“Castani… kun? What… was that just now?”
“…”
Oh, crap.
She saw that, right? Yeah, she definitely saw that.
“Castani-kun… Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Ah, Snow-san is trembling a little.
Oh no, is she mad? What should I do?
“… You might not know this, but I know that you’re a very kind person.”
—She’s figured it out. There’s no choice but to kill her.
Well, I’d rather avoid resorting to violence or silencing people like that.
We’re not really friends or anything, but she did talk to me during that school trip night.
Come to think of it, I don’t really have any friends.
White and the others seem to hang around me, but that’s probably just because our interests align.
Just as I—
“Castani-kun!!”
“Whoa!”
That startled me.
Looking up, Snow-san is striding right toward me.
What do I do? Should I just run for it?
I focus my magic power into my legs—
“You might not believe me, but…! Castani-kun, you were my friend! In a past life, we were friends!!”
“Wait, that counted as being friends?”
“Huh?”
“Huh? Oh, uh…”
Oh no.
“Wait, Castani-kun… What did you just say…?”
This is bad. Wait, isn’t this whole situation weird?
Could it be that Snow-san remembers our past life?
If that’s the case, then what I just said… Oh no, I need to cover it up!
I am homeless, bottom tier!!
Uooooh!!
“… Haha!! Lady Snow, daughter of the Marquis!! My deepest apologies for my rude words!! This wretched tongue of mine, this mouth of mine, is at fault! Please, noble lady, accept this peasant’s humble apology!”
I bow down, pressing my forehead to the ground!
Groveling!
Full-on peasant mode!!
How about that!!
“Castani-kun, you remember, don’t you?”
Oh no, this isn’t working.
Why? Isn’t my high-intellect acting convincing enough?
Could it be that Snow-san is… smart?
No, trust in the bowing…!
Huh, there’s a strange smell coming from the ground… Maybe it’s from preserving the field?
No, focus on Snow-san and the groveling right now.
“What are you talking about, noble lady? As you can see, I’m just a lowly serf… Ah, but you once protected a serf like me at the church… For you, I offer this groveling—”
“In this world, there’s no concept of groveling.”
“Seriously? There’s no groveling here!?”
“Just kidding. But, it seems like the liar has been found out.”
“…!?!!”
Snow-san covers her mouth with a long, slender finger and finally smiles.
So… cool…!
Confident, stylish, and even our exchange feels intellectual!
“Groveling is, even in this world, recognized as the highest form of apology. Castani-kun, with that reaction, you can’t talk your way out anymore, can you?”
“…”
Stay calm. A mastermind villain like me doesn’t panic.
Touch the dirt, calm down—Oh no, I’ve stored the field with my skill!
I can’t play with dirt to calm myself!
“Castani-kun, please lift your head. I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding between us. I have no intention of turning you in to the church.”
“Huh?”
“I’m sorry, I never imagined that you, too, had reincarnated with your memories… Homeless, a G-rank gift… I deeply, truly apologize for leaving you in that state.”
“Eh…”
No, it doesn’t feel like she left me completely on my own.
I mean, Snow-san sometimes gave me food in the village.
Thanks to that, I got harassed by other reincarnated heroes, but it was good training for my magic control!
“It’s only natural that you’d hide your identity and your memories. It’s my own weakness that I left you to fend for yourself despite being a friend and classmate… I can’t ask for your forgiveness.”
Snow-san kneels before me, lowering her head.
She doesn’t care that her beautiful clothes are getting dirty.
She looks kind of… beautiful.
Hmm… she’s impressive. Born into privilege, talented, and yet she doesn’t flaunt it.
Wait a second… Could it be that Snow-san has a high protagonist potential?
“Even so, Castani-kun. No, Kasuya-kun, would you please hear me out?”
“Hear you out…?”
“Yes. There is something strange about this world… The gods, the church, the reincarnated heroes, and the phenomena similar to Life Field…”
“…?”
“The incident with the church. Right now, you’re about to get caught up in something big. I don’t want to let anyone slip through the cracks anymore. No matter the world, I want to fulfill my duty as a noble.”
“…??”
What is she talking about?
Wasn’t there someone like Grellod saying something similar… or maybe not?
“Kasuya-kun, I am gathering allies.”
“Allies?”
“Yes. I have a goal. To help everyone who lost their memories after reincarnation regain them. And then, to return with everyone to our original world.”
“…”
“I am fully aware that it’s selfish of me to say this after leaving you alone… You’d be right to think I’m only asking because I saw your potential. But I’m not afraid anymore. I won’t leave you alone again.”
“…”
I subtly channel my magic power into my eyes.
There’s a faint rainbow glow circulating in Snow-san’s body.
There are no signs of the typical magic fluctuations that appear when a mage lies.
So, she’s telling the truth.
“Please, Kasuya-kun, be my friend again… No, will you become my ally? So that we can survive in this world together?”
Snow-san extends her hand to me.
Hmm, so this is the part where I reunite with my classmates.
That sounds like it might expose my activities as a Curse or reveal my true nature…
How should I turn this down?
Maybe I should act like an ordinary person who doesn’t understand?
Like, “Why are you acting like a saint now after ignoring me for so long!”
But that might come off as too harsh… Hmm…
Oh, whatever!
What I want to do is play the role of the mastermind villain!
Let the others handle the sparkly reincarnation high school story—
“And together, we’ll pursue the masterminds of this world— the Curse Brotherhood.”
Wait, that’s a bit different from what I expected.
