"Ahg!" Thankfully, I didn't land on the ground as my body bounced on something soft.
A bed?
I opened my eyes and saw the white bedsheets in vision.
"Fiuuu…" I sighed in exhaustion and turned around to lay on my back.
It's better.
I wanted to sleep right away but-
"Get out of here!" Eric stood up from the ground and glared at me fiercely.
I looked away from the bed's princess ceiling to Eric.
"What?"
"You ask me what?! Get out of this bed, first, fucker!" He yelled and clenched his fists. "Why am I the only one who landed on the ground…"
I frowned and raised my body. "Ah."
I finally noticed the two women on my right and left respectively. On my right was Milleia soundly sleeping and on my left…was a very pretty girl. She was a girl probably in the same age as Maria and Seraphina. She had the same bright red hair as Eric and her eyes were closed.
I was really in a shady situation…
"Is she your sister?" I got off of the bed while making sure I didn't wake any of them.
"Yeah." Eric said and patted his sister's forehead.
Oh, she is Rubina Scarlett huh.
A Sub-Heroine of the Third Game.
It's the first time that I'm seeing her so clearly.
She was obviously younger than the one I had seen in the Third Game.
"Hmm. She indeed seems sick…how are you going to heal her? We also have to find a way quickly to treat Milleia's mother." I said to Eric.
We lost the Golden Grasses and I don't even want to imagine Milleia's reaction to that news.
"About that." Eric put his hand inside his pocket and took out…
I opened my eyes wide when I saw the golden light. "When did you…"
Eric shrugged his shoulders. "Just when that Melvin kicked me."
I crossed my arms, relieved. "We won't have to go back there, that's a good point; those guys from Arvatra might be still there to try to get even more Golden Grasses.
"Well…about that." Eric didn't seem enthusiastic.
"What?"
Eric sighed and showed me the few Golden Grasses in his hand. "They are only enough for one person."
"Huh?" I couldn't understand where he was going. "And?"
Don't tell me…
"..." Eric had a conflicted expression on his face and I didn't like it a bit.
"Hey. You know that Milleia's mother is going to die tomorrow at best, right?" I glared at Eric, knowing well what he was thinking.
"I know." Eric clenched his fists. "I know…dammit."
"Then?" I reached out my hand. "Give me those Grasses."
What was he hesitating for?!
"I can't…sorry." Eric shook his head and glanced at Ruby. "I need to heal my sister right now, it's seriou-"
"What the hell are you saying?!" I squeezed Eric's shirt and glared daggers at him. "You played the Game, right? You know how much we need Milleia in perfect health, right?!"
"You don't need to tell me that." Eric slapped my hand away. "I know…but my sister is in danger…if I don't treat her now…she will die."
She will die?
What is he talking about?!
She is a Sub-Heroine of the Third GAME and appears healthily in the Third Game. She can't die.
"What? She is not supposed to die before the Third-"
"I don't know!" Eric cut me off and cursed. "I don't know why…but suddenly her situation aggravated and…anyway, I need those grasses now."
"No." I grabbed his arm holding the Golden Grass.
As if I was going to let him spoil everything after I had reached this far. That guy was also a reincarnator and didn't even reveal his presence to me. I had been doing everything alone until now while he was enjoying his life as the Heir of a Duke. A mere [Pretender]. He didn't even have to be cautious of anyone.
"What are you doing?" Eric asked in a low tone as his mana started to put pressure on me.
I snorted. "Isn't that obvious?" I also released my mana. "I will take the Golden Grasses and give them to Milleia's mother. Your sister has more time than Milleia's mother. You can go tomorrow if you want to get more Golden Grasses."
"Is that supposed to be a joke? I can't go without Milleia and I am also lacking in time." Eric grabbed my arm with his other hand and started to remove my grip slowly.
"You want to play that game, Eric?" My expression turned cold and despite this situation, a weird smile started to form on my lips beneath my mask.
Milleia's mother shouldn't die.
She must live.
…to keep Milleia's sanity.
"S-Stop it…"
I turned around and saw Milleia standing.
Tears were falling from her pink eyes and her lips were quivering.
"L-Lord Eric…I-I know…I know i-it's presumptuous to a-ask you that even though your sister is…in this situation…." Milleia glanced down at Rubina who had a pained expression on her face. "B-But…my m-mother has no l-long…they said….they said it would be a miracle if she survives tomorrow…" Milleia knelt on the ground and clasped her hands together. "P-Please…Lord Eric…she is my o-only family…" Then she raised her gaze, her eyes shimmering because of the endless tears flowing down. "I-I will do a-anything you want…y-you can ask me whatever you want and I-I will obey…I-I"
"B-Big brother…" At that moment, an unexpected voice intervened.
Rubina Scarlett opened her red eyes.
"R-Ruby!" Eric freed himself from my loose grip and knelt next to Rubina's bed. He stroked her hair and smiled. "I-I will heal you…you do-don't have to w-worry-"
"N-No…big brother…" Rubina shook her head. "P-Please h-help her mother…" She muttered in a barely audible tone.
"W-What….! What are you saying, Ruby?! Y-You are dying!" Eric squeezed Rubina's weak hand in his palm and said, shocked by his sister's words.
Even Milleia was shocked that Rubina was putting her life in danger for a stranger—for a commoner.
"..." As for me. I was perplexed by that.
Why is she saying that?
The little I knew about Rubina Scarlett was an arrogant Heroine who didn't really like commoners though she never showed it. Did her sickness change her thinking and made her question herself?
Huh?
As I stared at Rubina, something attracted my eyes. It was those black tentacles around her head and body.
Was I the only one seeing that?
Milleia and Eric didn't seem to see it.
Those tentacles…
I already felt a similar energy before…
"B-Big brother…I-I am at fault…I am responsible for this situation…" A single tear left Rubina's eye as she voiced out those words filled with pain.
"Listen me, Rubina. I-I finally get the remedy for you." Eric really cared a lot for his sister. I don't know how but their relation seemed to be way better than it was in the Game.
Rubina shook her head at her elder brother's words. "Y-You can't brother…nobody c-can…because it's a curse…"
"..."
A curse…
My brain started to race and work at a high speed as I started to form a conclusion. I don't even know how the hell I reached this conclusion but-
I hope I am wrong…
'Cleenah.'
[<Yes?>]
'Is the illusionary world where the Banshees can be contracted and saved is linked to the real world?'
[<I don't understand, what you mean Amael…>]
'If I somehow made contact with another person other than Annabelle in the illusionary world, can that person remember me in this one?'
[<It should be impossible. You can only contact, the Banshee…except…>]
'Except?'
My heartbeat rose without sign of diminishing.
[<Except if you met a God…some Gods are powerful enough to remember some pieces of memories of their illusionary self from an illusionary world but it is extremely rare. Amael, are you hiding me something?>]
I didn't even tell her about meeting Baphomet since it was insignificant for me…
For me, it was just his illusion or his clone.
[<Amael.>]
Curse myself!
"Move away, Eric," I said to Eric.
"W-What-"
"I will try something, I need some space." I didn't speak further and put my hand on Rubina's forehead.
"You are…?" Rubina seemed to have just noticed me and seemed on her guard.
Well, I had a mask covering half of my face after all.
"Nobody. Close your eyes." I forced her to close her eyes before it got annoying.
Eric didn't seem pleased by my sudden approach toward his sister and tried to push me away from his sister. "H-Hey; Edw-Nyrel! What are you-"
I sighed in annoyance and looked at Eric. "Look. I don't have time to explain to you. Just believe me. I won't harm her."
Maybe.
Eric seemed out of words to reply but he eventually stepped back. "I hope for you otherwise, I will never forgive you."
"Yeah." Though I appeared confident, I wasn't not all.
I mean, I was pretty sure by doing that, I will see that guy again…and for real this time.
Baphomet.