When I visited the room in the elven village, I found the Teacher sitting on her bed with her knees drawn up to her chest.
W-wait, she's sulking.
When the Teacher — an elf who ages slowly — sits in that position, she looks like a little grade-school girl who just got told she can't have dessert.
What do I do?
This is supposed to be a serious scene, but the image is just... heartwarming.
And right next to her, Fermina-chan and Kushitani-san were sitting in chairs, chatting away.
Well, "chatting" might be generous — it was more like Fermina-chan was peppering Kushitani-san with questions.
As for those three, each lost in their own world — when I teleported directly into the room, all eyes turned to me.
"
The Teacher slowly raised her head and murmured.
"How are you feeling?"
I tried asking a safe, unobjectionable question for starters.
That's when Fermina-chan's eyes went wide and she fixed me with an intense stare.
What's with that face?!
I can talk when I need to, you know!
I just don't usually bother!
When I put in the effort, I'm perfectly capable of it!
"My body is fine. Thank you for worrying about me."
My body is fine, she says.
In other words, mentally she's still far from okay.
"Please don't push yourself. You don't need to put yourself in danger anymore."
I spoke as gently and soothingly as I could.
Fermina-chan looked like she was about to foam at the mouth and collapse.
What's with that face?!
I have at least a crumb of kindness in me!
Besides, I'm actually super kind!
Everyone who doesn't get that is the weird one!
"Thank you."
Even as she thanked me, the Teacher's spirits didn't lift.
My words apparently weren't enough to clear the clouds overhead.
Still, all I can do here is keep talking and pile on the reassurance.
"You have no reason to blame yourself, Teacher. You were acting with the best of intentions. It's
In reality, the Teacher did nothing wrong.
There's that old con man's saying: "The one who gets swindled is the fool," but let's be honest — the swindler is always the one at fault.
The Teacher did everything she could, to the best of her ability.
There should have been reincarnators she saved through her efforts, and Potimas's schemes were crushed in advance, so everyone came out safe.
Everything worked out.
"But the fact remains that I aided Potimas's cause."
And yet, the Teacher kept blaming herself.
Ugh.
The Teacher's sense of responsibility is way too strong.
She piles on burdens she never needed to carry in the first place, and then suffers under their weight.
There's no rule that says she, of all people, has a duty to save reincarnators — she worked desperately hard using the elves, and then Potimas betrayed her, and she felt responsible for that too.
She's taking on way too much.
I wish she could just live a little more carefree.
Well, that's exactly what makes the Teacher who she is, though.
"That's exactly your own assumption talking, Teacher. You were deceived. You didn't do anything wrong. And, forgive me for saying this, but whether you were there or not, Potimas would have done something terrible sooner or later. Regardless of your actions, that man would eventually have needed to be dealt with by the full force of the world. You simply had the misfortune of being born under his watch."
The one at fault is Potimas.
It's basically all his fault.
That's the truth.
"So you're saying my very existence was a mistake?"
Wha—?!
How did you jump to that conclusion?!
"That's not it. I've told you many times — the Teacher isn't at fault."
I denied it immediately, but the Teacher hung her head.
Ugh, um, argh.
What am I supposed to do?
I sent a pleading look toward Fermina-chan and Kushitani-san.
Fermina-chan quietly averted her gaze.
Kushitani-san let out a small sigh and shrugged.
Tch!
Useless!
"Don't look at me like that. I don't have the full picture either, and I was the last one to arrive at this elven village. My situation and circumstances are completely different from everyone else's, so I can't really say much."
Kushitani-san's excuse time.
Well, she's not wrong, though.
Kushitani-san and Tagawa-kun spent a long time outside the elven village.
That means they spent less time with the Teacher and were confined in the village for a shorter period.
Their situation is fundamentally different from the other reincarnators who've been held under house arrest in the elven village since childhood.
You can't expect an impartial opinion from them.
"Well, from what I've heard, I think the Teacher isn't at fault either. But this really comes down to the Teacher's own feelings, doesn't it? She has to think it through herself and find her own peace of mind. That's what I believe."
...Are you really the same age as me?
Oh wait — no, if you count her previous life too, she's actually older than me.
I indulged in a little escapism there, but Kushitani-san really is more mature than the other reincarnators.
She was the first to act when the Teacher collapsed earlier, too.
Kushitani-san had been traveling the world as an adventurer, so she must have seen more and grown mentally because of it.
Compared to the reincarnators who've been stuck in the stagnant life of the elven village, she's clearly had far more experiences.
"So, Teacher, until you've sorted things out and gotten back on your feet, I'll stay by your side. Take your time and work through it at your own pace."
"Kushitani-san, isn't that just because you want to take it slow too?"
"Hm? Did you see through me?"
Kushitani-san gave a mischievous smile.
Even the Teacher cracked a small smile in response.
Huh?
Wait, that's weird.
Wasn't this supposed to be my moment to swoop in and dispel the Teacher's worries?
Kushitani just stole the whole scene!
Something's off. Something's definitely off!
I shot a look at Fermina-chan, loaded with a silent plea of "What is going on here?"
Fermina-chan stubbornly refused to look at me!
As I was reeling from this inexplicable sense of defeat, the expressions of the Teacher and the others suddenly shifted to shock.
Hm?
I quickly glanced around. The Teacher, Kushitani-san, and Fermina-chan — all three had their gazes drifting into empty air, their ears perked as if straining to listen.
And then, from surprise, their faces hardened.
Their gazes turned toward me.
Ah.
So it's come.
I ordered my split body to hack into the system.
I pulled up the history log of the Voice of Heaven (provisional).
Judging from the reactions of the three people here, there must have been some kind of revelation from the Voice of Heaven (provisional).
And sure enough — bingo.
Let's see... what does it say?
World Quest activated.
Cooperate with or obstruct the plan of the evil god who schemes to sacrifice all of humanity in order to prevent the collapse of the world.
Ah. So that's how it is.
They've really come out swinging with a big one.