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Shione Shianella spent two days investigating this unfamiliar world she had fallen into alone.

She obtained a wealth of information.

The invitee who had dropped her here seemed to have hidden various important facts within the books in her room.

“Ugh…”

With nothing to do but snack, read, and occasionally gaze out at the world outside, she was becoming quite exhausted.

She painstakingly flipped through each book strewn around her room, jotting hints down on several blank sheets of paper.

Swish. Swish.

As her fountain pen danced across the paper, it left a small dot at the end.

“Is this the last book?”

Finally finishing her organizing, Shione snatched up the paper on which she had summarized the most crucial facts.

Thud… Thud…

With a heavy body, she threw herself onto the bed without hesitation. Looking at her own handwriting, she pondered.

“The time disparity between reality and this world—”

Given the urgent situation outside, she needed to address the most important aspects first.

This place existed on a separate timeline from reality. No matter how long she spent here, time moved significantly faster in reality, but that didn’t mean she could stay here indefinitely before facing her trials.

The failure condition for the trial was set to 15 minutes in reality.

So, if she couldn’t deal with the lurking demon by the time half a year passed in this world, not only would she fail to secure her ancestors’ arrangements, but she would also be expelled from this place and suffer substantial penalties.

“I have to take a completely different path from the predetermined past…”

To avoid that happening, she had to change.

One.

“I don’t understand.”

She was already exhausted from reading every book and writing notes…

In truth, her body, which usually never moved, was now tired from the strenuous activity of digging through her surroundings as if grasping for dear life.

“Let’s take a little break.”

Slowly, Shione pulled the blanket over her head to block her view.

Although the sun was high in the sky, darkness engulfed her sight, and she sighed, calling for her maid.

“Herrel! Organize all these books!”

At the same time, she gently lowered the blanket to take in the sight of her room.

“…It’s a complete mess.”

No matter how she looked at it, the room was in absolute disarray.

Even with two or three small children, it would be hard to make this much of a mess.

Yet, Shione ultimately pushed aside the little guilt she felt towards Herrel for not keeping things tidy.

“Because it’s Herrel.”

Though she had cut off ties with everyone else, she believed that the consideration and understanding she shared with Herrel were special.

Herrel’s kind demeanor had just been a facade.

“…Hmph.”

Everything would be turned upside down.

A past she would rewrite anew.

This time, she intended to stir things up.

*

Edelin’s fingers bled from the wounds she inflicted upon herself.

The magic that relied on her blood drew closer to completion.

The undead, lacking any sign of intelligence, awkwardly shuffled around, their weak forms trudging up from hell, yet they still had heads.

As if sensing the crisis brought on by Edelin’s splendid magic, they began to press us even harder.

“…The slicing never ends.”

With no time for her sword to dry, perhaps due to the ever spilling blood, it was beginning to congeal slowly on its surface.

‘If they were the type to hesitate when faced with blood…’

Those who would panic or lose their composure seeing blood streaming down the blade did not exist here.

The hardened blood sticking to the sharp edge only became a hindrance, throwing off the balance of her weapon with no purpose at all.

Swish!

Shaking the blood off her sword, she swiftly resumed her attacks.

The sword plunged into the earth, tracing a path northwest before shooting upwards.

The head of the creature, which had been lurking at a distance, suddenly rolled away from its body and hit the ground.

The elite regiments of elves reorganized themselves, and numerous spirits began to support us.

‘It seemed like we had bought enough time.’

Though she was confident they could hold off until the high elf could perform her magic, there was still one more concerning thing.

“When is that guy going to wake up?”

My master, who was slumped against a stone, showed no signs of waking.

I had clearly told Orna to cling to Shione, just in case, along with waking her up.

Gazing back to see how the little Cotton Puff was faring—

“Meow! Meow!”

Chop! Chop Chop!

The Cotton Puff was adorably slapping Shione’s cheeks more enthusiastically than expected.

Despite its tiny front paws moving earnestly, it was unexpectedly powerful.

Yet, seeing Shione as unbothered, I let out a sigh and took Orna, placing her back over Shione’s head.

“You did well. Seems like she won’t wake up, so just keep an eye on her. You can manage that, right?”

“Meow.”

As if to say, ‘just count on me,’ Orna continued to pat Shione’s crown with her front paw.

Having focused again on the battle, Edelin finally began to showcase her might.

“Finally!”

From afar, the voice of the guards’ captain filled with exhilaration echoed.

An old elf, standing alone amidst the enemies, had turned the tide of the battle with her magic.

It was expected.

Bound by contracts of both spirit and soul. Not only connecting their souls but also forging promises that could not be broken, these individuals had returned to this world.

“Clear them out.”

No one could stop the holy flames beginning to spread around, ignited by Edelin’s command.

They were seasoned exorcists of demons more than anyone else in this continent.

*

If this mysterious space continued along the same flow as the path she had taken, the reunion with Ray would happen in about two months.

Yet, Shione had no intention of being trapped here for that long.

With the outside situation so urgent, what was the purpose of staying here forever?

To change the past, she needed to fix this damned body, starting with some simple exercise without overdoing it.

But—

“No, but…”

Even so, she was a bit curious about seeing Ray again for the first time…

Always cold in demeanor, she had clearly stated every word.

She only worried about her reaction when he felt burdened…

“…It’s a bit disappointing.”

What to do? To just leave after catching a glimpse of his face…

“What am I even thinking?”

No, she had to clear out the demons first; everything else could come later.

“First, I need to figure out what to do with this body.”

Being locked up in her room like before wouldn’t do her any good.

A barrier she had already overcome once.

Without hesitation, Shione changed clothes and exited her room.

“Princess Shione…?”

As it was winter and before meeting Ray, she rarely ventured outside.

When I stepped outside, it was typically only during family meals.

Shione looked at Herrel, whose expression was a mix of surprise and concern.

“Why?”

“…Are you planning to go out?”

“It’s not really going out; I’m just going for a little walk.”

“The weather is cold.”

“Do I look cold to you?”

“…But it isn’t completely thawed yet.”

Herrel was clearly in disarray, yet still unwilling to admit that Shione didn’t look cold.

Shione swallowed a sigh and spoke.

“If I exercise, I’ll sweat.”

As soon as those words left her lips, she turned her head away.

Though Herrel acted as if she cared for her, she clearly discussed Shione’s troubles with others behind her back—a fact Shione could distinctly hear.

People’s eyes can’t lie. Unlike that blurry vision from before, if she pierced through Herrel’s eyes now, it was evident her current words seemed to be belittled.

But why…

“Is that really what you mean?”

Herrel seemed to be putting on the happiest voice she had in a long time.

It felt so genuine that it didn’t seem like a performance at all.

“You’ve… made a good decision, Princess Shione. Really… well thought out.”

“…Herrel?”

Looking at the little teardrops hanging off the corners of Herrel’s smile annoyed Shione.

Someone who had seemingly hated her above all and hurled insults at her; why was she respecting Shione’s decision with such sincerity?

On the day Shione had cast Herrel away, she still vividly recalled Herrel approaching and shouting at her—yet that honesty seemed to be absent from Herrel’s behavior now.

‘…Something’s off.’

Doubt started to creep in.

In the tumultuous, impoverished state of her mind, she wondered if there were things hidden in the world she had perceived wrongly. Or if maybe she had misinterpreted something entirely.

Watching Herrel, who had tears brimming in her eyes, made Shione’s heart soften, something she couldn’t avoid. Though she tried to suppress her emotions, Herrel was someone who had raised her.

“No matter what, you’ll definitely get cold once the sweat dries. I’ll fetch you something warm to wear.”

Using her sleeve to wipe her eyes, Herrel slipped into her room.

As she watched Herrel disappear, Shione was still trying to adjust her unfamiliar feelings when a guest interrupted.

“Sister? What brings you out of your room?”

Sion Shianella.

Although their relationship now resembled a truce of sorts, he was once an annoying younger brother who would devour her endlessly.

“These days, you never even went out for a walk when it was cold. Does this mean you’re off to the dining hall?”

After all, this world was fabricated.

It mirrored the realistic world of her past but was ultimately an ephemeral timeline, destined to vanish once she failed the test set by her ancestors.

Therefore, it didn’t matter if she brought trouble to her true self in reality.

With that in mind, Shione felt quite at ease.

“Sion.”

“Yes, Sister Shione?”

“Shut your mouth.”

Can’t you see that I’m thinking seriously right now?

 

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