Chapter 69

Accepting the worldview as it is

(sorry I'm late. I've been busy with university.)

Dreams are mysterious things in no matter how deeply impressive they are, we forget most of them upon waking up.

Perhaps it's because we're too busy with this and that after waking up that we forget the dream while concentrating on other things.

Although it wasn't getting ready… I, too, experienced that as soon immediately this morning.

──When I opened my eyes, I met the sleeping face of Binah-sama.

It was a shock I received first thing in the morning. Since my place hadn't changed from the night before, it seemed that she had crawled into my bed.

This overly assertive attitude toward me, maybe Binah-sama is that type of person… I held doubts for a moment, but she the way tightly held my yukata with a sleeping face that looked like she was clinging on someone, she felt less like a person of the “レ” character* and more like a daughter behaving like a spoiled child with her beloved mother. (tl note: yeah I don’t know what this means)

In this situation, as we were sticking firmly together in bed, rather than inappropriate feelings, I felt extremely wholesome and heartwarming ones.

Now already concious, I pulled her close as moaned in her sleep, and stroked her hair just like Daat did in my dream.

──Yes, I clearly remembered the dream I had this morning. As vividly as if it had happened while I was awake.

What was that?　

It lacked the absurdity of dreams and was way too concrete.

Daat, who looked even more like me than Binah-sama, and Charon-sama with wings. What’s more, innocent shota Keter. There are so many things to point out, but the scene felt too uncomfortable to dismiss as just a dream.

To begin with, it’s natural that dreams original protagonists have aren’t just ordinary dreams.

For original protagonist, dreams are nice flashback to the past and, at the same time, serve as flags for upcoming events.

For example, an original protagonist with a tragic past might see old events in a nightmare and then dramatically mutter, "Tch, I had that same dream again…" staging a serious feeling that hints at their special circumstances while setting up a meaningful foreshadowing.

With that in mind, the strange dream I had this morning might also contain some kind of hidden foreshadowing about myself. That goddess-like Charon-sama, what a provoking arrangement.

But, as expected of me. For a cheat original protagonist like myself, even a single dream from this morning is bound to be an important scene.

As for confirming the details… well, I guess I could just ask Charon-sama directly.

Since she is the will of the World Tree "Sefira," I should be able to meet her again at the place we’re headed to. That’ll be my chance to question her and tie up loose ends*. (tl note: “to tie up all the foreshadowing scattered throughout the story”)

But supposing that dream was this world’s… past history that was shown to me by her, we’re gonna need to speak by laying everything on the table. Mainly, about my connection to Daat. This time, I won’t forget.

Honestly, I’m a little scared of what kind of answer I’ll get… but it won’t change what I’ll do.

Damn straight… I just want to live like an original protagonist.

Eight-chan never wavers.

『...No… nn… Daat… don’t go…』

While pondering Charon-sama’s intentions, as I patted the head of Binah-sama, who had pressed herself against my chest, she gripped my yukata even tighter. Ah, hey, wait, if you pull that hard, my boobs are going to… not spill out since I don’t have any. A victory for the flat-chested.

There was a scene unfolding in the futon that I couldn't show you, but her sleep talking was so realistic that I couldn't brush her hand away. Hmm…

Still, the fact that she’s talking telepathically even when sleep talking, what kind of dream is she having?

Unlike me, maybe she’s just a light sleeper. She is an archangel, after all, she must be under intense stress. She mentioned that she rarely comes to this bedroom, so maybe she doesn’t even sleep in a bed like this. How heartrending…

“It’s okay, it’s okay, Binah.”

She was moaning in her sleep in an anxious voice, so I rubbed her back and embraced her.

Two girls embracing in bed… the lilies (yuri) are blooming in abundance.

Just kidding, but the reason I can stay so calm right now is probably because I’ve gotten more used to being a girl compared to when I first reincarnated. Thinking about it that way, it’s very moving.

Eh? You’re saying I was already pretty accustomed from the start? …I can't deny that, yeah.

Of course, it’s not like I wasn’t interested in girls’ bodies back in my previous life. I wasn’t as open about it as my friends, but I did have lust, you know?

But back in those raging puberty years, my family was overprotective, so I never really had many chances to get aroused toward real life women. So, inevitably, I became a 2D otaku.

In that sense, If my past self had been put in this situation, his head probably would’ve been boiling. That’s how much her seductiveness tickles the male instincts right now.

Well, right now, I’m just T.P. Eight Olishua, nothing more, nothing less.

“I’m right here.”

『Nn…』

I’m not the "Daat" you want, but as long as this is what you want, I have no intention of leaving this bed.

The noble TS original protagonist with the spirit of both a gentleman and a lady coolly deals with any classic trouble.

The important thing is having the heart to gently embrace a not-quite-awake girl who has crawled into bed. I’d really like all those dense protagonists out there to take notes from my example. I am Cocky Eight-chan.

…Huh? Thinking about it now, isn’t this situation super fitting for an original protagonist?

Oh dear, how did I not notice… I almost let it slide just because it was too cliche. The perfect original protagonist chance.

The classic “sleeping together” event of waking up in the morning and finding a beautiful girl’s sleeping face right in front of you—What kind of cheat original protagonist would I be if I don’t make the best use of this?

I'm amazing today. I’m in perfect form from the morning. This seems like it’s going to be a great day.

『...Ah.』

Ah, Binah-sama woke up.

『Ah… Eh… Um… Hyaa…』

Binah-sama, sluggishly started to move while half-asleep, pressed her head against my rather exposed chest under the futon. A few moments later, her eyes opened, and our gazes locked. Good morning.

『Eh… Ahhhhhh…』

After blinking a few times, she finally seemed to grasp the situation. Her silver-white eyes widened, and her face turned red in. Excellent, a textbook reaction!

Now, come at me! Slap me! I’ll show you the perfect lucky pervert event of a cheat-tier original protagonist!

First, she’ll shout something like “Kyaa! Eight-san, you pervert!” and slap me. Then, I'll shake my head with a resigned “Yare yare.”

From there, I’ll respond with an original protagonist’s cool, sound reasoning, giving a splendid SEKKYOU about how she was the one who snuck into my bed of her own accord.

Yes, this is the protagonist event with an honorable origin that has continued since ancient times.

So don’t hold back and come! Come on!

『Wawawa… Awawawawawawa…』

…Huh? Um, aren’t you feeling shaken for a little too long ?

Binah-sama was ten times redder and trembling than I had imagined. What is this adorable creature. Ah, um… if you make that expression with my face, it will make Eight-chan feel very weird…

B-But I won’t give up yet! Let the heat rush to your head and get upset and slap my cheek, Binah! Slap me! Slap me!

『!?!!?!???!???』

This girl’s done… she’s bugging out more and more.

A-Alright, in that case, let’s lightly stir her up to bring her back to her senses.

As a simple kindness and a preface to a splendid "original protagonist play," I whispered into her ear with a mischievous smile.

"You’re more of a pampered child than you look, Binah."

『Kyuu…』

Ah, Binah-sama just stopped moving… Huh?

Hmm… It seems like her mind overloaded and ended up falling face-down. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone actually say “kyuu…” like that. It sounded like Kabbalah-chan’s cry.

As I was thinking that, I exchanged glances with the real Kabbalah-chan, who was sitting beside my bed, and the two of us laughed together.

Well, in its own way, this is a very "original protagonist" morning event.

Still, it wasn’t a slap but that kind of pattern, huh… Binah-sama isn’t the violent type of heroine, so that can’t be helped. If anything, that kind of event would be much more fitting for the tsundere Malkuth-sama-chan.

Feeling just a tiny bit disappointed, Binah-sama, who had recovered after some time, curled up under the futon like a cat and tried to make excuses for herself.

『…No, you’re wrong… This isn’t how it is…!』

"I know, I know, Binah."

It’s okay.

I could tell from your sleeping face that you’re not a “レ” character.

So there’s no need to worry. And even if you were, I wouldn’t think it was gross or anything. That’s the truth.

『You’re definitely misunderstanding… What am I doing at my age…』

Fuh… Cute.

Yeah, cute.

I said it twice because it's important.

I could even say it a third time, but any more than that would be boorish. It made me feel happy right from the morning.

"Everyone has a side like that. You don’t need to be embarrassed."

『…R-Really?』

"Yeah, really. I also… no, never mind."

I went through a phase like that too even after growing up—is what I wanted to say, but then I realized that I couldn’t give a response given that I’m way younger than her.

Binah-sama’s sense of distance seems a bit strange, but that’s because she sees me as her mother-like presence, "Daat."

If she finally met her mother, it’s only natural that she’d succumb to temptation a little. Setting aside whether or not I’m actually the real thing.

Anyway, it’s a good morning.

By waking up earlier than her, I gained something far more gains than just a paltry amount of money.

Yes.

And now, we shift into the town of Heit.

After changing back into our usual outfits, we had breakfast at the castle before returning to the town via Teleport to reunite with Zaphkiel-san and the Savers.

In this regard, since we had woken up earlier and had time to spare, we walked through the dimly lit town of Heit while waiting for them to finish getting ready.

Perhaps still worrying about this morning, Binah-sama kept glancing at me in a clumsy way before announcing, 『I-I’m going to greet the mayor, so see you later!』 and taking off on her own. So left with nothing to do, I took a leisurely stroll with Kabbalah-chan.

Given what had happened just yesterday, the traces left by the Abyss were still conspicuous, but the town’s holy beasts weren’t wallowing in sorrow about this fact but were surprisingly positive.

An elderly holy beast I passed by gave me a delicious piece of candy, seemingly as a token of gratitude for saving them, and some well-built men clearing debris in town noticed me and waved while smiling, saying, “Hey, Eight-sama!”

I was also feeling great after having a good morning, so I waved back with a “Hey~!” which made them happy. Yes, this is how it should be. The harder things get, the more we should keep our spirits up.

──And, as I was wandering through the early morning streets of Heit, licking the candy, I spotted a lone boy in an empty public square, swinging a wooden sword.

In human terms, he looked maybe about nine years old? He was an elf child with beautiful skin like a girl's.

“How zealous of you… You’re working hard early in the morning.”

『Eh?』

On a certain day, at approximately 5:30 AM, in Choume 1, Fukin 2 of Heit, a case of invitation occurred.

The woman is estimated to be 16–19 years old, around 160 cm in height, wearing a black top, black skirt, and black hat.

The woman approached a young boy playing and said, “Your skin is so white and beautiful. There is no evil in this world.” She then departed on foot, heading west──something like this happened in my past life.

Jokes aside, a wooden sword! A Japanese katana!

So they exist in this world too. Maybe they spread here through Binah-sama, along with other Japanese culture. The sword looked a lot like the ones we bought on a school trip in the past.

Wooden swords, pennants, and dragon-themed keychains are the three great mysterious souvenirs people impulsively buy in the moment.

“Training on your own?”

『Y-yes…』

Wow, even at such a young age, he’s already so praiseworthy.

As expected of professional citizens who had endured the attacks of the Abyss... Even young children devote themselves to train independently, no wonder they’re so tough.

Seeing the boy like that made my meddlesome spirit rise up, or rather, I was also interested in the sight of an elf training. So, I decided to stay in the square. The grounds were spacious, so I wouldn't get in his way.

“Well then…”

While watching the boy train, I figured I might as well do some training of my own. That’s right… musical training.

I sat down in a suitable spot and pulled out my Anywhere Harp from another dimension. Actually, I wanted to sit on a tree, not a the ground, but there happens to be not a single tree growing in this area that was good for that. How unfortunate.

So this time, I decided to play while sitting on the ground.

Hey, Kabbalah-chan, you should come down to the ground once in a while. If you keep riding on me, you’ll get fat, you know? I think you’d still be cute even if you became chubby, though.

"Kyu... chichi."

As if she had read my thoughts, Kabbalah-chan hopped down from my shoulder and started running around the square. I watched over her with a heartwarming gaze before leaning my harp against my right knee, which was propped up like in a gym class sitting position*. (tl note: sitting on the floor grasping one's knees)

A gentle but not gloomy feeling, and keeping in consideration that many were still asleep, I tuned it to have a peaceful melody, and a “pororon” sound rang out. I'm getting pretty good at this, If I do say so myself.

But maybe trying to compose a new song was overreaching myself... and so, dawn arrived while I racked my brain over that problem.

Still, I promised Tsubasa. Even if I was half-joking at the time, he seemed to be expecting it more than I expected, so I can’t just revoke it now. But if I’m going to write a song that suits him, a tune of the bitterness of reality might suit him better than a flashy one.

While I was thinking this and playing the harp as I pleased, I noticed a boy with a wooden sword sneaking glances at me between his practice swings.

…Yeah, it’s only natural to be curious if some stranger suddenly showed up in the square and started playing an unfamiliar instrument.

I had no intention of disturbing his training, so I hoped he wouldn’t worry and just continued.

I even considered playing a cheering melody for the boy doing his best.

With that intention in mind, I smiled. But the boy stiffened up and quickly averted his gaze.

Oh dear, maybe it had the opposite effect? Maybe he’s the type who gets nervous when people watch him… I'm the type who gets happy when people are watching me, A sad misunderstanding caused by the conflict of values.

Did I, do something wrong…? As I reflected on that and stopped playing, the wooden sword the boy was holding slipped out of his hands. That’s dangerous!

『...!?』

The moment the sword spun through the air, falling straight toward his head, I panicked and activated "Telekinesis."

I caught the flying sword midair using Telekinesis and guided it gently to my hand. Phew, that was close.

I could have thrown myself in front of him to block it, but then I’d get hurt, and there was also a risk of sending the boy flying and injuring him, so I went with the safest option. Telekinesis sure is useful.

A cool and precise judgement, if I do say so myself. As expected of me.

"I'm sorry if I distracted you, but you need to grip it firmly, or it's dangerous, you know?"

『I-I’m sorry.』

“Yeah, it's good that you're obedient. Be careful, alright? You’re pretty cool, after all."

『C-cool…?』

"? Of course."

Swords are cool, that’s just common sense.

So there was nothing wrong with boys waving wooden swords. In this world, it doesn’t seem illegal for kids to swing them around in a public square, so it’s best not to nitpick.

When giving SEKKYOU, it’s important to take the world’s setting into consideration.

For example, if a cheat original protagonist is reincarnated into a magical girl world where a nine-year-old girl works for the police to maintain world peace, and calmly point out, "Child soldiers are yada yada" or "Kids who aren’t ready to kill shouldn’t be here," or such, their argument might be logically correct, but it would be narratively boorish. What’s more, it might become natural anti-hate. (tl note: reminder that anti-hate is classification tag in fanfiction that contain depictions that excessively "degrade or criticize" characters that appear in the original work)

To avoid that, the key for a capable original protagonist is to not force the reincarnated world to fit the common sense of the previous world.

"...A world where children don’t have to wield weapons, huh…"

『Eh?』

Yeah… If we get to the bottom of that route and have a story where the original protagonist, longing for peace in a brutal world, rises as a leader and making every effort to create a world where boys and girls no longer have to swing weapons, it might be a good idea.

It might be still be tasteless, but sometimes I just get this overwhelming urge to read that kind of fanfiction. I think that this, too, is the depth of the inner workings of fanfiction.

(author: The inside of the futon hasn't been depicted on screen, so it's safe.)

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