ALL NOVEL Chapter 50 – Soft Side of a Spike
“*Sigh…* I gave Iroha the wrong impression, didn’t I? It was such a simple question. Why did I have to make it into a big deal?” I hugged my pillow while rolling around in bed, wondering where I went wrong.
“It’s all Sarasa’s fault. She just had to go and say something stupid, and now I’m getting self-conscious around Iroha.” I’m thinking about Iroha too much? I’m into her? Why would she say something like that? Damn her… She’d laugh at me so hard if she saw me rolling around like this. “I’ve never gotten nervous around anyone before. What’s wrong with me?”
“Also… What’s wrong with me thinking about her? She saved me, and I’ve never met anyone who inspired me so much! I can’t stop thinking of things I want to make for her! And I can’t stop imagining her reactions! But that’s normal! I’m an alchemist! Of course I want people to be excited about what I make… *Sigh…* If only Sarasa hadn’t said anything… Oh well. I can ask her next time we meet. I’m definitely saying it this time! There’s no need to be nervous!” With reignited determination, I slammed the pillow down and got up from bed. I’m not gonna spend the whole afternoon rolling around! I’m going to start my research while I wait for Iroha!
“What’s your secret, Iroha? I won’t let you go until you spill everything.” Oh no… She’s being serious… Carol was sitting down on the bed with a very imposing figure, I thought we were getting along well, but maybe that was foolish of me.
“My secret? What do you mean? I don’t have anything like that… Hahaha…” This whole conversation has been a battle to keep Carol happy, and it’s been going pretty well thus far. Carol listened when I told her what I knew about this world, and she’s been somewhat friendly the whole time. It made me start to think that she was a really good girl at heart. That doesn’t make her any less intimidating when she glares at me, and unfortunately, she’s doing just that right now.
“I told you, didn’t I? Don’t fuck with me.” Carol didn’t buy my excuse and glared at me again. “I saw everything, you know? Your sudden bursts of speed, the way you chained multiple slashes with your sword in a row, how you stuck to the wall like some sort of slug… Those aren’t things you should be able to do. Especially when you couldn’t even run for five minutes straight not that long ago.”
What are we doing here…? The pressure’s really making me nervous now. We’re like spies in the middle of enemy territory, exchanging intel in a dimly lit room. One of the spies is the angry boss, chewing off the latest intern, and the other one is me. Looking down the window, the good, honest people of this world were going about their day, completely oblivious to the battle happening here. “I just don’t buy it, Iroha. Who are you? Are you even human? Or are you a monster disguised as a human? Because what I saw was closer to what I expect from monsters than humans. You were using magic. There’s no other explanation. None of the other girls are able to stick to walls the way you did, and they’re way more athletic than you.” Carol’s really not letting this one go…
What should I do? I already told her about this world and how it is just like the world from a game, so it’s hard for me to come up with more excuses… She’s already seen through me. She knows there has to be some kind of reason behind my rapid improvements, and now she’s starting to think I’m not even human… One of the reasons I decided to keep the stuff about the VISS Driver a secret is because I was scared of what they might do to me if they found out. But if they start thinking I’m a monster disguised as a human, they’ll do even worse, right? “I’ll tell you what I’ve been hiding. Just… don’t get me in trouble.”
“Trouble? Why would it get you in trouble? Are you really a monster?”
Carol has been surprisingly reasonable this whole time. I was scared at the beginning, but I think I can trust her. Either way, one thing is for sure, she’s more likely to be nice to me if I’m honest with her than if I try to lie to her. That’s one thing I’ve learned about her today. “I’m normal, okay? I’m a normal human. The reason I was able to do what you saw is because of a device called the VISS Driver.”
“A device?! Is it like the one the others have…?” Carol muttered to herself before continuing. “Who gave that to you? When did you get that?” Carol was looking intently at me. She’s so gonna snap if I start making things up now… Good thing I decided to be honest with her!
“Well… No one gave it me… I remember how I told you I fell into a portal before I first met Katja? It connected to a country in this world much more technologically advanced than this town. I just happened to stumble upon a lab there, and I ended up sneak inside, and I… I stole it.” Carol looked at me with a surprised, dumbfounded expression.
“I knew there was something wrong with you, but now I know that I was right in more than one way… How are you gonna sneak into a lab in an unfamiliar place and steal from them? Do you have a single functioning brain cell?!” Yep… I kinda agree with her. What was I thinking back then? Carol shook her head while processing the new information. “But wait, then the device you were talking about is from this world, right? That’s not what I was thinking… What kind of device is it? Show it to me.”
“T- that… not possible. I can’t show it to you… The VISS Driver actually appeared in the game, which is why I tried to grab it when I saw it. But it disappeared as soon as I touched it. I think my body absorbed it somehow…” Carol didn’t believe me at first, so I explained what I knew about the VISS Driver. I told her how it fit into the story of the game and how it was what allowed the protagonist in the game to use skills. Which led to me explaining skills, skills trees, levels, stats, and everything else.
“…” Carol was looking at me while sitting hunched over, resting her chin on her hand. Is she pouting? What kind of expression is that?
“Carol?” I’m not sure what to do… Is she mad? She hasn’t snapped at me, and I was honest with her, so I should be good…
“Are you lying to me?” Her tone was higher than usual, and it sounded more like a complaint than a question. “No… I know you aren’t… That whole explanation was so ridiculous… Was that how you defeated me? Because of that VISS Driver thing? That’s not fair…”
“Ahahaha… Sorry, sorry…” She really is pouting… I can’t believe she still remembers that… “But I only used it because you were that strong… It just goes to show that you’re better than me without it!” And now I’m comforting her… I can’t exactly help it. She’s too adorable pouting like that. I feel like I have to do something when I see that face.
“Hmmm… Maybe you’re right… There’s no way I would have lost to you if not for that thing, hpmf!” Carol crossed her arms and scoffed at me. “Why didn’t you say anything? I guess you just didn’t trust us enough.”
“That’s part of the reason… At the beginning, I had just met you, so it was hard for me to completely trust you, but I was more scared of the ones you might work with. I didn’t know who you’d tell about it, and I was afraid some organization would try to capture me and dissect me alive if they knew about the VISS Driver.” Carol looked at me like I was saying something stupid, but she stopped herself right as she was about to say something.
“Y- you might have a point…” See? I knew there were people who’d try to dissect me if they knew! That’s how it always goes. “We’d better hurry back to the dorm now… You said everyone was looking for me, so I’m don’t wanna be a burden for them any longer than I have to.”
“There’s no need to rush. I already sent them a message saying that I found you and that I’d bring you back soon. They’re waiting for you, but they shouldn’t be in the forest looking for you anymore. It’s fine if we take some time.”
“Oh, is that so?” Carol recoiled like a student who got a question wrong after acting cocky. She shook her head and stood up from the bed before walking towards the exit. “Still, we’re pretty much done here. They’re still waiting for me, so I don’t want to keep them waiting. Lead the way.”
“Wait! Wh- what are you gonna do with what I told you? Are you gonna tell the others about the VISS Driver?” Would it be fine? Carol’s taken it well. If the others are anything like her, I wouldn’t mind telling them, but what if something goes wrong? I’m not sure I’m ready for that…
“What I do and say is none of your business. If I decide it’s a good idea to tell them, I will.” Wait… Really? It’s none of my business? It’s literally about me! I think I should be concerned about that! Wow… Is she for real? Does she really not care about me at all?
“But…” Carol opened the room’s door and crossed her arms as she stood beside it. She averted her gaze, and it looked like she was blushing slightly. “You did end up saving me today… Even though no one asked you… Maybe I’ll return the favor… If I feel like it…” C- cute! She’s so cute!
“Ca- Carol, I-”
“D- didn’t I say we were done here? Get up and take me back to the others already!” Carol turned her back on me and walked out of the room.
“W- wait for me!” I ran out after Carol and the two of us left the inn. Our conversation worked out quite well, all things considered. Maybe I can rely more on her going forward… I can’t believe she’s the first person I ended up telling everything… It was nice to get that off my chest. I just hope I didn’t misunderstand her and that she really keeps it a secret.
