Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139844414118669/episodes/822139844749354720
The carriage wheels beat rhythmically against the road.
Clunk, clunk. Surrendering to the monotonous sway, I glance at the two seated across from me. Whether unaccustomed to carriages or nervous around nobility, the red-haired boy and the sky-blue-haired girl sit stiffly, unable to relax.
Adventurers from Harune Village, named—Yu and Ciel.
The protagonist and one of the main heroines in ‘CHOICE//MAZE’.
“Um, um, are you sure it’s okay? Taking such a splendid carriage…”
Yu asks hesitantly.
He clenches his fists on his lap, clearly unable to relax.
All they’d done was show up with weapons in hand. They hadn’t even slain a single monster, yet here they were riding in a carriage—no wonder he felt awkward.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re heading the same way to the capital anyway.”
“…But!”
“—Still, that probably won’t satisfy you two.”
I cut Ciel off and shrugged.
“It’s a long way to the capital. It’d be nice if you could keep me company. What do you say?”
Adding that in a slightly lighter tone, the two exchanged glances.
“…In that case.”
“Gladly.”
They smiled, looking relieved.
Just like in the original story, they’re serious types.
They act out of goodwill without expecting anything in return, yet they get bothered the instant someone else does the same for them. They’re probably thoroughly good people, but I think they’ve got a bit of a disadvantageous personality.
Well, it’s precisely because they’re like that that I liked them, and I want them to be happy.
“Then, shall we reintroduce ourselves?”
I spoke up, filling the silence.
Normally, when nobles and commoners meet, it’s proper etiquette for the lower-ranked party to introduce themselves first. But waiting for that in this atmosphere would just be intimidating. I couldn’t bear to have them shrink back again, just as they were starting to relax.
So, I decided to introduce myself first.
“I’m Rai Arkberg. A second-year student scheduled to transfer into the Royal Capital Academy.”
“I’m Liene! Also a second-year, and I’m Lord Rai’s personal maid and bodyguard!”
I gave a slight bow, and Liene followed suit.
After we finished introducing ourselves, Yuu and Ciel straightened their posture.
“I’m Yuu. I’m an adventurer from a small village called Harune. I’m still a rookie, but… I can use a sword and a little magic!”
His voice was straightforward, without any pretension or bravado.
I hadn’t noticed before since I mostly saw him from behind in the game, but looking at him head-on, he was actually quite handsome. Perhaps because he hadn’t yet experienced that massive, gloomy event called the ‘Great Sacrifice,’ his eyes sparkled with life.
Following Yuu, Ciel bowed her head.
“I’m Ciel. Also from Harune Village… and mainly, I’m this guy’s cleanup crew.”
“Wh-!? What do you mean cleanup crew!?”
“Jumping in, getting hurt, doing reckless things. You’re always the first to do all that, right?”
“Guh…”
Yu lashed out at Ciel’s introduction, but was quickly shut down.
Come to think of it, Yu was the reckless type in the game too. A do-gooder who’d rush to help without hesitation if he knew someone was in danger. I think that’s why we once got forced into a fight with a higher-level monster without any proper preparation.
After the heroines started dying, he reflected on his own reckless nature, and his personality gradually transformed into a cooler, more detached one. A change fitting for a protagonist burdened by darkness.
…But the Yuu standing before me now was still completely untouched by that darkness.
He was just a reckless, overly kind country boy, the kind you’d find anywhere, holding onto the dream of ‘making a name for himself as an adventurer’.
“Honestly, you’re far too careless about everything.”
Saying that, Ciel reached for Yuu’s backpack.
She undid the fastener and checked the contents with practiced hands. Her expression hardened as if she’d found something. She pulled out what appeared to be a water skin.
“You didn’t close the water skin’s stopper properly. What if it leaks?”
“Oh…”
“And your healing potion is at the very bottom. Planning to dig through everything after you get hurt?”
“Ugh…”
“I always tell you to keep bandages and medicine up top, where they’re easy to grab.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Any initial protest had vanished.
Yuu tearfully apologized to Ciel’s pointed remarks. Her criticisms continued: “Organize your backpack contents properly,” and “Your wallet’s buried deep in there too.” She efficiently rearranged the backpack’s contents while speaking with an exasperated tone.
“…Fufufu, you kinda remind me of my mom.”
“Well, age-wise, maybe more like an older sister?”
“That’s closer to it. Actually, I am an older sister.”
Come to think of it, Ciel was supposed to have two younger sisters.
Her nurturing personality might have been cultivated precisely because she had to look after those two. Yu tends to be reckless and hard to keep an eye on, so she probably feels a strong urge to protect him.
Even in the game, Ciel’s route had a low chance of her falling into darkness.
“Is she always like this?”
When I asked, Yu gave a wry smile.
“Every single time… Pre-departure checks, pre-battle preparations, she won’t even let me touch my backpack before breaks.”
“But if she left you alone, you definitely forget something, wouldn’t you?”
“It’s frustrating that I can’t deny it…”
“Right?”
Ciel chuckled softly.
It was a proud yet gentle smile.
…That face pierced my chest strangely. Perhaps because it was the same kind smile I’d seen countless times through the screen. Because of it, I ended up remembering not just the happy times—but also the worst possible end.
Flashes of memories from the original story. —One of the events where she loses her life.
The collapsing labyrinth.
The scaffolding pulling away.
And two hands falling…
[Ciel will be fine.]
In the world line Yuu didn’t choose, that trust was betrayed without hesitation.
This thoughtful girl, so capable as a partner and so devoted to her comrades, was left behind in the depths of the labyrinth with no one to support her… attacked by monsters and killed.
Crying out the names of her parents and sisters, she finally murmurs Yuu’s name before being devoured. There is no salvation there whatsoever. The next time her form is seen is during the second dungeon exploration… when she is found as flesh fragments after stepping into a monster’s nest.
Naturally, no semblance of her original form remains.
The scene where her identity was confirmed by her equipment lying beside the fragments was shocking the first time I saw it. Especially since I really liked that caring childhood friend character.
“…Lord Rai?”
Liene called out to me.
She peered at my face with a furrowed brow, looking worried.
“Your expression seems a bit stern… Did something happen…?”
“…No, I was just remembering something from a while back.”
I quickly relaxed and forced a smile.
There was no way I could say something like, ‘Ciel’s going to die, you know.’ I didn’t want to present an uncertain future and stir up anxiety. Besides…
(I’ll twist that fate myself…)
For the sake of the ‘Heroine Rescue END’ I aim for, I’ll save Ciel. …I will.
“By the way, do you know anything about the academy we’re going to, Rai-san?”
Perhaps unable to bear seeing me alone in serious mode, Yu leaned forward and asked that. His eyes showed deep concern, and Ciel beside looked at me with the same expression.
They’re such kind souls, really…
“…Well, the cafeteria’s spacious and the food’s delicious. The training grounds have great facilities too. I’m sure you two will like it.”
“Ooh, you’d expect that from a school for nobles…”
“Hehe, I’m looking forward to going now.”
From there, the conversation naturally turned to small talk.
Stories about their hometown, Harune Village. Tales of slaying goblins, or being chased and fleeing from wolf-like monsters like Gravehounds. Stories about finding treasure chests in small labyrinths filled with gems that fattened their wallets, and so on.
Each was a life-threatening adventure, yet somehow sounded enjoyable.
The voices of the two telling them conveyed hardship, yet they sounded genuinely happy and proud. It was the kind of story that never bored the listener.
I chimed in with occasional responses, and by the time I shared my own memories, the tension between us had eased. Before we knew it, the formal speech had slipped away from both of them.
“So then—…Ah!”
Ciel, who had been smiling, suddenly cut off the conversation and pointed out the window.
“I can see it.”
Everyone turned their gaze.
The fortress city visible below the hill.
Gleaming white, massive walls and towering spires. The royal palace-like structure soaring in the upper tiers stood out unmistakably. Surrounding it, the middle tiers held vast grounds and several fortress-like buildings, while the lower tiers were densely packed with numerous residential-looking structures.
The full view of our destination, the royal capital of Astraea, was now before us.
“Amazing…”
“We really made it here, didn’t we…”
Their voices trembled slightly. I smiled at the sound of their voices, a mix of anticipation and unease.
Though the lines were straight from the original story, the location was different, and so were the members.
An encounter that never happened, a time that never existed.
Fate can be altered by the smallest things. Thinking that, I felt certain even a hopeless future could be changed for the better.
And so, the carriage carrying us clattered and swayed, slowly advancing toward the entrance of the story.
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