[40 — Purpose?]

It took a while for Ruru to calm me down and put an end to my laughing fit. Even after drinking some sweetened water and doing breathing exercises, the aftershocks of my hysteria still ran through my body. My fingers tapped wildly on the kitchen table, and I couldn't focus on the plate of food in front of me. My heart felt ready to leap out of my throat, but somehow I managed to finish dinner before it went cold.

"Destroyer-sama, if you eat that fast, you'll get indigestion." Ruru started clearing the dishes. "You have to chew properly before you swallow."

"I just can't calm down, Ruru. Do you realize what this revelation means?" I downed another glass of water.

Tch… to think I had the answer right in front of me all this time and just chose not to see it. As if that wasn't bad enough, I almost threw away a key piece out of pure stupidity. Just how dumb can I get?

"I know you're excited, Destroyer-sama, but before anything else, shouldn't you at least talk to Sera? It's not good to keep hiding things from her."

I got up and started helping Ruru clean up. Every time she made everything sound so easy, it ticked me off.

"I-I'll think about it…"

That's what I said, but honestly? I didn't think it was a good idea. If I told her I needed her because of the game's lore or to work on a cure for the plague, she might think I was trying to use her. In that case, the truth itself could turn into my enemy. Then again… I had no intention of forcing Sera into anything.

"Sera is a good girl. I'm sure she'll understand if you explain."

Ruru grabbed my arms and stared right into me. Her smile looked so sweet that if she hadn't been pinching me with all her strength, I probably would've been fooled by that innocent face.

"Y-yeah, I still haven't—Keuuk!! O-okay! Okay! I'll go! I'll talk to her, Ruru!"

"Fufu~" She finally let me go. "I'm glad we could come to an understanding, don't you think, Destroyer-sama?"

"Ha…ha… yeah, sure."

──────⊱◈◈◈⊰──────

After being 'gently' persuaded by Ruru, I left the kitchen to look for Sera. It was already late, so I figured she'd be in her room.

Sure, I'd made up my mind to talk to her, but that didn't stop me from dragging my feet all the way there. After all, if she just happened to fall asleep, then we could postpone this until the next day; when I'd be fully prepared.

If Ruru asked, I'd have the perfect excuse to slip out of the situation like a pro.

That was the plan…

But she wasn't in her room.

I went back downstairs to check the kitchen in case we'd missed each other.

Nope, not there either.

"Did she go out?" I muttered, peeking outside.

There were lanterns glowing yellow in front of the houses. Other than that, the streets were deserted. As far as I could see, there wasn't a single sign of Sera.

"Weird… where could she have gone at this hour?"

I stepped back into the inn, feeling a little uneasy. I didn't want to think the worst, but I couldn't help imagining she might've run away again.

Did I decide too late?

Panic started creeping in as I rushed back to the room. Worst case, I'd have to drag Ruru out so we could search for her.

But just as I was about to collapse from stress, I spotted Sera sitting on the other staircase, on the far end of the hall. She was quietly playing with her pinwheel.

"..."

This brat.

I got worried for nothing.

"Sigh… at least she's still here."

Without thinking, I walked over and sat down beside her. It didn't take long for the adrenaline to wear off and regret to set in.

Seriously… what the hell was I supposed to say to her?

"Ruru, I— oh… it's you, Destroyer."

…At this point, her disappointment whenever she saw me didn't even surprise me anymore.

"Come on, you do that on purpose, don't you?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

"Hah, forget it." I grumbled, resting my arms on my knees.

From where we sat, the only things we could see were the railing vanishing down the stairs and the dull stone walls. Not exactly a pleasant view.

I stared at random spots to dodge the tension, but the truth was simple: I had no idea what to say. How could I deny being an inquisitor? Even without the memories, my own body was condemning me. Was there even a chance for us to understand each other?

"Sera, about the ma—"

"Destroyer, about the ma—"

We spoke at the same time.

"Y-you first, Sera."

"I… I just wanted to talk about what happened the other day…" She turned away, hesitant. "About the marks… I'm sorry for yelling that at you."

Her tiny voice cracked.

"You don't have to apologize. I'm sorry for not telling you I was an inqu—"

"I just didn't expect you to be a prince… it's just… you don't look like one at all."

"Yeah, I know I don't look like a pri—wait! What did you just say?!" I grabbed her shoulders instinctively. "A what?! Where did you hear that?! What do you mean, a prince?!"

She flinched.

"S-sorry." I let go the moment I realized what I'd done.

"I-it's fine. I was just a little surprised. Ruru told me."

"R-Ruru?"

"Yes. She said you two… ran away from the castle together. I-I didn't expect you to have that kind of r-relationship."

O-oi, what are you implying?! And why is your face turning red?!

"Haha… so she already told you." I tried my best to regain composure. No way I could let her see my surprise.

"Destroyer…"

"Katou." I cut her off. "My name is Katou."

I don't know why, but I felt like I needed to say it.

"K-Katou…? I thought you were lying in the forest, but that really is your name? Weird name."

I scratched my cheek.

So she'd heard when I gave my name to the mercenaries. She's sharper than she looks.

"Why… did you hug me that day?"

"You remember that?!" I blurted out. "I mean, do I look like the kind of guy who'd abandon someone in the rain? What do you take me for?"

Not gonna lie, her question made me genuinely nervous.

"That's not it… it's just… you already knew I was a witch. Now I get why Ruru would, but I don't understand your reasons."

"Reasons, huh?" I muttered. "That's a good question."

"W-what?!"

I rested my head in my hands.

"I really don't know. I wasn't thinking straight back then. Maybe I just acted on instinct."

The words slipped out on their own.

"Instinct? T-that makes no sense…"

"Yeah, I think so too. But you see… sometimes your body just moves. Even if you try to rationalize it, emotion beats logic. I guess that's why, even though you're this grumpy little girl, I still hugged you and let you hurt me. My subconscious must've felt something about you."

"N-n-nonsense!" Sera's face flushed red as her hair. And then, inevitably, I started blushing too.

…Uwah, this is so embarrassing.

I had no clue how I managed to say that so naturally. But one thing was certain: thank god Ruru wasn't here to witness this.

"You're weird… but… thank you."

It was the first time I'd seen her smile so clearly.

It wasn't a fully happy smile, but I couldn't help smiling back. Something strange was happening to me. For some reason, I felt like I wanted to protect this brat.

…It must've been because it was late. Yeah. That had to be it.

I turned away.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't avoiding her! My neck just hurt from sitting in that position too long.

Still, what she said earlier stuck with me. If I was a prince instead of an inquisitor, that completely flipped my parameters and how I saw the bigger picture. It even gave me some comfort. I couldn't be sure about my role in the game, but at least I wasn't one of those church villains. That alone was a small victory.

I sighed and shifted my focus back to the wall. Before I knew it, I was lost in thought again.

No matter how long I sat there reflecting, nothing made sense. But staying put wouldn't solve anything either. The question was: what do I do now? What's my next move?

According to Ruru, the reason we came to Blessom was to find a cure. And considering the cure itself was literally sitting right beside me, I guess that part was handled (for now).

Should I stall a little longer and only leave when I was confident in my skills? 

"..."

I'd think it over more carefully later.

For now, the best move was to talk with Sera and hear what she thought. She was definitely an important piece of this story, but I wouldn't be satisfied using her just for the plot. As tough as it was, it was time to do the right thing.

"Hey, Sera, you—huh?!"

When I turned toward her, she toppled onto me. She'd fallen asleep, her face completely at peace.

I quickly straightened up and rested her head on my lap.

"Tch… how could she just fall asleep like this?" I muttered. "If I were an enemy, you'd be done for, kid."

She looked like a defenseless kitten. Maybe that's why I couldn't resist brushing her hair gently. Her quiet breathing and the warmth of her head in my lap only made it clearer: she wasn't a character. She was alive. In every sense of the word.

"…She's kinda cute, though," I whispered without realizing.

"She is, isn't she, Destroyer-sama?"

Ruru's voice echoed down the hall.

"..."

Seriously… I was getting used to her sneaky entrances.

"Don't tell me you were spying on us, Ruru."

──────⊱◈◈◈⊰──────

Carrying Sera in my arms, I headed for her room. It was already late, so I decided to tuck her in.

"Destroyer-sama, believe me! I swear I wasn't spying on you! I just got here, I promise…"

Yeah, right. Nothing she said would make me believe her.

"She's not too heavy, is she? I can take her."

"No need, Ruru. She's not heavy. Besides, we're already here."

Creeeak— I pushed the door open with some effort.

I set her down carefully so she wouldn't get hurt. Even saying she wasn't heavy, my arms were stiff and numb.

"Well then, Ruru, now that the package is delivered, I'll be heading out. Have a good nigh—"

"Wait, Destroyer-sama!" She grabbed my arm. "D-do you really have to go right now?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I just… wanted to show you something."

What's she scheming this time?

Without a word, Ruru stepped to the balcony. Since she leaned against the railing, I felt compelled to follow.

Standing beside her at night gave me a strange sense of déjà vu. A scene I'd already witnessed, except this view was slightly different from the one back in my room.

Without buildings blocking the sight, I could see a wide-open field, the darkness broken only by the glowing moon. The sky was clear and filled with stars.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ruru whispered softly.

The moonlight reflected off her skin, radiant. I couldn't take my eyes off her.

"Y-yeah… it's beautiful."

No doubt about it: being with these two was making me feel weird.

"S-so, what did you want to show me, Ruru?"

"This." She stretched her arms out toward the night. "Doesn't this scenery remind you of something?"

Even though she looked at me with such nostalgia, nothing came to mind.

"Isn't it just like that day, two years ago, when we left the capital, Destroyer-sama?"

"That day, two years ago?" I started to ask, genuinely curious, but stopped as her smile faded into sadness with every word. I didn't want to see that look on her face.

"Ahem, yeah. You're right. I guess it was a day just like this." I turned away, ashamed of my own lie.

…Hopefully she didn't notice.

"Fufu~ you're a terrible liar."

"Hey! Who says I'm lying?"

"I hadn't thought about it before, Destroyer-sama, but it seems you've lost even more of your memories than I imagined. "She folded her hands on the railing. "It's kind of funny."

"Ugh, I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Ever since Ruru found out about my missing memories, I'd felt more at ease around her. Like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Not that I trusted her or anything, it's just… it was exhausting pretending all the time. That's all.

"Thanks for being here, Ruru." I whispered.

If it weren't for you, I would've lost my purpose.

If it weren't for you…

Maybe the game would already be over for me.

Fwooosh~

The wind was so strong, I wasn't sure how much of that thought had actually come out of my mouth. It was a dilemma: part of me wanted her to hear it, part of me wished I'd stayed quiet.

"No, Destroyer-sama… I should be thanking you."

"I haven't done anything worth your thanks," I retorted.

"Un-un." She shook her head. "You might not remember, but… without you, I wouldn't be here."

Ruru stepped closer, slowly. I couldn't stop her. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't tear my eyes away. It was like I was under her spell, hypnotized by those blue eyes.

That's when I realized… she really was a witch.

"Gulp… Ruru, I—"

"What are you two doing?"

"Huh?! S-Sera?! Y-you're awake?!"

"Ugh, what's with that reaction, Ruru? Don't tell me you two were—"

"No! No! O-of course not, you must've seen it wrong!" Ruru rushed to her. "You're still half-asleep, right?"

"Seen it wrong?"

"..."

"Tch… guess I'm really going crazy." I went back to staring at the sky.

As much trouble as these two had caused me, I was glad for what I'd discovered because of them. I wasn't sure if my theory was right, but it looked like the answers I needed were tied to the me from before the game. The message had come from Ruru, sure, but if the words truly came from me, then the real question was: how did I know the game's events without my memories?

Strange… but one thing was certain:

Even if indirectly, my past self was still influencing this world's story.

"Good thing you woke up, Sera. Your dress would've gotten wrinkled if you slept in it. Time to try out the new pajamas I bought you!"

"Oh no, Ruru, can't we do that tomorrow? It's late!"

"It'll be quick, I just want to see these three sets—"

"Listen, girls! I've finally made up my mind!"

They both turned toward me.

"We're heading to the capital!" I declared, pointing ahead.

If there's anywhere I can find clues about my past, it's in the capital! Not only is most of the information concentrated there, but I can also figure out how to free Sera from her mark. Two birds, one stone.

Heh… I'm a genius.

"Eh… Destroyer-sama…"

"No need to say it, Ruru. I know I'm a genius."

"It's just… the capital's the other way."

"..."

Of course…

This damned girl never misses a chance to humiliate me.

—END?—