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Translator: Lizzz
Proofreader: Silavin
POV: Mary Sue
In my previous life, for the few years before my death, I was unable to even walk.
When I was ten years old, a highly sophisticated doctor declared that I wouldn’t have long to live. Despite all the treatments I received, modern technology could not cure me.
My family was wealthy, but my father and mother gave up on me. They bought me whatever I wanted and left me alone in the countryside until I died.
I literally spent the rest of my life in my room reading mangas and playing video games. I lived to the age of seventeen, enduring the pain only with the tenacity of wanting to see the next installment.
But just before I died, I had a thought.
–Ah, why was I even born?
Then I died in my room without even a single person to witness it, and was reincarnated in this Otome game world with the memories of my previous life.
I did not become a character in the game, but I was born with a healthy body, in a world where my favorite characters are.
In this world, I can use everyday magic well enough, and my physical ability is also high enough. Although my hair has changed from black to gold and my eyes from black to red, my appearance remains the same as in my previous life, just with a healthier skin tone. So, I did not feel out of place looking at my own reflection.
This must be God’s doing, which I didn’t believe in my previous life. God must have given me another chance.
Even though I have little interpersonal experience, I can live in this game.
I have played every corner of this world and read all the setting materials.
Now, even someone like me can see the happiness of my favorite characters.
The time has come for me to fulfill my wish to make others happy, something I could not do in my previous life.
◆
“But who is the ‘everyone’ that you want to make happy?”
Who is the ‘everyone’ that I want to make happy? That was what I was asked.
The person who asked me that question was Baron Clo Heartfield. He probably is… No, he IS a reincarnated person, just like me. I don’t know if he is from Japan, but I guess he also knows this world is based off of the ‘Ring of Fire’.
I am delighted to meet someone in the same position as me.
Now, I have finally found someone I could talk to. I have someone I could talk to about this world.
So, I want to be close to him. Not in a romantic relationship, but as friends from the same world, from the same hometown. I wanted to talk about my path to solve the problems of everyone and every kingdom who has problems. To make everyone happy.
“How can I like you if you don’t even treat my significant other like a living being?”
But I was rejected.
I was rejected because I did not treat Violet Valentine as a living being.
But do I not treat Violet as a living being? What is he talking about? I’ve never treated her as an object.
I am just glad that even though she ended up marrying someone she did not want to, that person was a reincarnated person like me, and he would not treat her badly. ‘Oh, her final moments will be a little better’ – that was what I thought.
I hope that this would help her in some way in the end, as she was the one who would end up not being happy. She holds the role of ‘When the Ring of Fire is lit, the World is painted Red’, which represents a bloody setting in more than one way.
So why–?
‘Who is the ‘everyone’ that you want to make happy?’
…Everyone is everyone. If asked who they are, they are the people of this world, including the protagonist, Vermillion. Who else is there?
But why didn’t I… answer immediately at that time?
“In the name of–, this match is–”
And then the words of the referee got heard, and I turned my attention back to Clo, who has changed both of our designated positions by entering the oath.
I must not. I must save my doubts for later and return to the match. The inclusion of these outsiders will not affect me whether they participate or not. This is an opportunity for me to learn what kind of person the other person who has been reincarnated like me is. I must try to get to know him as well as I can, because conversations in combat reveal a person’s true self.
The referee recites the oath of the duel. Once the oath is finished, the fight begins.
But before the oath is finished, I take out a certain object that I made with alchemy magic.
“–?!”
When Clo sees what I took out, his expression changes from irritation to astonishment.
What I took out was a reasonably sized ‘pistol’ that appeared in the mangas I read in my previous life.
Guns themselves are rare in this world, but they do exist.
However, the gun I took out does not have the appearance of a gun from this world; it is of a common shape that people usually imagine when they hear the word ‘gun’ in Japan. Originally, I showed this gun to others to find out if someone was a reincarnated person by watching their reaction.
For now, it is a good tool to check my opponent’s movements. Even if he knows that it is less powerful than magic, this shape is something that a reincarnated person like Clo should be wary of.
Since he won’t get hurt thanks to the self-defense talisman, it’s a good opportunity to see up close how Clo, with his superior physical abilities, chooses to fight in this world.
But just in case–
“…–And now, round two, third match, start!”
Just in case, let’s put up a fancy curtain to make it easier for him to fight in.
Yes… Since it took so much trouble to get here, let’s use a lot of magic.
“[Waterborne Asteroid Magic Belt]”
First, let’s use a water magic that erupts like a fountain, then duplicates it and surrounds us. It is not an attack magic.
“Let’s see… [Paraiso], was it? And then, [Purgatorio]…”
I deploy the darkness magic I saw Apricot used earlier at the foot of the water and turn it black. But it is scary like this, so I invoke the fire magic also seen earlier and decorates the darkened water with purifying flames that change to a beautiful purple color.
“To finish, [Illuminating Celestial Magic-] Yah!”
And the finishing touch, which is quite to my liking, is light magic that reproduces the stars.
Ah, how do I say it? Between the place where we fight and the audience seats, there are pillars of water, black like the night sky with beautiful flames and stars floating inside. Although I want Clo to be serious, and wanted to make sure that the audience could not see so that we can freely talk, the curtain are still beautiful nevertheless.
“What is the purpose of casting all this!?”
Oops, maybe I shouldn’t have done it. Even though all the magic spells were deployed in about a second, Clo still seemed annoyed.
I don’t know why he is so grumpy, but this is how we create the perfect place for us to fight. Now, it’s time to face each other again.
“Now everything is ready. Let’s go, Clo. The audience won’t be able to see anything, so you can wield your power to your heart’s content.”
“What? That’s why you casted all those spells that would have taken me years to learn!? You did not do it to attack me?”
“I’m not going to attack you. And it’s beautiful, right, this magic? I thought of how an ultra beautiful field would cure you of your mood swings.”
“I knew you were crazy!”
Why did he say that?
I just want to be friends with him. After all, he is someone whom I can talk about this world with. I wonder if he was a man or a woman in his previous life. I think he was a woman because he knows about Otome games. If he was a man, well it would be unexpected but… No, stop it. We have to fight. Yes, I need to focus right now.
“First of all, I am going to shoot you.”
“Eh?”
Based on the knowledge from the mangas I read in my previous life, I held the gun up, aimed straight, and pulled the trigger.
He probably will catch it with magic or something; if he isn’t able to react, he will get hit. With this shot, I’ll see how it goes—
“–Eh?”
However, Clo saw me shoot and DODGED the bullet. It was not that I missed. It was definitely on a trajectory to hit, and he consciously dodged it.
No, that’s impossible. How could a person dodge a bullet– No, maybe that’s what it is.
“Physical enhancement, huh?”
In this world, there is a kind of magic called body enhancement magic.
It is a basic magic that can be used by many people so long as they have mastered the basics. However, the lower the base physical ability value one was raising, the more likely it is to fail, with greater repercussions.
Perhaps he used physical enhancement to…
“I didn’t use body enhancement. Even without it, I can dodge a bullet so long as I can see the line of fire.”
What is he talking about?
There is no way anyone can dodge bullets – well, maybe Char can(?), but I don’t think Clo can. Even Char’s father is only at the ‘might be able to’ level.
“So you are physically gifted in this life…?”
“My physical abilities are the same as they were in my previous life.”
If so, it is even more inconceivable.
How could he dodge bullets without using physical enhancements– Oh, could he have been just like the man who remained undefeated in 400 battles and dodged a rifle bullet fired at him in a manga I read in my previous life? The one in which the main character was a child detective? Does it mean that he was actually some kind of master in his previous life?
“Could it be that– You were a master in martial arts in Japan? Otherwise, such physical ability would not be possible!”
I continue to fire several rounds.
But even though all of them are on the right trajectory, none of them hit the target because of his reaction speed.
He must have been a master.
“In Japan, I was just an office worker working for my friend’s company!”
“There are no office workers like you!”
I may have been raised ignorant in Japan, but I knew he was talking nonsense.
I may be an amateur with firearms, but I trained to shoot this. And who would believe he was an office worker if he could dodge bullets? Nobody, right?
“–But it was a mistake to make the audience unable to watch this match.”
“–Eh?”
There is a slight tremor, and with doubt in my mind, I stop shooting.
Clo has disappeared from my sight.
*Poof–!*
The next thing I know, he appears near me, within arm length–
………………
[Author note]
About Training to shoot:
She has trained until she hit 90% of moving targets at a distance of about 25 meters (required considerable skills).
About the curtain in this story, from Mary’s POV:
“If he has as much power as I do, since I’ve gone through all this trouble, I should create a space for him to use it with no worries!”
Those were the thoughts and feelings she had. And just like that, she uses an amount of mana that would dry up an average magic user in this world.
Vol 4 Ch129: Who Is Where? (:Fake)
POV: Mary Sue
Mr. Clo’s right fist was aimed at my stomach, where the self-defense talisman was located.
It was a terrifyingly fast blow with no hesitation behind it, and if it were to hit me, the talisman would undoubtedly lose its effectiveness instantly—however.
“[Relaxation][Restraint]”
“Kh!”
I deployed the magic circle I had set up to soften the impact and stop Mr. Clo’s movements, stopping him and restraining him.
I knew that he used martial arts. Vermillion warned me about it, and seeing his battle earlier, he didn’t seem to like using magic very much— and then my body spun sideways.
“—?!”
I was confused for a moment by the feeling of my feet leaving the ground against my will, but I quickly calmed down and looked around in an attempt to grasp the situation.
— I see, so he rotated the arm that was entangled
The magic that was entangling Mr. Clo’s was used by me. In other words, I’m practically the one holding onto Mr. Clo’s arms, so by exerting force that exceeded the power I needed to support my legs, he threw me off balance… that’s a bit too forceful.
He was probably going to try to attack me when I lost my balance, but I can’t just let myself get taken down.
“[Outbreak Water]”
“Ugh–!”
I splashed water on Mr. Clo’s face, blinding him, and at the same time dispelled the magic that was entangling his fists. As my rotating body turned upside down, I aimed the gun again and fired.
“—-Kh!”
However Mr. Clo dodged that too.
… It’s only been a few seconds since he threw a punch, but he’s still able to move quite well without magic.
Immediately after firing the gun, I put my left hand, the one opposite of the hand I used to pull the trigger, to the ground, stretched my arm out as far as I could, lifted my body into the air and fired a few more shots. However, as expected, he still dodged the bullets.
The moment I landed as I continued firing, Mr. Clo closed the distance between us. He probably closed in on me instantly aiming for my landing moment that would make it difficult for me to move, but that’s too naïve.
“[Thunderbolt]”
“Gh!”
As I landed, a magic circle that has been set up at my feet activated upon impact.
The moment he saw the type of magic that was activated, Mr. Clo forcefully killed his speed with which he was moving forward and instantly back stepped to put himself out of the magic’s range.
I then positioned myself while holding my gun to keep him in check and gauged the distance between us.
“… As expected, you seem to be quite accustomed to this world.”
“… After only a second of confusion at your body being lifted into the air following the activation of your magic, you pulled the trigger while firing off water magic. With your other hand on the ground, you instantly killed the momentum of the spin and then propped yourself up with one hand, placing a magic circle at your feet while firing and activated it as you landed, getting back into the position. Being told so by you sounds nothing but sarcasm.”
It seems like he’s complimenting me, I’m happy.
However, even though he’s praising me, the expression on his face is of the same rejection.
“Mr. Clo, please tell me. Why do you hate me?”
“… I have already told you the reason earlier.”
“Yes, I heard you. But there is something I don’t understand no matter what.”
“… What is it?”
Remaining wary and on guard, Mr. Clo was answering to my questions.
Thank goodness. It seems he’s still willing to talk to me. In that case, I have to talk to him more. Conversation is also important for getting to know the other person.
“You said that I didn’t consider your precious person as a living being. That person you were referring to is Violet Valentine, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I don’t understand. I have never treated her as an object. What would compel you to think otherwise?”
To be honest, I think Mr. Clo might be misunderstand something…
“Then why do you think it’s natural for Lady Violet to be unhappy?”
Mr. Clo then replied to my question with a question, using the same non-polite tone he used with me earlier.
The reason why I think it’s natural for Violet to become unhappy…should I reply to that question with ‘because it’s her role in this world’, using the same expression I answered the same question earlier with?
Violet Valentine is the villainess in ‘When the Ring of Fire is lit, World is painted red’ who gets in the way of the love between two because of the difference in their social status. She has the role of the enemy who stands in the way of the protagonist, and cannot be saved. She fades out from the midway of the story in every route regardless of what the main character does.
Even if I try to save everyone, in her case her personality is her downfall and she’s beyond saving. In other words, maybe expressing it this way would be more appropriate then calling it natural.
“Because I don’t know what makes her happy.”
Her fiancé, Vermillion, had no feelings for Violet, because the engagement was decided without his permission and things would be troublesome for him without a fiancée, her love being set to be one-sided and unrequited. After all, when she hurts the protagonist in the bad ending, she’s killed by Vermillion, even if he was blinded by fury.
Her personality was made stricter due to her upbringing in the ducal household, and it wouldn’t change until she was directly rejected by Vermillion. And after being rejected, she falls into despair, shaking off the hand offered by the heroine and becoming an empty shell at the monastery. Even when she’s married off, she becomes dependent on her husband and accepts how he treats her out of the fear of being abandoned.
In addition, her personality also caused her to fall victim to the monster—in any case, no matter how Violet Valentine struggles in Ring of Fire, nothing will come out of it. Besides, duel was unavoidable to resolve the troubles of Vermillion and the others.
“You don’t know, huh.”
“Yes. I’m sure you know too, Mr. Clo. Her role is—“
“Hey, Ms. Mary, you wish to make everybody happy, right?”
When I tried to ask Mr. Clo a question as confirmation, he reverted to using polite language again and interrupted me.
“Yes, that’s right. You asked me ‘who’ I wanted to save earlier. And to answer that question, it’s everybody. I want to make everybody within my reach happy.”
“Is that so?”
Although I was skeptical, the question wasn’t difficult to answer so I answered honestly.
And hearing my answer, Mr. Clo relaxed his power slightly along with his jaw so I thought that he had been convinced, but he turned his face towards me again.
“Where is that everybody?”
… Where are they? What is Mr. Clo talking about?
“Ms. Mary, Lady Violet is somebody important to me.”
“Yes, that seems to be so. I can see that you both have a trusting relationship.”
“Yes, but who I hold important is Lady Violet and not a character called Violet Valentine.”
…? What is he talking about?
I already know that much even without him telling me.
“I want Lady Violet to be happy.”
“However,”
“’she has no happy route’, that’s what you want to say, right?”
Mr. Clo said the words I was about to say.
If he knows, why is saying all this?
“However, that game has nothing to do with what I wish for.”
“Has nothing to do with it? That’s…”
There’s no way that’s true. After all, this world is–
“Yes, it has nothing to do with it. Rather than the nameless everybody out there, it’s her by my side, whom I want to be happy. That’s all.”
That’s why the game is has nothing to do with that wish, he said.
As if a lone young man was saying that it was the woman who was precious to him.
… This world is the world of ‘When the Ring of Fire is lit, World is painted red’.
It’s a world of the game I loved in my past, played thoroughly and even read the story materials for.
It’s a world with magic so developed that it has become a part of everyday life and the world where monsters exist.
It’s a world where I can move my body freely, I can taste things and can breathe without pain.
It’s a world where I can interact with characters I know, with the same appearance, voice, past and personality as the ones from the game I know.
If I respond correctly like in that game, I can make people happy, laugh and sometimes even be forceful, and feel my heart flutter; It’s a world that I could only enjoy through a screen in my previous life.
This world I’m in right now is— huh?
——-
Author’s note:
Her love was set to be one sided and unrequited.
– It’s a setting written by the scenario writer casually, similar to ‘However, her ○○ will never come true’ that’s often seen in the story material collections. That much is true.
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