Otherworld TRPG Game Master

266 – Epilogue: The Wind Blowing North

Yuna and I surrounded Bennett’s sister and conducted a temporary examination. However, the situation was complicated without facilities and equipment for scanning, and there might be an issue with the soul.

“Let’s go to the academy. They’ll be able to conduct a precise examination there.”

“….”

“Don’t worry too much. From what I could see, the soul is intact.”

I declared our return while comforting the dark-faced Bennett.

Selvia seemed ready to follow without needing to be told, and as for the elves, picking up the elven relics scattered on the ground and returning them would conclude the calculations, leaving one person whose stance was still undecided.

“…Sister.”

“Ah, um. Chisel.”

It was my sister-in-law.

Chisel Yurensto awkwardly broke the silence, unsure of how to approach her sister after such a long time apart.

—

“Fifteen years, huh? Have you been well during that time?”

“Overall, I think I’ve been doing okay. And you, Cissel?”

“Me too… Yes, overall.”

“That’s a relief. Yeah…”

Yuna seemed equally awkward. They had seen each other in the Holy City, so why was that?

Right. Cissel hadn’t recognized ‘the mysterious smiling sorceress X who wore a mask to hide her identity.’ For her, this truly was a reunion after more than a decade.

“…How’s Jewel doing?”

“According to the last letter I received, she’s in the process of finding a partner.”

“Oh, I see…”

“Um…”

The silence was suffocating, and the stilted conversation was painful to witness; I could no longer stand by. I decided to gently interject.

Not that I intended to intrude on a family conversation without a clue. I aimed to create a space where they could share their thoughts comfortably.

“Shall we move on? Let’s catch up in the comfort and safety of our home.”

“Oh, yeah. Should we…?”

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

The journey that followed was simple. We traveled to the nearest major city, took a teleportation magic circle to the vicinity of the academy, and brainwashed a wyvern passing by with illusion magic to use as our mount.

After a few hours of flight, we arrived at the academy.

The journey of the lost Mima had come to an end.

—-

I have returned.

I have returned to the academy.

After being torn into dozens of pieces and scattered across the continent, after a Selbier fable, after crushing the plans of a named dark sorcerer, and after half-rescuing Bennett’s sister—I have returned to my beloved home.

I left Bennett, Cissel, and her sister in the reception room for the time being.

With a fluttering heart, I opened the door to the laboratory, and there stood Pingvallez, dressed in a suit with an apron, greeting me with an impassive expression.

“Welcome. Would you like to eat first, or shall we bathe together? Or perhaps…”

“Yuri, it’s good to see you!”

I rushed forward and embraced her.

The sensation was different from that of petite Yuna. Holding Yuri, I could feel an emotional weight from her chest. Yuri chuckled softly and patted my back.

“Did you miss me?”

“I missed you.”

“Words seem to lack persuasion. Especially since you brought another woman. Is there a way to prove it? Mima.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

At Yuri’s words, which pierced through like a sharp needle, I found myself at a loss for a response.

Though she was my childhood friend and a girl who liked me, considering my loyalty to both Yuna and Yuri, perhaps I should have drawn a firm line.

Yuri stood on her tiptoes, resting her chin on my shoulder as she spoke.

“It’s alright. Even if you are that kind of person. I’m a woman too, so it’s not that I wouldn’t feel a bit hurt if you were to bring in another woman… but…”

She smiled languidly.

“Even if a pack of wild dogs circles around, if I go in and eat first, that’s all there is to it.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯?!”

She tripped me, causing me to fall, and while straddling my waist, she grabbed my collar to hold me in place, pressing her lips against the nape of my neck. I felt her hot breath, sending chills down my spine.

A soft touch brushed against the carotid artery.

And then… it intensified.

At first, it was a light peck, but then something indescribably sticky poured over me. It felt as if she was trying to devour my nape. I was being consumed!

After that, a variety of kisses followed, each with different shapes and sounds, and I never imagined such lewd noises could come from the space between a person’s nape and lips.

“Y-Yuri, what are you doing?!”

“Th-that’s… ugh… ugh.”

It was so intense that even I, who was on the receiving end, and Yuna and Selvia, who stood behind me, were left stunned.

What just happened to me? What if this had happened to my lips instead of my neck? Would I have been able to maintain my sanity and survive?

As I stared blankly at the sky, lost in thought…

“You belong to me. Mima, answer me.”

“Y-yes, yes…”

Yuri, having extracted a response from my dazed state, seemed to challenge anyone who dared to intervene. It was as if she was saying, “What can you do about it?” as she flashed a grin at Selvia.

“Y-You wait! Just you wait!”

With her face turning as red as if it were about to burst, Selvia dashed away, delivering a line worthy of a third-rate villain. It was a de facto declaration of surrender.

This time, the succubus’s gaze turned toward Yuna.

“Do you wish for it too, Master of the Magic Tower? I can make it happen.”

“N-No, no! No way!”

“But you were watching with such interest. Yuna, there’s nothing faster than learning through experience. Someday, Yuna too will—”

—

“I, I’m going to set up the magic circle! I need to check on Bennett’s sister! I’m busy!”

Pitter-patter. Yuna also hurriedly transformed into a butterfly and fled.

In the ruthless battlefield of romance, Agent Yuri Lanster, who had subdued the field with a single herbivore, declared her victory by patting my thigh.

“I was worried when I heard you were shattered into dozens of pieces, but you seem quite healthy. I’m relieved.”

“…I messed up, so come down.”

“Let’s see you try to increase the number of women. Let’s see what happens.”

“… … … …”

It wouldn’t matter if I increased the number of women, but I heard it as a justification to devour you.

The fact that a group of elves had developed a fondness for me due to a mad crow was something I decided to take to my grave.

—-

“Yuna, please adjust that magic circle over there.”

“Ah, okay. Should I raise the sensitivity a bit?”

“Sounds good. Selvier, please handle magic circle number 32. Just channel the mana into each point and rotate it clockwise to align it, right? There’s a manual, so you should be able to manage.”

“W-What kind of magic circle is this? I’ve never seen anything like this even in the enemy tower… No, no, Selvier. You can do it.”

I laid Bennett’s sister down on the bed and adjusted and checked the health examination magic circle with the wizards. While Yuna and I were leisurely at ease, Selvier wore a face that suggested such vast knowledge was hard to grasp.

It was a bit cute to see her struggling with what seemed like a trivial magic circle. Is that why they accept graduate students?

Bennett sat anxiously in a chair, watching this scene, while Cissel tilted her head back and forth, as if feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.

It was understandable, as these were the spells used to examine Cissel’s soul.

“Alright, let’s take a look. Let’s see why Bennett’s sister is still asleep.”

Bzzzzzz──!

Dozens of magic circles spun, each emitting a different type of magical light. Waves of colorful light swept over the sister’s body, and data was inputted into the holographic monitor.

It seemed her body had been seized by a notoriously wicked dark sorcerer. I had anticipated serious injuries, like a shattered soul. But it was better than I expected.

“The soul response is normal… It seems a bit suppressed, but it looks fine, right?”

“Yeah. In fact, Cissel’s soul is more damaged.”

“Then it must be a physical issue. Let’s see. Selvier? Magic circle number 57.”

“57… What’s number 57? This one? What’s this…?”

Thirty minutes later, the examination was complete.

To soothe Bennett’s anxiety, I explained in a straightforward manner.

“It’s nothing serious. It’s just that her lifespan is running short.”

“How can a short lifespan be nothing serious, you crazy sorcerer—!!”

—

“Ah, where in fantasy is it easy to extend one’s lifespan! It’s a relief that the soul isn’t shattered!”

I continued to explain while trying to calm down Bennett, who was gripping my collar and shaking me more vigorously than usual.

“You know, Bennett, haven’t you ever wondered why the ‘Corpse Flower’ chose your sister’s body? Or why it kept her alive and used her even after you escaped?”

“…I’ve heard it was a body that matched well with the ‘Corpse Flower.'”

“It’s not just a simple match. It seems your sister had a talent that mirrored yours in a different way. Her soul possesses a kind of self-recovery function.”

It’s a body that a dark sorcerer, who has been lurking for 300 years and growing in power, would cherish. If it had no value, they would have sliced it up long ago to break Bennett’s mental state. It’s not surprising that she had exceptional talent.

But there’s something strange about that thought. The dark sorcerer wouldn’t have any reason to leave the soul of the body they took.

This brings us to the soul’s self-recovery function.

“It appears that the ‘Corpse Flower’ has been using her soul to cast dark magic. However, the soul is quite intact. I was curious about the reason. The measurements showed that it was healing the wounds of the soul by utilizing the lifespan of the body.”

In short, Bennett’s sister has a passive ability that sacrifices her maximum HP to recover her MP. Whether this is innate or a result of the ‘Corpse Flower’ is unknown.

But it’s an interesting trait. If one could replenish their lifespan, wouldn’t that mean they could unleash dark magic without restraint?

If Bennett were the younger sibling and his sister the older one, and their positions were reversed, a dark sorcerer of insane power might have been born.

“Then, the reason Verda isn’t waking up is…”

“Yes. She has nearly exhausted the body’s lifespan healing the wounds of her soul. In terms of physical age, she’s close to being an old man.”

“I will go to the Holy City. I’ll ask Tara to heal Verda.”

“That’s not a good idea. The goddess’s power is based on maintaining the status quo, so while she can restore vitality, it would take a lot of effort to extend the diminished lifespan.”

In other words, while HP can be restored, the maximum HP doesn’t increase easily.

So how can we wake this sleeping princess? A few methods come to mind.

The first is training.

Lifespan generally correlates with strength, so if Bennett’s sister were to awaken her legend, she might be able to open her eyes. But training is impossible in a comatose body.

“So here we have a session…”

“Are you suggesting I throw my sister into that hell, you mad sorcerer!”

Recalling the trauma of Cthulhu, Bennett shook my collar again. If he didn’t like this method, there were other options.

If the soul is intact and the body is sick, couldn’t we just abandon the body?

I have a history of transforming my body into an information life form. I was confident I could transplant the soul into a full-armored golem or something similar. A cyborg body with rocket punches would have its own charm, wouldn’t it?

“Let’s change the body. I can transplant the soul into a machine—”

Just as I was about to explain the soul transplantation,

From noble mtl dot com

“Ugh!”

“Ah!”

Yuna struck the back of my head with her staff, casting a physical silence spell. With a clear thud, I collapsed, and Yuna presented the third method.

—

“Do you know about the Alchemist Guild? There’s a person named Artera who leads the guild. They say she can create a potion that extends life. Just a little over a year, but still…

“……..”

“Let’s get the potion and wake Verda first. Once we boost her condition, the divine magic will become more effective too. After that, we can slowly find a way and train! What do you think?”

“…….. I understand. Then I will go find the guild master.”

Yuna’s plan of ‘extending our lifespans and living together for a hundred years’ shines here. She’s done thorough research on life extension.

As I staggered to my feet, I said,

“No, Benet. Let’s go together. That guild master is currently the mistress of the Northern Duke’s household, and my piece just happens to be there.”

It might seem odd to go out again so soon after returning home.

But if you think about the origin of this journey… Benet got involved not to retrieve his younger sister, but simply to take down the dark sorcerer.

He acted out of goodwill without any special purpose.

Since his actions born from goodwill ultimately led to saving his sister, wouldn’t he want to wrap it all up with a neat happy ending?

As I cast protective spells on Benet’s sister’s body, I said,

“Let’s think of it as a light trip to escape the heat. You don’t have to thank me.”

“…….. Thank you.”

“I said you don’t have to, didn’t I? And actually, I’m a friend of the Northern Duke, you know? I should be able to easily get the potion or whatever.”

Our next destination is the Northern Duke’s estate. Let’s make a quick round trip.

I finished preparing to overlay the form of Hart.

—-

The Northern Duke’s estate.

The second wife, Neriel, peeked her head out and said,

“Hart, there’s a guest from the Purple Tower…”

“…….. Ahaha. Thank you for letting me know, Neriel. They are indeed here to see me. Well, to be honest, I thought I’d have a bit more time. It seems it’s time for me to leave──”

“But, among the guests, there’s Hart…?”

“Yes?”

Hart jumped up, pulled back the curtains, and looked out the window at the entrance of the mansion. It was splendid.

The master of the Purple Tower, Glass Lanster, Benet, a woman resembling the sleeping Benet, and… the fantastical woman Hart (the original).

“……..”

It overlapped…!!