungeon on the 19th. Even if they grabbed the star fragment and left the dungeon immediately after, it would have taken them a while to get to the capital with so many people while also gathering demonic essence.
They would surely, as per the scenario, make their move on the 31st. So if we put all our efforts into getting there, we should make it there on time. I wanted to believe that, but I was getting more and more fidgety.
“…Should I have just gone ahead to the capital by myself?”
I fulfilled my goal back when we’d met Klage, and, if I thought about the scenario in the game, one could basically clear the 12th dungeon as long as Luca and Noel were there. In that case, maybe I should have left the dungeon by myself and started making my way to the capital. But… I really wanted to be there for Noel’s birthday and the option of leaving Luca didn’t even cross my mind. It only came to me now.
It seemed that Luca had heard my mumbling because his arms that were hugging me tightened.
“No? You leaving me is never an option,” Luca told me desperately.
I thought his reaction was strange, but still agreed. I wondered what was wrong. Ever since we left the dungeon, I could feel nervousness coming off of Luca. It kind of felt like he was scared of something.
Speaking of which, Luca had been anxious during the festival as well. In the end, I didn’t ask him about it though.
Even though I was worried, I’d told Luca before that everyone had a thing or two that they didn’t want to talk about. Things that were better not to say because you treasured the other person. It was better not to force it then and wait instead until he wanted to talk to me about it.
On the 26th, we carefully made our way down the peaceful mountain roads. On the 27th, we travelled a path through a forest. And on the 28th, the terrain evened out and the horses steadily galloped onwards.
We encountered monsters here and there along the way, but they weren’t that strong and we defeated them easily. Anyway, we kept moving forward.
Had things kept going smoothly, we would have made it to the capital by the evening of the 30th, but a blizzard started falling from noon on the 29th and we were forced to stop at a way station.
The fact that we were forced to stop because of the weather proved to me once again the tremendous compelling force of the Akashic records.
Due to the strong winds, the storm clouds quickly passed us by and, by the next day, it had stopped snowing. The path was covered in 40 cm of snow making it hard for the horses to get by. We had to continue on foot while Camilla continuously used flame magic to melt the snow.
At night, after dinner, we all gathered around the fire for a bit. We talked about how we’d reach the capital by tomorrow afternoon and cheerfully encouraged each other to do our best, but with the end of our journey fast approaching, there was a sentimental atmosphere.
The flickering flames, the crackling of the wood – this would likely be the last time we would sit around the fire like this.
I’d only been with them like this for about two months, but the rest had spent almost 11 months together, so the sadness they felt must have been that much worse than mine.
While I was wallowing in melancholy, Noel suddenly looked my way.
“Luca… it’s a bit earlier than usual but maybe we should break up for today? So that we’re a hundred percent ready for tomorrow.”
“That’s right. I’m a bit reluctant to do so, but let’s all go get some rest.”
When he agreed to Noel’s proposal, the silent campfire bustled into life again. Noel and Nina said goodnight and immediately went inside their tent.
Orobas too took one last look at our surroundings, spread his demon wings, and flew away.
Bennett couldn’t seem to calm down and was fussing around the kitchen, and Camilla, as always, started doing some alchemy.
Miranda and Cindy stayed where they were and exchanged glasses of alcohol.
“Zagan, let’s go to the tent as well.”
“Ok.” I nodded, and Luca pulled me by the hand into our tent.
Luca only let out one small light, so we stripped off our clothes in the murky darkness. Luca then pulled me into the futon that he’d laid out beforehand and hugged me.
A happy sigh slipped out as I felt Luca’s inviting warmth. I was tired from walking all day, but his warmth revived me. I hugged Luca back as my heart filled to the brim with love. At some point, it got too full and I couldn’t take it anymore – I rubbed my face against his chest.
“Luca. Luca.”
“Fufu, you’re cute. I love you.”
I was happy to get kisses on my head and forehead. And happy that he patted me on the back.
But, even though I waited for a while, he didn’t touch me any further than that. Usually, he’d give me tons of kisses on my cheeks and on my lips as well. His hands would travel down to my butt and he’d even touch my puckered hole.
Was he not going to hold me tonight? We’d had sex every night so far, but to do nothing on the night before the decisive battle? It felt like some sort of flag was being raised and I didn’t like it. Also, it would be lonely not to be able to feel Luca’s emotions inside of me.
Should I instigate it?
With that in mind, I looked up at Luca’s face and finally noticed what emotion Luca was conveying to me.
“Luca…?”
Again. He was anxious again.
What was really going on?
Was he worried about his family and the people in the capital? No, if that were the case, he would have already told me about it.
Maybe I should force it out of him so it wouldn’t affect him tomorrow. But maybe exposing it would give him pain instead.
Not knowing what to do, in the end, I could only stare into his blue eyes. Luca still smiled at me gently though, despite his furrowed brows.
“I’m sorry, Zagan. I know I’ve been making you worry for a while now. Would you… listen to my story?”
I nodded. I’ll listen. No matter how long it will take, I’ll listen.
“Thank you. This is like the thing with the moon, it’s just a dream. In my dream I’m always on a journey, always fighting the Evil God. But whenever I defeat it, I just go back to the start. Again and again, I defeat the Evil God and again and again I go back to the start… until I gradually lose my mind. Is this reality or is this a dream? I can’t tell. I’m worried that maybe this moment right now is all just a dream.”
Is it possible that this very moment is a dream?
I was surprised Luca was having such dreams in the first place. Thinking about it though, the original Zagan, who died, went back to the past and his soul fused with mine. Which means it only makes sense that Luca and the others went back in time as well. Since Zagan retained all of his memories, it wasn’t that surprising that Luca remembered some things and was experiencing those memories through his dreams.
His life repeating again and again might have something to do with the game formatting. Since it was a love-simulation game, even if you cleared it once you could start it all over again to capture a different heroine. You could play it over and over again until you’d collected them all. And the Akashic records of this world were based on that game.
If so, then wouldn’t the protagonist, Luca, be carved into every route? Whatever choice Luca made, had to follow the scenarios in the game. He couldn’t stray outside of it.
I still didn’t know why though, but anyway…
“That… must be a painful dream.”
“Yeah. But you, who wasn’t with me in the dream, are here now. Also, I’m not going to defeat the Evil God, but to save her, so I’d like to think it’ll be ok. I say that, but… I’m scared. What happens if this is also a dream? What happens if I save the Evil God, but everything still goes back to the start? If you… disappear from between these arms?”
I see. So that’s why he kept touching me all the time, why he wouldn’t let go of my hand inside the dungeon, why he kept hugging me all the time. It was to make sure I was really there.
It would be easy just to tell him that this isn’t a dream, but if he asked me for concrete proof, I couldn’t give it to him.
“Luca, have you ever heard about something called Probatio Diabolica?”
“Probatio Diabolica?”
And as theorized …… so Luca indeed has memory from previous lives. Though since it’s in the form of dream, he doesn’t looks like someone actually gone through rebirth. It also explains his unliveliness, since he kept repeating everything over and over again.