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Chapter 4: Comeback
BECAUSE she’s a Hero, because she’s a Witch, people falsely believe her mind is as tough as her physical body. However, even Heroes have hearts. Their mindset and thinking differ from the average mortal, but that doesn’t mean they are freestanding beings who never get hurt.
The same holds true for the Hero known as Sludge Atou.
“King Takuto…” she softly called his name. “How are you feeling today?”
Ever since the day she returned to Mynoghra with Takuto, Atou had visited the room where her master rested every chance she got. She couldn’t relax unless she saw him—she’d always had a Takuto-first mentality that placed her at his side twenty-four-seven, even when he was healthy. She had an even greater need to see his face with Vittorio constantly giving her a headache with his antics.
Just the other day, Antelise had come in person to give Atou an urgent report about the establishment of the Cult of Ira and its unsavory activities. Atou understood she was more than a few steps behind Vittorio, but she couldn’t take immediate action to stop him. Although she felt terrible for sending Antelise back with just a “Wait-and-see how things unfold,” Atou had her hands full with her own problems.
È num̂ а. id̆
And so, her daily routine of checking on Takuto became her only solace.
Takuto still wasn’t himself—he was barely conscious or aware most of the time. But now that she’d gotten past her initial shock over his condition and was preoccupied fretting over a million other issues, Atou had another reason for coming to his room aside from simply seeing how he was doing.
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“Ugggggh~~! I don’t wanna work, King Takutooooo… To think using your brain this much for work could be this draining! You really are amazing for always thinking up so many brilliant strategies all the time.”
Atou dove onto the bed where Takuto rested and rolled around beside him. Fortunately, the bed was larger than king-size since it was built for a real king. Diving onto the bed and kicking up a fuss did nothing to disturb her sleeping master.
If everything was normal, she would’ve never been capable of doing such an embarrassing thing and wouldn’t have even considered it. But Atou had grown bolder with Takuto’s memories and consciousness being obfuscated.
Yes, she was using the pretext of checking on Takuto to get her fill of him without worrying about the peanut gallery.
Е̊ n ù m̊а́
“And curse that sniveling schemester!” she huffed. “I don’t know what he’s scheming… I’m all for a religion that worships you, King Takuto, but there are other things he should be focusing on first.”
What the Heroes—no, all the beings living in Mynoghra should be focusing on now was contributing to Takuto’s revival. Atou was putting every effort into trying to find anything she could do to help. She couldn’t help thinking that Vittorio’s actions and his unclear intentions made it seem like he had his priorities mixed up.
“It’s too depressing to think that I’ll have to interrogate him very soon. Now that it’s come to this, I have no choice but to replenish my King Takuto reserves to suppress my anger.” Atou deeply inhaled, then exhaled. “Mm, your scent always calms me down. It makes me want to just sleep here right next to you…”
Atou had her way with Takuto because no one—the young man himself included—was looking. She buried her face in the sheets and breathed in deeply, reveling in her master’s natural smell. She began to doze off for a few minutes before she snapped back to her senses and pried her face from the sheets.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“But I mustn’t do that! Mynoghra will be ruined if I’m not there to stop it. Even worse, I can see that perverted fraudster twisting it and warping it into a disturbingly delightful country that makes no sense to anybody but him and his delusional ideals!! The only one who can stop that from happening is King Takuto’s true confidant—me, Atou!!” Atou declared with a huff of determination, chastising herself to get a move on.
I’ve got a million things to do. I’ve more than rested during this brief respite with King Takuto. Now I’ve just got to do my very best.
Wē b n ö v̌ еl̄ Ën̂ úm̈ а̃
Mynoghra’s situation wasn’t optimistic, and Atou’s efforts were necessary to lead the empire to a better future. Atou turned toward Takuto, hoping to burn her beloved master’s handsome vestige into her mind’s eye one last time before getting to work.
“Everything rests on my efforts. Isn’t that right, King Takuto?!”
That’s when…
“Th-That’s right…Atou.”
“Huh?”
…she made eye contact with Takuto and his wry smile.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Uh, um, huh? Er, urp, w-wa-wow!”
Atou was mystified and in shock.
It wasn’t a mistake or her imagination. She wasn’t hallucinating or daydreaming. Those eyes filled with purpose and wisdom were undeniably Takuto’s, and the sight of him looking at her lazing on his bed with a slightly troubled expression was precisely what she’d been yearning for.
“Good morning. Sorry for worrying you.”
At those words, Atou suddenly remembered how silly she was being on his bed and her face turned beet red. She panicked and tried to come up with an excuse, but a joyful smile blossomed on her face the moment it hit home that Takuto’s consciousness had returned. In the end, large tears filled her crimson eyes…
Ŵе b ň оv е l̊ Еn u m̀ а́
“Vittorio’s been bullying meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!”
“Ah…ahahahaha…”
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The dam she’d been holding back burst and she clung to Takuto in tears. It’s said that when someone is put through too much hardship, their mind regresses to an infantile state to protect itself, and Atou seemed to be going through such a phenomenon right now.
Not even Takuto could comment on it. Dealing with this right after regaining consciousness only baffled him. He could only force a smile as he watched Atou acting so very unlike the Mynoghra Hero she was.
◇◇◇
TAKUTO placated the grumpy Atou and put her in a better mood. Even though she did it for Takuto, Atou’s decision to summon Vittorio was too much for her to handle. Takuto had a troubled expression the entire time he was comforting her, but his joy over reuniting with her again showed through it all.
W̌ е̌ b̂ ǹ о́ ve l̆ E n̂ ú.ma
After a few minutes, Atou finally calmed down and jerked her head up from where she buried it in his chest.
“King Takuto!” she cried, looking him over to make sure he was well. “Should you really be sitting up?! Are you feeling all right?! I’m…worried you might fall back into the same condition you’ve been in all this time…”
The joy of reuniting with Takuto had caused her to briefly forget about everything else, but Takuto’s health was Mynoghra’s highest priority. His memories seemed to be fully intact and he looked healthy at the moment. But Atou was afraid he’d suddenly forget about her again.
What caused Takuto to lose his memories was a mystery, and what caused his memories to return was an even greater mystery. Being concerned for Takuto’s well-being was only natural for his subordinate and should come first.
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“Yeah, you can relax,” Takuto reassured her. “We don’t have to worry about that again. Well, there’s still some stuff I have to deal with, but I don’t think it’ll affect me like it has until now. Anyway, can you tell me everything that happened while I was out of it?”
“…If you’re certain, then all right. I’ll tell you everything that has transpired while you were away, my king.” She was concerned about the remaining problems he alluded to, but Atou put a lid on those feelings and gave him the report he sought from her.
Ёn̄ u̇ m̈ а̊
Takuto was usually kind, but he was also stubborn. If he said he was okay, then no amount of pestering him would get him to say more. Atou was certain there was more to it, but she’d known him—in this world and the last—for a long time. And they had built a relationship of trust and understanding that didn’t always need words. So Atou set her worries aside and focused on accurately recalling everything that had happened so she wouldn’t leave a single detail out.
She started back at everything that had happened in Mynoghra since Takuto lost his memories, beginning with the first actions they took. Then she summarized Vittorio’s actions from when he was summoned until his sudden disappearance.
Takuto intently listened to Atou’s report with a calm expression that only cracked into something a little more pensive during the last bit on Vittorio. He occasionally looked away in contemplation—the usual gesture he made when considering tactics. By the end of her report, he slowly rose from the bed, stretched with a groan, and then gave his response.
“All things considered… Vittorio, huh? I figured as much.”
That was all Atou needed to hear to realize everything that had happened was already a part of Takuto’s plans, and even Vittorio’s summoning was expected.
“D-Don’t tell me you expected I’d seek help from Vittorio?!” Atou cried.
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“Yeah, it’s one of the routes I had planned for. It must have been a hard decision for you. Thanks, Atou.”
“Y-You needn’t thank me!” Atou blurted and waved her hands in front of her face in a panic.
Just hearing him thank her was enough to make up for all the suffering she put up with. She’d never been angrier or more mentally exhausted than during her time alone with Vittorio. But now all that suffering had become just a dash of spice to her bliss.
Atou’s love and respect for Takuto grew with the knowledge that the decision she’d made with unyielding resolve, and even Vittorio’s questionable actions, were all calculated for. The results spoke for themselves.
The result was undeniable: Takuto was back.
Atou had no idea what method Vittorio had used to pull it off. Takuto’s resurrection must’ve resulted from a complex intertwining of schemes beyond her understanding. It vexed her to admit it, but Vittorio’s cunning was the real deal that pulled off this miracle.
Ӗ nu mа̀
But who cared about that dark manipulator who embodied ingenious scheming when he was just another pawn who danced to the tune of Takuto’s divine schemes?
Atou’s good mood ballooned, reaching a climax of joy, happiness, and excitement. Victory was theirs. All that was left to do was to summon that self-serving swindler here and have Takuto harshly reprimand him for his disrespect. While she envisioned herself cackling with glee beside Takuto as he laid into Vittorio, Atou rejoiced that everything was going perfectly according to Takuto’s plan.
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I feel like a fool for worrying about the ridiculous cult that jester established! Atou thought with a laugh. I found it inconvenient for it to be a nameless religion, so I officially named it The Cult of Ira, but that doesn’t matter anymore!
Atou was a bundle of excitement. Her eyes sparkled with glee, and she jumped up and down like a child who couldn’t wait to go to an amusement park. This was all just one of the thousands of strategies floating in Takuto’s mind, and everything was proceeding smoothly under his artful direction—that’s what she wholeheartedly believed.
“I wouldn’t expect any less from you, King Takuto!” she chirped in a singsong voice. “You’re simply amazing in every way! I can’t believe you had already taken steps to recover from that state! Your Atou didn’t even realize it! I’m awed by the display of your genius as Eternal Nations’ Number 1 player!”
“Hahaha!” Takuto laughed. “You give me too much credit, Atou. There’s no denying I was in a real dangerous situation there… Plus, we ended up borrowing Vittorio’s help.”
Ӗǹu̇m̂а̊ . іd.
“But you’d even planned for that, didn’t you? What a riot it is to see that creepy court jester dance in the palm of your hand! I was certainly worried when he’d established a religion with you as the god and started a bizarre daily festival, but now I know even that was your plan!” Atou blurted out at the speed of light, letting her excitement get the better of her.
This was Takuto she was dealing with. She was certain he’d anticipated every single one of Vittorio’s actions and that he’d nod along with a knowing smile. Except…
“Huh? Wait a minute. What the hell is that guy doing?”
“…WHAT?!”
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Takuto’s dead serious tone and expression ruined any chance that he was joking. Atou was shocked by his response and didn’t know how to process what he was saying. But it hit home when she saw his awkward smile—this young man rarely reacted emotionally when it came to his strategies.
The silence gave them enough time to think things over calmly. And once they did…
Еñu ḿ а
Are things actually going in a bad direction…?
Atou and Takuto. Strangely enough, the thoughts that ran through the minds of this master and servant, who were finally reunited after a long separation and much hardship, were the same…
No one knew what kind of strategy Vittorio had employed.
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