72. The Otome Game Reincarnation (Extra’s Explanation Part 2)

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“Haa…Still, I really did reincarnate as Sara Salar, the Baron’s daughter… I was reincarnated into the world of ‘Swords and Magic and Romance ~Sparkling Academy, Underdog Love Story!~'”

After bathing, right before going to bed, Sara Salar, the Baron’s daughter, sank into her bed and muttered those words in a dazed whisper.  It was just her talking to herself – words that normally would go unheard by anyone else’s unconscious mind.

…But with my enhanced super hearing, I could clearly make them out.

Ah, I’m currently stationed in the corner of her room, standing guard to protect the Baron’s daughter. This duty continues until the Baron and his wife come to this bedroom to sleep.  I don’t think any more incidents will occur, but still.

Even  if I told the Baron “All the previous incidents were orchestrated by the gods! Their objective has been achieved, so no more will happen!” he would just dismiss it with “What are you talking about?”  And to explain it, I’d have to reveal that the real Sara Salar’s body is currently being controlled by a reincarnated soul.

There’s no way I can convey that.  I can’t possibly tell those parents that their revived daughter’s essence is now someone else entirely.   If they knew that cruel truth, they would be utterly devastated.  I’m troubled enough by it myself – for them, the pain would surely be even greater.

So I can’t tell them. I don’t know  if staying silent is the right thing to do.  But I cannot bring myself to speak those words.

……………………

Now then, about what the Baron’s daughter Sara said earlier – that long title “Swords and Magic and Romance ~Sparkling Academy, Underdog Love Story!~”

She sometimes mutters related comments to herself about that title.  Piecing together that information, it seems she believes she has reincarnated into the world of that “otome game.”

<Ah yes, the “otome game reincarnation” – a major genre in the isekai broadcasts.>

However, there is one question here. She thinks this world is a game world.  But it’s not, is it? This world, while quite different from Earth in many ways, is still very much real.

So what’s going on?

<Allow me to explain…It’s a bit complex, so please bear with me.>

Extra began clarifying.

<The “otome game reincarnation” theme was first introduced to other-world reincarnation broadcasts by a god from a different world than this one, Ardyst.>

Ah, so these reincarnation broadcasts aren’t limited just to the gods of this world.

<And purely by coincidence, that other world happened to be an exact match for a world depicted in an otome game that existed in the previous life of the reincarnator.>

Eh, is that even possible?

<There are innumerable other worlds out there, so while extremely improbable, it’s not impossible. …In any case, that coincidence amused that god, so they set up the premise of “What  if I reincarnated into an otome game world?” and broadcast that other-world reincarnation story.>

So that was the origin of the “otome game reincarnation”?

<Correct. And that work became hugely popular among the gods. Which led to a flood of copycat works – many gods started producing their own “otome game reincarnation” themed stories.>

Eeh, were there really that many worlds resembling games?

<No. The odds of a pre-existing game world happening to be identical to one under a god’s dominion are astronomically low, as mentioned earlier. So the gods had to take various measures.>

Like what?

<For example, one god created a game perfectly modeled after their world and had potential reincarnators play it in the other world before sending them over.>

Eeh…gods can make games?

<Another god recreated their entire world to precisely match a popular game from another world.>

Wait, wait! What an absurd misuse of godly power – creating whole worlds just for broadcasting purposes?!

<However, the situation with Sara Salar, the Baron’s daughter, is different from either of those cases. This world was not modeled after any game, nor does a game exist that perfectly matches it, at least not by sheer probability.>

Then…?

<The reincarnated soul implanted into Sara Salar’s body has been made to “believe” this world is an otome game setting….through memory manipulation.>

Eh?

So Extra, you mean that reincarnated soul has had its mind tampered with to think it reincarnated into an  imaginary game world?

<Yes. Would you like me to explain the specific method?>

Uhh, sure…

<Many gods possess a future-viewing ability called “destiny confirmation.” Using that, they can predict various possible futures Sara Salar might experience. Those predicted futures are then transcribed into the reincarnator’s memories as “routes”, like story paths in an otome game. This allows them to artificially recreate an “otome game reincarnation” scenario.>

…………

<The reason she has no recollection of you, Emi, is likely due to similar circumstances. You probably did not register as an entity in the god’s “destiny confirmation” since you wandered mostly alone and avoided others until arriving at the Salar territory. With your causal nexus unobservable, your existence would not get transcribed into the reincarnator’s memories – hence she has “no memory of you at all.” That’s the situation.>

…………

You know…just like with Torch, these reincarnators really do get their memories and everything messed with however the gods please, huh? They’re just the gods’ “playthings”, aren’t they…?

<But in exchange, they’re granted cheat abilities.>

Even so…even so. I’m truly glad I was spared from becoming a “plaything” and could reincarnate alongside Extra.  I wholeheartedly believe that.

No matter what cheat abilities they may receive, the truth is, these reincarnators are not being treated with any dignity by the gods. Not a shred of respect as human beings.

They really are just “playthings.” The reincarnators.

Ah…not just the reincarnators, actually.

When I was fighting the Topopolocks, it seems Uncle Mauve started acting strangely and took Sara-chan hostage for a while.

The Baron mentioned, “It appears someone was manipulating Mauve from behind, prompting him to instigate that incident.”

That “someone manipulating from behind”…it has to be referring to a god, right?

That god ruined Uncle Mauve’s life in order to advance their scripted scenario.  He’s facing years of imprisonment now.

…It sends chills down my spine.

Not that I can feel too sorry for whoever’s soul stole Sara-chan’s body, but still.

* * *

By the time I realized it, Sara Salar, the Baron’s daughter, had already fallen into a quiet slumber.  Her mouth hanging open, drooling a bit…despite being a beautiful young lady, occasionally showing this silly face was no different from the Sara-chan of before.

A pang of wistfulness made me heave a small sigh.