TIRS 30

CHAPTER  30.

 How Did I End Up Losing You Forever?

Anselot conjured a halo of white light in the air.

The white light gently transported the unconscious people on the floor back to where they had originally been.

As I blankly watched the chaos settle, I heard a voice.

“Let’s go.”

Anselot reached his hand out to me.

I leaned on his arm and took a step forward.

If it weren’t for his support, my legs might have given out again and I would’ve collapsed on the spot.

Everything around us was still.

Since the others hadn’t yet regained consciousness, the entire palace felt like it was sunk in deep slumber.

I stole a glance at Anselot’s profile—today, oddly composed compared to usual.

With that handsome face and silent lips, he looked like a prince straight out of a fairy tale.

‘If only he always spoke like a normal person, how great would that be.’

I let out a quiet laugh at my own thought, and before I knew it, we had arrived at the 3rd Princess’s palace.

“Thanks.”

I handed back the uniform jacket I had borrowed from him.

“Then, have a good night, Princess.”

“Hey, Anselot.”

I stopped him just as he was about to turn around.

“Are you trying to kill the Light Dragon to destroy the system too?”

He stared straight at me, then slowly shook his head.

“No.”

“Then…?”

“There’s only one thing I want.”

After a brief pause, he answered in a voice heavy with long-held desire.

“The death of the Light Dragon Helheim.”

“…Why do you want to kill the dragon so badly?”

It didn’t make sense.

You say it’s a bug, a being that goes against the order of the system.

But no one seemed to long for the dragon’s death as much as he did.

“Hmm.”

Instead of answering, Anselot simply smiled at me with crescent-shaped eyes.

But his gaze was so deep, so dark, in stark contrast to his smiling expression.

I couldn’t ask him any more.

A woman was born under the prophecy that she would one day possess the heart of the Light Dragon, Helheim.

But contrary to the grandeur of her fate, she was small and delicate—like a spring blossom.

She did succeed in obtaining Helheim’s heart, just as the prophecy said—but it was only half a heart.

In the end, she could not complete the prophecy and was reduced to ashes by Helheim’s flames.

Her death plunged the entire world into grief and darkness.

It was a calamity so great that the world’s order had to be rebuilt.

Anselot still couldn’t recall her face.

But the intense pain he had felt at the moment of her death—that still remained.

Why did I forget you?

How did I end up losing you forever?

His heart felt hollow.

Then suddenly, he looked up at the lit window of Ruivel’s bedroom.

In that instant,

A surprisingly warm sensation spread through his lonely chest.

Unfamiliar with the heat rising in him, Anselot frowned slightly and just stared blankly at her bedroom window.

Even after the lights went out and she had fallen asleep,

He stayed in the same place.

Still.

[You—You dirty, evil bug!!! ୧༼◔益◔୧ ༽]

“That’s kind of mean to say, you know.”

[That suspicious man is part of your crew too, isn’t he?! You treacherous bug team!!!! ୧༼◔益◔୧ ༽]

“To think I’m in cahoots with Salthoa. Now that’s just insulting.”

[D-Don’t talk to me!!! Go away!!!!! ୧༼◔益◔୧ ༽]

“Who was it again who followed me around everywhere I went?”

[T-That was… That’s because it’s the duty of a great messenger to accompany their player… (๐•̆ •̆๐)]

The system window, which had vanished last night with the system adjustment notice, reappeared this morning—and had been acting like this all day.

Despite the harsh messages and suspicious emoticons, it was always the system window that initiated the conversation.

[This can’t be! You’re a bug?! How could you be a bug… (｡ŏ﹏ŏ)]

Eventually, the system window began to tear up.

If left alone, it would start wailing in full-system-message sobs again.

“Ruivel.”

[(｡ŏ﹏ŏ)…?]

The crying emoticon now came with a hesitant question mark.

“My name’s Ruivel, not Player.”

I corrected the system’s usual way of addressing me and added:

“And I’ve decided to move the scenario forward, no matter what.”

[Y-You think I’ll just let a bug proceed with the scenario?! ٩(//̀Д/́/)۶]

“That’s why—if you won’t cooperate, I’ll have to destroy you.”

According to Anselot, only a bug could damage the system window.

The system’s [Messengers] could sense bugs and were harmed just by their presence, and were rendered helpless by their killing intent.

The reason the previous [Messenger] was replaced wasn’t just because of damage, but because of the killing aura Anselot released right before Hezen died.

As I replayed his words in my mind, something struck me as odd.

‘But I wasn’t a bug back then, and I still damaged the system window.’

That time, when Hezen tried to romance the Saintess of Taal Kingdom.

When I punched him in the face, the options above his head shattered instantly.

‘Maybe I’d already started drifting outside the system back then.’

The system window had told me I carried a strange energy from another dimension.

Could that be connected to me slipping out of the system?

‘To silence it, I should completely break the window like last time. If it’s difficult, I can do it for you.’

‘It’s okay. Let me try talking first.’

‘Talk?’

Anselot had looked confused when I said it.

But I couldn’t bring myself to destroy the system window that had chatted away beside me for so long.

I remembered how it had worried for me, tried to protect me from Cedric.

Honestly, in both this life and the previous one, I had almost no one who cared for me.

Maybe that’s why.

Why I chased the fading image of my mother, who stayed by my side when I was sick as a child.

Why even the few concerned words from this non-human system window softened my heart.

I wasn’t immune to that kind of thing. Maybe it meant nothing to them, but to me, even the smallest expressions of care felt precious.

[Y-You’re going to hurt me?! N-No way! That’s a lie, right, Player? ｡° ૮₍°´ᯅ`°₎ა °｡]

I asked coldly, ignoring the tearful system window.

“You know, right? How many system windows have already been shattered by my hands.”

It had happened three times.

Once when I saw Hezen flirting with another woman and kicked him.
Once when Anselot freed me from the system’s control.
And once when Hezen died.

The last two weren’t me—Anselot had done it.

But I made a terrifying face anyway.

As I lightly threatened it, the system window began to tremble.

Then I gently said, as if comforting it:

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

[…]

The system window shivered.

“But if you try to stand against me, I will hurt you.”

[That’s so cruel…!]

Just like before, the overly expressive system window stopped using emoticons when things got serious.

That’s how I knew it was truly shaken.

I seized the moment.

“I’m a bug that’s broken free of the system, just like you said. But I still have to move the scenario forward. My goal is to defeat the Light Dragon.”

Of course, my real goal was to destroy the system itself—but I couldn’t say that part out loud.

I was also secretly relieved that the system window hadn’t been active while I was talking with Anselot about the dragon’s heart and the system.

If it had heard everything, I wouldn’t have had the choice to talk—I’d have had to destroy it outright.

[W-Why would a bug want to kill the Light Dragon?!]

“Who knows? Maybe if I complete the scenario, I’ll stop being a bug and become a true player.”

I had just said it on impulse, but it must’ve sounded convincing—the system window blinked silently for a moment.

“It’s your choice.”

[I… I… Uuuuuu…!]

Poof!

Suddenly, the system window disappeared—and in its place, a tiny baby bird fluttered into the air.

It was a very small bird, with soft green feathers and lemon-colored wings.

I stared wide-eyed at it.

The baby bird chirped sadly.

—You’re so mean!

Huh?

I looked around, startled by the childlike voice.

But all I could see was the baby bird.

“Um…”

—Don’t talk to me!

I flinched.

As the baby bird chirped sorrowfully again, I heard the child’s voice once more.

No doubt about it.

The bird was talking.

“Are you…?”

—I don’t know! I don’t know anything!

I hadn’t even asked yet, but the baby bird shook its head furiously, sobbing little chirps.

‘It’s not the bird speaking—it’s that its cries are translating into words in my mind.’

The system window had disappeared.

And in its place, this tiny baby bird had appeared.

Its attitude—familiar with me, yet sulking.

I gulped and cautiously asked:

“Are you the system window?”

—I’m not a system window! I’m a Messenger! A proud and loyal Messenger serving the Great System!

The baby bird chirped furiously.

‘…So it really is the system window.’

I felt like I’d seen it all now.

“So this is your real form.”

Pfft!

—Hmph!

“You’re really tiny.”

—Well, Piya’s just a temp!

“Piya? Is that your name?”

—Not telling! You think I’d give my name to a bug like you?!

Despite puffing up angrily, the little bird glanced at my palm.

Then it fluttered over and perched on it.

“You’ve made your decision?”

—I didn’t have a choice! Player—

“Lulu.”

—Lulu-nim must become a true Player, not a bug!

After its proud declaration, the baby bird pecked my hand twice with its tiny beak.

The ticklish sensation made me burst out laughing.

—D-Don’t laugh!!!!

Its fluffy face turned bright red beneath its down as it squealed, “Piiiii!” and pecked my hand a bit harder.