“…I’m exhausted.”
As usual, I’m alone in my shabby house, meditating.
I let myself become attuned to the cursed energy flowing through my body.
Thump, thump, thump.
The sensation spreading slowly from my abdomen to my fingertips isn’t bad.
And now, when I open my palm with the newly acquired skill, there’s a small orb, transparent like a super ball.
A field is stored within it.
The power of a sorcerer and land preservation.
I’ve come closer to mastering something akin to Life-Field…
I regret a bit now that, despite the game’s freedom, I focused almost entirely on combat.
“Player, what are your plans from here on? Thanks to White’s quick thinking, it seems you won’t be pursued by the Empire… but do you truly intend to join up with Snow?”
“Yeah, I do. Is there a problem with that?”
“No, as you’ve already noticed, Snow is also a ‘player’ like you. Thanks to my counter-intelligence barrier, neither she nor the god controlling her is aware of us, but…”
“…Heh, what?”
“What?”
What did Navi just say?
Snow is a player? Why? Wait… come to think of it, Navi did mention something about a counter-intelligence barrier when we met Snow…
Damn, at this rate, I’ll come across as someone who never listens to others.
“Ahem… No problem. I need to get closer to her for my goal.”
“…You’re serious, aren’t you? Rebellion against the Seven Gods… Understood, Player. You are the only one in this world who listens to my voice. No matter how far, no… until the end, together.”
This character setup is pretty good…
But come to think of it, Navi is the only one with an unusually mysterious background.
Hmm… oh well!
It’s better if my rival for playing the part of the shadowy antagonist is shrouded in mystery.
“Navi, when you say ‘player,’ you mean… uh, a servant of the gods or… right, you called them apostles of the gods. Why are you wary of Snow—no, Lady Snow of the Frontier?”
“…Because… the fate of a god’s apostle is… ruin, Player.”
Oh?
Navi’s voice is starting to sound darker.
“The Seven Gods. The essence of the beings you glimpsed today is cruelty. To them, mortals like you are nothing more than insects crawling on the ground. Imagine it—a child’s innocent curiosity, devoid of a sense of good and evil, a heedless freedom without conviction or doctrine as they wield their power. To the Seven Gods, the world of mortals is just an amusement park to pass the time.”
“…And?”
“Occasionally, the Seven Gods take an interest in a particular human. Those with noble souls, those who dream greatly, those with deep compassion, or those who bear a mission… They meddle in the lives of such beings. Their joys, their happiness, and their despair make for perfect entertainment for the gods.”
That’s… seriously messed up.
But I like it—this is how it should be. It suits the role of the shadowy antagonist that I aim to take on one day.
I’ll have to take that seat from them. When the time comes, I’ll decorate the throne with the heads of the gods.
“So Lady Snow is no exception, then?”
“…Yes. It is still unclear what kind of fate she will face from now on. But… I don’t want you to be caught up in her ruin… I don’t want to lose my Player…”
“Heh.”
“Player?”
“Oh, sorry. I just found it amusing how you seem to have misunderstood something. A predetermined fate, a destiny that’s set in stone… it’s like a curse. But Navi, who is your master?”
“Ah… the curse’s—”
“It’s me. I am the one worthy of laying all curses and bearing them all. The gods, the heroes, the worshipers, they’re all mere underlings offering their curses to me. So, don’t worry.”
“…Worry, you say… I was worried for you…”
“Lady Snow isn’t a mere plaything for the gods. Well, just watch. The gods’ curse… it’s piqued my interest a bit.”
“Interest…?”
“Yeah, wouldn’t you like to see it up close? How those arrogant fools, thinking they are above others, perish by their own curse. Snow, she is my curse.”
“…Player, no… King of Curses. If it is you, perhaps you could… in this distorted, twisted world, someday…”
Navi’s voice fades away.
Hmm, that might’ve been a pretty good move as the King of Curses, don’t you think?
I attempt to return to my meditation.
Twitch.
“Skill ‘Cursed Energy Detection’ successful—”
The thinly spread cursed energy has sensed someone approaching.
The sensation, color, and resonance conveyed through the cursed energy.
When cursed energy touches magic power, it returns a distinct feedback.
And this feedback varies from person to person; this time, it’s—
“…White, huh?”
“…As expected of my king. I learned stealth from Kuro, but it seems it was pointless.”
With long white hair and skin like porcelain, she’s a beautiful girl dressed in a robe primarily of black rather than her usual silver armor.
White has somehow snuck into the room.
…How did she even get in here?
Ah, damn it. It’s not like me to be unnerved by a subordinate’s actions.
“No, well done. If it weren’t for my cursed energy detection, I wouldn’t have noticed. Do you need something?”
“…I wanted to talk for a bit. Is that… alright?”
With slightly teary eyes, White looks up at me and speaks.
Did she have something she wanted to discuss?
“I don’t mind.”
“…I want to know about… your relationship with Lady Snow of the Frontier…”
She whispers in a faint voice, like a candle about to go out.
Huh? Why is she bringing up Snow now?
