Cursed Villainess' Obsession-Chapter 71

“… And just when it felt like it was all over…!! Ken bursts out from the monument, pouring forth monsters…!!”

“Oooooo—!!”

By the way, the one passionately spreading our adventure story was none other than the drunken Emily.

Caught up in the raised voices and the lively atmosphere, our protagonist, having indulged in quite a bit of drink, was gleefully recounting my heroics to the people.

It felt like there might have been a bit of embellishment involved.

“Hehe, Ken, are you eating enough? You should eat this too….”

“Ken, this is delicious too. Come on, try it quickly.”

Raphaen and Mary were also quite tipsy, trying to feed me food as enthusiastically as Emily.

Raphaen was clearly intent on fattening me up, while it seemed like Mary had entered into some kind of competitive stance with her.

“Ugh, munch munch.”

And here I was, in the center of this ruckus, eating the food they offered.

‘… This atmosphere is awkward.’

I didn’t particularly dislike banquets.

I enjoyed a joyful atmosphere and appreciated a little intoxication.

But the reason this space felt awkward was….

“Hahaha—! Ken! Who would have thought that a jewel was hidden beneath that layer of fat!”

“Wow! Considering Ken’s exploits, I can understand this appearance!”

“How about it? I know a lovely adventurer; should I introduce you? …Wha—?!”

“Excuse me, what did you just say?”

“S-Sorry! Let go of me! I’m sorry!!”

“Raphaen… please, I might break your arm….”

“Understood.”

“Gwaaaaaah—!!”

In this way, people swarmed around me, repeatedly calling my name and treating me like a hero.

Honestly, the conquest of the tower was not something I achieved on my own, so this treatment was uncomfortable.

I wished the other comrades were recognized too.

Glancing around, I looked at the other party members.

Siegfried and Adrian were surrounded by other adventurers, chatting about something.

Curious about their conversation, I leaned in slightly to eavesdrop.

Just like with the other adventurers or Emily, my stories were the focus of their chatter.

At some point, I didn’t know which story they were telling, but the adventurers cheered in response to Adrian’s additions.

‘… I just want to go in and rest.’

Maybe this was harder to endure than Emily’s past bullying; I lowered my gaze and took a sip of my drink.

After spending a night at the lodging, the next morning arrived.

We hurried out of the city as the sun began to rise.

“Ha~ Still, looking back, it was really fun!”

“Yeah. There were many dangerous moments, but nobody got hurt.”

“Emily, shouldn’t we talk about that after we return to the academy?”

“Who cares? Hehe, now all that’s left is to go back.”

As we walked along the cool morning air, the three women chatted away.

As Emily said, there was nothing left to do but return.

Having achieved our original goal of conquering the tower, the journey back felt light.

When we set out, we had an anxious weight on our shoulders, unsure of what dangers lay ahead.

But the path back to the academy was just retracing our steps.

We enjoyed the journey with comfortable and joyful hearts.

Riding in the carriage, we took in the scenery, and when night fell, we gathered around a fire to share enjoyable conversations.

While roasting the meat we had hunted along the way, laughter blossomed.

Yet, amidst this peace, one thought kept swirling in my mind.

‘… The reality changes….’

The goal of this journey and the only item that could save Raphaen.

The legendary artifact named [Token of Trial] that could change the past.

I rolled the artifact in my hand before the softly glowing campfire.

The system’s explanation included a warning.

Changing the past would change the present as well.

It was a natural statement, but the fact that it had been included in a warning bothered me.

‘Does this mean I should use it with extreme caution…?’

There is a paradox involving grandfathers.

It’s a classic tale about time paradoxes.

If I were to travel back in time in a time machine and kill my grandfather, I wouldn’t be born, thus I couldn’t travel back in time.

In other words, my grandfather cannot die.

That’s a rough outline of the paradox.

If I were to think similarly, using this artifact to change history where my grandfather dies…

Then I too would cease to exist in reality.

‘… My goal is for Raphaen not to be the child of prophecy.’

What I desire is for the prophecy itself to be erased.

If the prophecy exists but it turns out it’s not Raphaen, then there would still be anxiety about the truth being revealed in the future.

So, I would need to uproot it from its very foundation.

However, there’s one thing that bothers me.

‘… I don’t know how much history has been shaped around the prophecy’s child….’

Right now, it has become the fundamental policy of the Demon Lord’s army.

The prophecy is their primary objective, and they have lived their lives shaped by it.

If the fact that Raphaen is the child of prophecy is erased…

In that altered present, what would happen to us…?

“Ken, is it okay if I sit next to you?”

As I gazed blankly at the campfire, Raphaen, who had been lying down, approached me.

“Today’s not your watch, so get some sleep, Raphaen.”

“Uh-huh, actually, I can’t seem to sleep.”

With that, she snuggled up next to me and draped the blanket she had around my shoulders.

“Hehe, it’s warm.”

She smiled contentedly, resting her head on my shoulder.

I felt the fragrant scent of her hair, and the warmth of her body filled the blanket.

I lifted my arm and wrapped it around her shoulder.

“…….”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

Raphaen gazed at me with wide eyes, her cheeks flushed.

Wondering if placing my hand on her shoulder was inappropriate, I flustered and asked.

In response to my question, Raphaen subtly looked up at me.

“Somehow, Ken, you’re being proactive today.”

“… It’s just because I’m cold.”

“Then I hope it gets colder. Hehe.”

With that, she wrapped her arm around my waist, pressing closer to me.

Her soft body pressed against mine, but I tried my best to divert my eyes toward the campfire and not acknowledge it.

“Ken, … do you have something on your mind?”

After spending a moment in silence, Raphaen broke the quiet and asked.

“… Raphaen.”

“Yeah?”

“What if… what if the world changes against your will in exchange for resolving everything…? Would that be okay?”

Raphaen knows very well why I started this journey.

When I resolved to conquer Tarros's Tower and explained the journey to Raphaen, I told her everything about the prophecy’s child.

So, she would roughly understand the meaning behind my words.

After a moment of contemplation, Raphaen smiled softly and replied.

“I think I’d be okay.”

“… Why?”

“Because no matter what kind of world it is, I’ll still like you, Ken.”

At those words, I turned my gaze away from the campfire to meet hers.

Flushed with embarrassment, she looked away for a moment before stealing glances back at me.

“And…. You promised, Ken.”

Finally, she turned her head to look directly at me.

“You promised that when you could take responsibility, you would take responsibility for me.”

After saying that, Raphaen blushed and let out a giggle, resting her body on my lap.

I gently stroked her head.

It was a promise I had made with her back in the tower.

The reason I had firmly resolved to embark on this journey.

If her prophecy were to be erased, and the possibility of war disappearing meant I wouldn’t have to die, then I wouldn’t hold back.

That was the promise.

I looked down with a happy smile at Raphaen, who lay on my lap.

And I too smiled gently.

Her answer cleared the fog in my mind, bringing clarity to my future actions.

While Raphaen's promise was most important to her.

The reason I risked my life to conquer the tower.

It was because I wished for Raphaen to be happy.

If that’s the case, then let’s risk the dangers of changing history with a smile.

No matter what past, present, or future it becomes.

I could simply pursue my survival and her happiness.

As I contemplated, the time passed quickly, and our journey drew to a close.

Returning along the familiar path I had traveled, there were no obstacles, and we passed through the border town without issue.

Having become accustomed to traveling and camping, the pace of my party had increased significantly compared to when we first started.

Perhaps that’s why our return journey was nearly twice as fast as our initial journey.

“We’re almost there!”

As the familiar scenery of the city came into view from the moving carriage.

We returned to the academy, which we could call our hometown.

Upon arriving at the academy, we headed straight for Raphaen's tower.

We still had one last thing to do.

Thus, we reached the top of the tower and gathered around a single item at its center.

“Is it finally time to begin…?”

Siegfried muttered as he looked at the artifact in my hand.

Unsure how changing the past would alter this moment, we all decided to use the artifact together.

As I looked around at my gathered companions, I spoke sincerely.

“Thank you all so much. Thanks to you, we’ve made it this far.”

The party members who met my gaze smiled and nodded in response.

They had risked their lives to fight alongside me without any benefit for themselves.

I would never forget this grace.

Having expressed my gratitude, I turned my gaze back to the artifact in my hand.

“Well then… I’ll begin.”

Everyone was prepared in their hearts, looking at the artifact with tense expressions.

Changing the past was something no one had ever experienced before.

And I poured my magic into the artifact, as instructed by the system.

For a moment, I let a not-so-great amount of magic flow in.

“What, something is starting….”

Along with Emily’s voice, who saw the shining artifact, I focused on something that appeared before my eyes.

[System: Do you wish to change the past with the ‘Token of Trial’?]

The system message kindly asked, and I nodded, affirmatively answering the question.

[System: The past changed cannot be undone. Do you wish to proceed?]

As the subsequent confirmation came, I hesitated for a moment.

Then, upon meeting Raphaen’s gaze beside me, she smiled gently.

Seeing that, I steeled my resolve again and responded to the message.

“Change it to a past where the prophecy placed upon the Demon Lord army no longer exists.”

[System: Request accepted. Please wait a moment as it may take some time.]

With that final message, the light emanating from the artifact grew larger and soon engulfed the entire room.

“Ugh….”

It was blinding.

As I rubbed my eyes, the light gradually diminished, and I opened them.

What I saw was a familiar ceiling.

“…… What?”

I was lying down.

More precisely, I was on my bed.

In the room of my academy dormitory.

I lay there, and right after realizing that, I sat up in bed.

“… Did the past change?”

I was wearing the pajamas I always wore when going to sleep.

But the familiar belly I used to see wasn’t there. I was still slim and felt light.

“Even my appearance hasn’t changed….”

Checking the mirror, my face looked the same. I was still Ken Feinstein.

Of course, changing the past wouldn’t affect my facial features, so I nodded to myself.

Checking the time, it was morning.

The same time I had used the artifact after returning from our journey.

And typically, it would be the time to head to the academy.

‘So the location has definitely changed.’

I had just been at Raphaen’s tower a moment ago.

That was the same for everyone else.

However, after using the artifact and seeing the light, I found myself in my dormitory room.

If it wasn’t teleportation, the only conclusion I could draw was one.

‘… Because of the changed past, my present self is here in my dorm room instead of Raphaen’s tower.’

That alone served as proof that the past had changed.

Of course, I would need to confirm if the past had changed as I wanted it to.

Regardless, the artifact had worked properly.

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“…… Raphaen.”

And immediately, what came to mind was Raphaen.

The party directly involved in changing the past.

I promptly changed into my school uniform and left the dormitory.

I considered rushing straight to the tower, but it was already cutting it close to the school start time.

If it was Raphaen, I would likely see her in the academy classroom.

She would come looking for me if she wanted to see me.

Thus, I headed toward the academy’s main building.

I hurriedly put on my shoes and left the room. I walked along the familiar route to school.

‘… It feels peaceful.’

It was an ordinary school route.

Though the past had changed, the sky didn’t darken suddenly, nor did the academy fall under the rule of a cult leader; no cliché events occurred.

It was the familiar academy I had known, unchanged.

‘… No, actually, something has changed.’

As I walked down the empty path, I began to notice a change as more students gathered to head to school.

But the reason for the change wasn’t that the past had been altered.

“… Wh-Who is that?”

“Did you see? Did you see? Isn’t he super handsome?”

“A transfer student…? But Dredis doesn’t accept transfer students….”

“Wow…, what year is he in? There wasn’t anyone like him in the third year.”

The whispers were clearly directed at me.

As more students arrived, the gazes towards me only increased.

This was attention I had never felt before when I was overweight.

The female students mostly made eye contact with me, blushing, and began whispering to their friends.

The male students stared at me in awe, amazed by my appearance.

‘… If it were like this, it would have been better to be overweight.’

Feeling uncomfortable under their gazes, I quickened my pace as I walked to school.

Creak.

As I opened the back door and entered the familiar classroom, all eyes immediately turned towards me to see who had arrived.

The friendly gazes of my classmates shifted to astonished looks upon seeing me.

And as expected, their glances turned to whispers.

“… Who is he?”

“He doesn’t seem to be from our year? I’ve never seen him before….”

The overall murmurs were of confusion. Who is that? I’ve never seen that face before? … were the words.

It was only natural.

Every time I looked in the mirror, I felt bewildered by my awkward face.

But I couldn’t just stand outside the classroom and fidget, so I moved to my designated desk and sat down.

That was my assigned seat.

“Why is Ken sitting there?”

“Speaking of which, I noticed Ken hasn’t been coming to school lately. Has he quit?”

“Oh! Then that must be the new transfer student who took Ken’s vacant seat! …But he’s too handsome.”

“Should I ask his name? Anna, do you want to go ask?”

“NO! I look awful today…!”

The whispers I could hear made me feel embarrassed, and I lowered my head, hoping time would pass quickly.

If I just waited a little, everyone would realize who I was, and then I wouldn’t have to listen to this kind of talk.

‘Ah… I hope they come quickly.’

In the awkward space, I gazed out the window, waiting for someone with whom I could have a friendly conversation.

It seemed I was the first among my party to arrive at the academy, so there were no familiar faces around yet.

But if I waited a moment, someone would likely come to me.

Then during our conversation, my name would be mentioned, and who I was would be revealed.

I wouldn’t need to step outside the classroom and declare, “I am Ken Feinstein!!”

As I waited, staring blankly into space for a moment.

Pitter-patter!

The sound of someone running down the hallway reached the classroom.

That sound grew closer.

And then—

Creak, bang!

“Ken—!!”

The front door of the classroom swung open energetically, and a familiar voice echoed inside.

Startled, I immediately recognized who the owner of that voice was and looked towards the front of the classroom.

There stood Raphaen, gazing at me.

‘… Raphaen!’

I raised my hand and waved at her, feeling delighted to see her face.

Raphaen, staring at me intently, seemed to be confused.

‘… What’s wrong with her?’

Normally, the moment our eyes met, she would smile brightly and rush over to me.

‘… Oh, right. I lost weight.’

This was the first time she saw me at the academy, so she might have been flustered by the unfamiliar sight.

After all, normally, I should have been sitting here as the overweight and unattractive Ken.

And after a moment of standing in front of the classroom, Raphaen walked toward me confidently.

There was an unusual atmosphere about her.

While the usual Raphaen would approach me like a golden retriever, today she felt more like a Siberian Husky… no, a fierce Doberman.

As she entered the classroom, the arrows of whispers changed direction.

“… Raphaen is here again.”

“Since Ken’s been gone, I thought things would calm down, but she’s come to check today?”

“But Ken isn’t here today either.”

“What does it matter? If she checks that Ken isn’t here, she’ll leave.”

The whispers were quiet and hushed.

They spoke just low enough that the subject wouldn’t hear.

But I could catch every word.

The problem was that I didn’t understand what they were saying.

“… Hello? … Raphaen.”

As she approached, standing in front of me, I greeted her with a gentle smile.

With her arms crossed, she looked down at me.

For some reason, her dissatisfied expression examined me carefully before she finally spoke.

“Who are you?”