PMEVBO 112
I checked on the attendant first. He didn’t seem to have any visible injuries, but I asked just in case.
“Are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?”
“……Yes, I’m fine.”
The attendant, who had been looking at me, replied softly. It was a neutral male voice, neither too low nor too high. Indistinct features. An unremarkable voice… But he was incredibly tall. Even though my current body was taller than it had been before the alignment, I still had to look up slightly to meet his gaze.
…His height and build were similar to Iser’s.
However, since I had never actually faced Iser in this body, I couldn’t be certain.
Just then, the attendant spoke with a smile.
“Thank you, Priest.”
Strangely, my heart fluttered.
……Am I having a heart attack?
The attendant crouched down and began clearing the shards of glass scattered across the floor. I helped him by picking up the pieces within reach and placing them on a tray. It was just as we had finished cleaning up; I absentmindedly glanced under the table and spotted something.
“Kieng…”
A ginseng monster was crying pitifully. Even though it made eye contact with me, it couldn’t run away. That was because the lateral roots serving as its legs were frozen to the ground.
It’s frozen…
Solid ice had trapped the legs of the creature, which was whimpering in its desperation to escape. Even for winter, that was a bit much, how could just that spot be frozen …?
That wasn’t the only strange thing.
…Why was it stuck in place?
A creature that could pass right through walls couldn’t pass through ice…?
I decided to deal with the immediate problem first and think about it later. I silently offered a half-hearted apology, and reached out toward the pitiful plant.
Almost immediately, the ginseng monster vanished in a flash of pure white light. The hand that had touched the monster had gone cold. I froze for a moment and clenched fist.
Just then, the attendant’s voice came from behind me.
“……Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.”
I shook my head and stood up.
“You be careful, too. Don’t get hurt.”
“……Thank you for your concern.”
Suddenly, I realized I wasn’t as tired as before. I immediately checked my status screen.
HP: 88/100
……When did it go up this much?
Ah.
So the herbal scent I’d noticed earlier wasn’t coming from the water, but from me……?
It seemed the power Iser gave me hadn’t completely vanished after all.
That’s good. I can stop resting and get moving right away.
I had already captured two out of the three monsters. I wanted to finish the main quest quickly and return to my cell.
Data being alignment: Physical Body
Alignment Duration: 18 hours 32 minutes 17 seconds
…By the time I finish the main quest, how much of the duration will be left?
Going back to my cell in this body is a bit…
But that was a secondary concern. The most important thing was completing the main quest.
I knew this world wasn’t just a world inside a book, and that what happened to me wasn’t simply possession… but my goal hadn’t changed one bit.
No, if anything, it’s become even more urgent.
I wanted to leave this disgusting world and return to my own before going mad.
Come to think of it, I haven’t checked here yet.
I went back to my seat and righted the chair that had fallen over on the floor. Then I lifted the tablecloth to check underneath. It wasn’t here.
The priest, who had been sipping her drink alone, craned her neck and looked over at me,
“What’s the matter?”
I made up a plausible excuse.
“I lost something.”
“Oh my, what did you lose?”
“……A ring.”
Nothing was easier to lose than a ring. And looking for it after losing it was relatively natural.
“Goodness, really? What does the ring look like? I’ll help you look for it.”
The priest’s eyes sparkled as she rolled up her sleeves to her elbows. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
She’s cute.
But even so, I couldn’t readily accept her help.
“Thanks. But it’s fine.”
I appreciated her offer, but it was a bit awkward. After all, what I was looking for wasn’t a ring, but a monster. A ginseng monster that only I could see.
“Huh? Why…?”
“I don’t think this is where I lost it.”
Maybe I’ll come back here another time to look for it.
…It would be awkward for both of us.
“Have a nice time.”
The priest nodded.
“……Yes, you have a good time too, Priest.”
I turned away. But I couldn’t take my eyes off the attendant until I had walked away.
…That’s strange.
Why does he look so much like him……?
Every time I saw that attendant, Iser came to mind.
…Is it because I miss him? How long have we been apart?
…I really am a hopeless case.
***
Iser had originally planned to wait quietly for Lucariel in prison.
Since the last “root” search had ended quickly, he figured that even though the number of roots to find had increased from one to three, it wouldn’t take that long.
The problem was the process he’d have to go through after successfully finding the roots.
The Weapon of Order… Lucariel lost consciousness during the restoration process. However, according to the information confirmed through the report and the board, it was possible to delay the restoration process by Lucariel’s own will. Lucariel must be well aware of that as well.
‘Given Lucariel’s personality, he wouldn’t try to undergo the restoration process in a crowded place like Chepony Castle.’
Everyone fears losing control of their body. That was true for Lucariel as well, but there was something else he feared. More than losing control, he could not bear the thought of that vulnerable state being exposed to others.
As proof of this, a man who had previously cared little about self-harm or smoking when alone had quit all of it in a short period. For the sole reason that he did not want Iser to find out.
He was the kind of person who wouldn’t break down as long as there was even one person watching him. So…
‘If you in your past life… had known that I was watching, would you have been unable to choose such an ending?’
After slipping a brick into the spot where Lucariel had hidden his cigarettes, Iser left Cell 1004. He planned to wait in the lounge since it would be awkward for Lucariel if he were there when he returned to his cell.
However, as soon as he arrived at the lounge, he felt that something was wrong with Lucariel. Heartbeat, body temperature, breathing… Everything veered outside the normal range.
‘What are you going through to be having such a hard time…?’
Not long after, Lucariel gained a new skill called “Alignment.” Iser could tell when and which skills Lucariel used, but he didn’t know exactly how they were used. However, immediately after Lucariel used the “Alignment” skill, his body began to feel unfamiliar. It was as if it had been swapped.
In the end, Iser broke the taboo he had set for himself.
As he concentrated, he was able to share sensory perception with Lucariel. The person at the end of Lucariel’s gaze was someone he already knew. It was the archbishop who had kidnapped him six years ago.
The archbishop asked Lucariel his name with a stunned expression. Not long after, a strange voice answer.
“My name is Je-in.”
……Je-in?
Considering the situation where an acquaintance asked for his name as if they were meeting for the first time, and the fact that his voice had changed… it seemed like his body had indeed been swapped.
“……I shouldn’t be doing this.”
Connecting their senses without permission was a repulsive act. Knowing that, Iser had vowed never to use it.
Iser immediately severed the connection. But he simply couldn’t let go of his worry.
Just as his anxiety was eating away at his mind, Lucariel used his Wisdom skill. He knew that using his skills consumed his life force. The consumed life force could be restored as long as the power Iser had transferred remained. But…
‘The amount of life force consumed this time is too great.’
In the end, while restoring his consumed life force, all the power Iser had transferred to him was completely exhausted.
At that moment, Iser’s patience also ran out.
‘…I want to see with my own eyes if he’s fine.’
If it came to light that a guard on duty had left his post, he would be punished for dereliction of duty. If that happened, it would become difficult for him to even stay by Lucariel’s side. At the very least, he wanted to remain by his side until Lucariel’s memories were restored and he wanted to leave this place of his own accord.
But even Iser had no idea when Lucariel would recover his memory. That was no longer something he could control.
‘What should I do……?’
…Ah, right. I’ll just change my face for a moment.
Iser stared into the mirror.
His body healed quickly from any injury and usually returned to its original state. But if he intervened at the moment of healing, it would remain fixed in its distorted state. A body part transformed in that way could be restored to its original state through another cycle of damage and recovery.
He had learned all of this while being experimented on by Kogaron. However, since it wasn’t particularly useful information to Kogaron, it hadn’t been recorded in the experimental log.
“If I’m going to change it, I might as well go with a common face.”
Crack.
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