108 – What If: We're Back in the Castle?!

That day with the storm was definitely something I wouldn't forget, but even if I lose my memories again, my body would remember. But because of how much my thoughts were overwhelmed with inspiration after weathering not only with Rin but with the others, I suddenly felt the urge to grasp the pen of my tablet tightly and grind on painting after I got home from work.

A week after the bad weather, I managed to outdo myself and made a series of background paintings that centers around the sky, clouds, rain, and that scene where the storm clouds were literally blown away. And because of the unusual hard work I put on making them, something unbelievable happened.

Through Stylo Studio bridging the connection, I managed to sell my backgrounds to UsaPyon Animation. But of course, the studio got a 20% of the cut for helping me out.

"Uwaaaahhhhh… It really got so cold, huh, Rin…"

"Inviting you to a date might be a bit too much, don't you think?"

"Don't say that…

And we'll not be splitting the bill anyway. I told you that it's my treat."

"Ehehehe… I guess I'm also a little short this month… Thank you, Stylo Studio…!"

"…

You rarely wear your long coat as a layer, Rin."

"Like you can talk! You're also wearing the black jacket you got from the other world."

"Ahahaha… coincidences are really something, Rin.

…!"

I felt a sensation I haven't felt in a while. It felt like lightning has just struck my mind. Unknowingly, I immediately turned towards Rin, who was also wearing the same suspicious expression that I have right now.

"Coincidence…?" we both said synchronously.

Suddenly, a strong and cold gust of wind came right to us, as if the wind was blowing directly to our faces. Instinctively, we turned away and found ourselves seeing only darkness as we shut our eyes tightly.

But something indeed felt weird. The temperature suddenly rose by one or two degrees Celsius. And after our eyes opened, we immediately saw that we were standing on unusual land—a path, if I may.

"Gin…!"

Rin suddenly let out what sounded like a frightened or awed exclamation. But truly, her widened eyes are telling immense surprise.

Why, I asked myself.

Because we are currently standing on a path in between a field… a myriad of flowers, and a gate found in a towering wall quarter a kilometer away from us.

"Rin… isn't this…"

"Avarco…?"

Both of us thought that it was just a waste to overthink and quickly ran towards the gate.

"I think we might really be here in Avarco, Rin…"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, because that castle guard on the left immediately reminded me of a shoe."

"Eh?!"

A little happily but in a bit of a rude way, I shouted.

"Ofwall! Vans Ofwall…!"

"Geh?! That his name, Potato?!"

As expected of their nature, they immediately took a stance with their hand clasping on the grip of their swords.

But Roy Vier, the other guard has perhaps realized.

"A-Are you… Sir Gram Sancht…?!"

"Yes… yes, yes! I am that guy who appeared on this very same gate wearing summer clothes in the middle of a spring day…!"

"That happened, Potato?!"

"Welcome back, Sir Gram, Miss Raiha! I'm glad that you two came back from such a long trip!"

"A-Ahh, yeah…!" I don't know why I'm saying yes.

"Are we by any chance still allowed entrance to the palace?"

"Yes! By all means, you may enter…

Ahh, but I think there is an important matter being addressed at the king's room right now. Apparently, two people at the east wing appeared less than an hour ago… and they say that those two looked exactly like the prince and Princess Sera."

"Looked like the prince and the princess…?"

"Alright, we're coming through…!" Rin suddenly gripped my arm and started running inside the castle grounds, and it seemed like she still knows the ways around the castle.

"Are they saying that they are also here…?"

"That's why I immediately ran…! They don't really know what's happening… if those two are really here!"

~ ~ ~

Meanwhile, inside Nevan Cajima's throne room.

The blue blood father and son was burdened with a sour expression, staring sternly on the spectacle in front of them. There, kneeling are two young people with the astonishingly same visage of that of the only prince of Avarco, Nero Cajima, and the princess of Varia and the prince's lover, Sera Quira.

"P-Please believe us…! We are definitely not impostors!" the young man once again pleaded.

Even though a great and unprecedented episode has suddenly landed upon the royal castle of Avarco, it seems that the king is being surprisingly patient. None of the knights inside the room knows the reason why, but one can only assume that it is because they have the same face of his son and the residing princess. Perhaps, even if in disguising men or impostors, he cannot help but see the two with familial eyes.

However, if this was truly the case of deception, the king has reserved his feelings at least inwardly and he thought that whoever did this, it won't be a laughing matter.

"My patience can only last for so long. I demand you to state the truth at once!"

"We are telling you… We really do not know what is going on…!"

With the scene of the knights gripping on the hilts of their swords at ready, the emotions of the young woman boiled up and her voice and tears released all at once in the cry of despair.

The prince and the young man both gazed, and as if it was supposed to happen, their mirrored faces folded into agony and their fists clenched.

"I appeal to you once more… we are not impostors… We are as surprised as you are when we saw our faces in different people…

We don't even know this place. We don't even know why we are here…

I plead you to believe us…!"

BAM

It only took a split second. The giant doors of the throne room suddenly separated from its hinges and they slammed flat on the door. Beyond the doorway appeared persons that are openly showing their shortness of breath that tells that they were in a certain rush.

With the shudders calming down, even those two who are currently held captive turned their heads while still being on their knees.

"Hah… Hah… We promise… hah… We'll fix the door… hah… ourselves…"

There shall be no one in this castle that can put apart the doors other than the man who showed his vigor by snapping a sword in half. Gin took a requisite breath as deep as a trench and straightened his back which then Rin followed.

"I humbly apologize for the intrusion into Your Highness' current business, but we announce our return to the country of Avarco! Gram Sancht and Raiha Azelt here in your presence, King Nevan Cajima…!!"

Be it two worlds, no one has heard Gin's voice bounce and reverberate on the walls of the room in an almost ear-piercing volume.

"Sir Gram… and Miss Raiha…?"

"We have immediately heard of the circumstances from Sir Vans Ofwall and Sir Roy Vier that are stationed in the south gate and came immediately here.

King Nevan… you needn't worry…

We are not impostors and it's the same to those two!!!

Your Highness, we express our humblest appeals to ease the reins from those fellows in front of you."

"While I am pleased to see the two of you, I shall not accept, even if it was coming from you. We don't know what they might do once they are untied."

Rin then stepped forward, "These humble people in you presence goes by the name Nagi Kajima and Shiro Kirishima…! I sincerely apologize for keeping this a secret, but they are Orions that we have befriended long before the war broke out, and we are well aware that they look exactly like Prince Nero and Princess Sera. However, we were deeply overwhelmed by that fact and we failed to tell you."

"I shall handle this, father," the prince whispered.

He stepped down from the wide podium and unsheathed the shortsword from his back, and slowly walked towards the captives silently.

But then, Gin, or Gram broke the silence.

"I thank you for this courtesy," he said in a cunning smile.

"…

Welcome back, Gram, Raiha."

The ropes gave in to the sharpness of Nero's blade and the arms of Nagi and Shiro were eased. Suddenly, Nero extended his hand to Nagi.

"I am very pleased to meet you, Nagi."

"A-Ah… Yes…"

"I know that this may sound weird, Prince Nero," Gin cut, "but how long have we been gone?"

"It has been more than two years, Sir Gram."

"So pretty much the same to our world time-wise…"

"I thank you for immediately informing us that they are also your fellow Orions, Raiha."

"It goes without saying that we will do everything to save our friends. It has been many years since we last saw them, indeed.

If we may, Your Highness, shall we have a word with them alone?"

"…

You come with them, Nero. All of you are dismissed."

"Ah, before I leave… Nice, it seems like I just shook the hinges off. Excuse me…"

‹Gin›

I lifted the doors up and aligned them back to their right places and locked them to their hinges.

"Now we shall take our leave."

I would say, things have not really changed in the past two years when we were gone. Just the same when Rin first emerged in this world, the five of us walked to the same garden. I removed my jacket to place it flat on the grass and lied down to enjoy the pleasant weather.

"Wait until I give you the signal to speak, I will check the surroundings," Nero whispered.

"Many thanks."

A few minutes later, "Our reconnaissance agent was listening to us, perhaps without orders. Don't worry, I kicked his butt away."

"Thanks again, Nero," we made a fist bump while only raising my arm. Next to that, Nero distanced away.

"Honestly, can't really say that it's nice to be back.

Anyway… how are you two doing, Nagi, Shiro?"

"Are you really, Gin…?"

"Yes, Nacchi~"

"Seriously…! Those few minutes shaved off years of my life… that felt so crappy…!!"

"Haha! Now that's a word I wouldn't hear in this place."

"Care to explain what's going on, Gin…?"

"Isekai."

Three… two… one.

"Wooooooooowwwwwwwww," the newcomers absorbed the fact rather quickly.

"And then there's also the story as to why we look like we are people of this kingdom. You thought that we were not us for a second, I bet?"

"Uh-huh…"

"Well, once upon a time…"

Note, my storytelling was nowhere near a fairy tale.

"…and there is yet for someone to live happily ever after."

"An honorary Avarcan… Orio being destroyed in war…"

I guess that was a little hard to take in all at once.

"Ah, Shiro. Turn around for a second."

"…?"

Nagi all of a sudden removed Shiro's hair tie and so her hair began to gracefully dance to the steps of the wind.

"I know you have a scrunchie on your pocket so just use it. It looks good either way…"

I didn't sense any embarrassment from Nagi's tone and expression, but somehow his voice was rather restrained and a little weak.

Pon, Rin palm-fist tapped.

"Ah," she then scooted to whisper to Nagi, "so you saw Nero's expression earlier, Nacchi."

"…!"

"Ohhh, I see what's going on.

Then let me introduce them again. The prince is Nero Cajima; so close in matching your name. He's the only prince of this kingdom. Then there is Princess Sera Quira. She is originally a princess from a neighboring country that decided to reside in this castle. I guess… she is the first princess of this country now?"

"Does that mean that the second princess also looks like Naru?"

"Worry not, she doesn't."

"And to cut to the chase," Rin started, "your counterparts are also dating."

"What a coincidence…!" they said in one voice.

"I knew you'd say that.

But we really don't have an option. We should make your appearances differ for the most while we are in this world."

"By the way, Ringo, Gin suddenly disappeared."

"He's not a kid anymore. He can do what he wants."

"A mother…"

"Also, how long have you been here in this world, and where were you before being transported here?"

"We… We were on the cinema and then the screen suddenly showed us stuff that are all over the place. Before we knew it, we were in front of a castle gate."

"Uhh, so… you guys are from after the typhoon then?"

"Y-Yeah…?"

"That's a bit different in our first time. Potato and I were transported simultaneously in our world's time, but I came a few days after him.

…

Where did you go, Potato?"

"I didn't tell you but I actually buried all of our salary in the opening of the mountain. Thankfully they are still down there."

"I see. Ahhh, I hope we still have coffee imports…"

"Yeah… I don't think I can do any more explanations without a sip.

Heeeey, Nero! Is coffee still being shipped here? Raiha will make some for all of us."

"Yeah, we still have them… But you can drop the act in front of me already… Gin."

No surprise, but Nagi and Shiro got really surprised. Times like this look and sound like our cover has been blown and we'll be put to a difficult spot. But no.

"Says the one who's hesitant to say my real name. I am Gram in this world, dude."

I guess they're also surprised that I'm talking to a prince like he is a mere commoner.

"With that out of the way… we'd like to have a meeting in your office right now, and we should also bring the princess with us."

"Y-Yeah… That makes sense."

*Batm*n transition sound effects*

"Waaahhhhh… this place feels so nostalgic…"

"I didn't bother on changing things around because… because I have my slightest hopes that you two will be here again…"

"Ah, I see. The only difference is that there are two more people that may just bring the other nobles to a complete chaos if they find this out."

"Can you not break the mood, Gram?!"

"Well anyway, it's nice to be back although very abruptly. First off… the lookalikes should do a handshake, don't you think?"

As if it was instinct, the two Nagi's didn't allow each other to shake the two Shiro's hands.

And that's a sentence that I never thought I would say.

"Then second… I would like to address a not very popular information about our fallen country. Nero, Sera, please listen carefully.

There is a strange phenomenon in Orio were people are born with the same occurrences upon their first cry. Sometimes, the parallel events continue in their life, and sometimes people are born with the very same looks, although they are a very rare case. And just so you know, this isn't about the Orio of our world but this one's. I read it on archives when I was still here."

"Ahhh, I think I know where this is going, but Potato's definitely making up all of this," thought Rin.

"Those kinds of people are called 'existential coincidences,' and it seems that the four of you are the same in this one denominator."

"Ahhhhhhhhh, there goes the bombshell," thought Rin monotonously.

"Such a thing happens?!"

"And they totally bought it. Lol."

"Rin, this is a little entertaining," I whispered.

"Yes. Yeah."

"Aaaand so while the reason of us coming back is still unknown, we shall be back to our line of work here tomorrow as we need more money to make ends meet. Right now, we're like parents that need to feed our two children."

"Aren't you embarrassed to say that sounding like you have a family with Miss Raiha, Sir Gram?" Sera asked, sharing her own side of abashment.

"…

Ahhhh! Ahahahahaha! Are our rooms still available for us to use, Prince Nero?"

"He dodged the question."

"Yes… It seems that you left your sword so I placed a pedestal for it. I tried using it one time though, sorry about that."

"That's fine. But Nero, can you teach Nagi basic sword skills?"

"Sure."

"Wait, Gi- I mean, Gram. Are you telling me that I call learn St*rburst Stream?!"

"**Can you shut up and get real?!"

"Eep…!"

«Even if the rebuke wasn't towards Nero and he didn't understand any of the words, he still felt it, shaking him to the core.»

"Anyway, I guess we should do a bit of explaining to your father immediately. Are you ready to omit, Nero?"

"Your identities are still safe."

~ ~ ~

Another session of explanations later, the rather cold attitude of the king towards the mirrors of his children has disappeared. And it seems that King Nevan still has a soft spot towards Orions, even though no one has appeared after us, and so they were granted authorized entrance to this kingdom.

But Nero butted and stated his proposition—that they shall stay and never leave the castle seeing that they look exactly like the nobles of this country. In lieu of the situation, we aides have been ordered to be companions of Nagi and Shiro. Meaning that they shall always be on our watch, even if we have to attend to our masters' work.

Although we've stayed here for quite a while in the past, we never learned about a minute detail in this country. Apparently, commoners, especially female ones, don't really use hair ornaments or tie their hair high, and men do not really use additives to their hair, hence why Nero's groomed hair is rather unique to others.

"Let's not spare more rooms Nero. We shall let them stay on our rooms."

"Alright. I will immediately have someone to bring two more beds in your rooms."

"Sorry for the trouble."

"Okay, house rules!" I turned to the autumn couple, "Just like how it was when there was an outbreak, stay at home and don't leave. Just the same, I think your life maybe at risk if you ever go outside."

"Y-Yes sir…!!!"

"Next, my name is Gram Sancht and Rin should be called Raiha Azelt."

"Gin is Gram! Ringo is Raiha!"

"Also, you don't need to be very cautious towards the knights especially those present in the throne room as they already know you.

But if they ever bully you two…"

"I'll take responsibility, Gram," Nero immediately said.

"Just so you know, Nero, my mere finger can pierce through their armor."

"I don't want that to happen!

But I should tell the knight's order about this if that will be the case."

"Then I shall request you only tell this to the knight you trust absolutely."

"Someone I trust second to you…"

"Oi, you're making me embarrassed."

"Anyway, I'll dismiss you four and you guys take a rest now. If you want to use the kitchen, you're free to do so as always."

"Then we'll see you-

Let's a have a sleepover later tonight."

"Good idea, Gram! Miss Sera, is it fine if you come to my room later? I want to tell your story to Shiro."

"E-Eh?! Please don't…! It's really embarrassing!"

Nero screamed, "I should be the one embarrassed the most…!"

"Umm… Prince Nero, I think I should tell you that Shiro and I are dating…"

"…

I see… Then I shall say with confidence that Sera is indeed the one who is most beautiful!"

Oh hey, I didn't know that the prince has an immature side.

But I'm more surprised to see that not only Sera but also Shiro is flushed.

"Huuuhhhh?! I object! Of course Shiro is the one who is prettier!"

Hey, hey… I seem to hear kyun somewhere…!

"Say what?!"

"I will never back down even if you are a prince!"

"Still, I never accept your stand!"

Yadda, yadda…

"Potato."

"Hm?"

"Don't you dare chime in to that argument otherwise I'll seriously punch you in front of them."

"I won't. You're the most splendid of course."

"I am grateful for the flattery," in monotony.

"Have you ever seen me talking to someone as stupid as I am, Rin?"

"No, but I understand what you mean. I've never seen two idiots fight on who is more beautiful between two identical people."

"Last time there was a reason why we were isekai'd to this world, right?

But now I doubt it's the case this time…"

"Are we going to be alright, I wonder?"

"Daijōbu by R*DWIMPS."

"Hey! That's two chapters in a row of We*thering with You references!"

Are we sent to this world just to bear witness on such fluffy events…?

Not like Rin and I are complaining, though.

To be continued.

Chapter Message:

Looking at how many chapters I've made, it's funny how I could probably make an abridged version of the story.

Onwards, there will be "What If" chapters inserted between main chapters, so yes this is non-canon and can be skipped. Also, things in this chapter might not make sense as this is a sequel to the spin-off chapters at the end of Normal in Parenthesis.

But as for the upcoming spin-off chapters, I will say whether they can be skippable or if I recommend to read it. *wink*

Thank you for reading!

Next

109: I am so out of place in this fancy dinner parties.