Chapter 31: A Maiden’s Tears

Folia: “Razé-chan!”

Carna: “Razé.”

Folia and Carna rushed over to Razé when they saw her walking into the audience seats.

Folia: “Are you alright?”

Razé: “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch. I’m sorry for losing the match.”

“Don’t worry about it! I’ll do my best and win for you!” Folia said as she clutched her fists on her chest. It didn’t look convincing but cute though.

Razé: “Don’t overwork yourself. If you feel something’s not right, immediately call the referee. Do your best!”

Folia “Un!”

As long as there was no forbidden magic, this was Razé’s territory. She would make sure to eliminate any potential threat that could harm the students.

“Razé …” Carna pulled her sleeve. Her face looked like she was about to cry. 「Did you got hurt because of the plot enforcement?」

Razé was shocked that Carna knew about the plot enforcement.

Razé: 「I was injured because I lose a match. That’s all.」

Carna: 「But I heard it. The referee said that you could die if the stab wound was a few millimeters away.」

What the hell? The teachers should be more careful of what they said! Razé complained in her heart. But first, she needed to comfort Carna. Prince Ruben and Adis had been staring at them suspiciously for a while now. Even though the girls were conversing in Japanese, they could see Carna was being very agitated.

Razé: 「Of course not. They must have exaggerated the story. If the injury was that serious, it would take times to recover and I won’t be here now.」

Carna: 「But they really said that! 」

Razé: 「Then see it for yourself.」

Once again, Razé lifted up her shirt and let Carna checked her injury. The guys who were standing right behind them were startled, while Adis facepalmed.

Razé: 「See? I’m fine.」

Razé smiled at Carna to calm her down. Carna felt relieved but then she started to cry.

Razé: “Huh? Carna-sama.”

Razé felt that she couldn’t let others saw Carna crying, so she hugged and comforted her.

Carna: “Thank god. If something had happened to you, then I’ll die and follow you.”

Hey! Your choice of words could be misunderstood!

The people nearby were staring at them. Ruben was giving her a stern look and she could felt a silent pressure from Adis. Razé couldn’t bear to stay there any longer. She picked Carna up and carried her in a princess carry, then she ran away.

Carna: “Kyaa! Ra- Razé?”

Razé: “Folia, good luck with your match! I’ll take Carna-sama away to calm her down!”

Folia: “U- Un? Be careful!”

Razé ran out and tried to find a place where they could talk privately.

“Stop!” Ruben was chasing them from behind. Of course, there was no way that Razé would stop for him. The situation made her looked like a villain who had kidnapped the princess.

“I think it should be fine here.” They entered an empty room and Razé put Carna down on a sofa.

Immediately after, Ruben entered the room with Adis. “You! Just because you’re her friend, it doesn’t mean you can act like this!”

Razé didn’t mean any harm but she realized her action was improper. “Ah, I’m sorry. My bad.” She bowed down her head.

Carna: “No. It wasn’t her fault. She was just protecting me because I’ve lost my composure back there.”

It sounded like Carna was blaming Ruben for his slow reaction. Razé smiled awkwardly.

Ruben knelt down and took Carna’s hand. “If there’s something bothering you, please tell me and don’t keep it to yourself. I will protect you, Carna.”

Razé was a bit surprised. She knew that Carna didn’t tell Ruben about the situation but it seemed that he could sensed her fear. Razé saw a ribbon tied on Ruben’s arm and thought: Oh, he received a ribbon too.

Carna was unsure how to answer Ruben’s question, so she turned towards Razé with a worried look. Ruben noticed her reaction and said, “Am I that unreliable?”

Carna immediately denied, “No, it wasn’t like that!”

Razé watched the two of them and thought: Huh? Am I the cause for their argument? If their good relationship was broken, it would lead to Carna’s death flag. She looked at Carna and said, 「Carna-sama, I think you should trust Prince Ruben. You should tell him whatever you’re comfortable with.」

Carna looked at Ruben. She knew she had made him worried. She squeezed back his hand and looked straight into his eyes. She had made up her mind. “What I’m going to tell you might sound ridiculous but I swear this is the truth.”

Adis immediately raised his hand to interrupt her. “Wait. Is it okay for me to listen to it too?”

Carna: “… Yes. You’re one of the parties concerned.”

Adis: “I am involved in this?”

Carna: “Yes.”

Carna started to talk about the plot of the game roughly. She skipped the part about turning into kaiju. Ruben and Adis were perplexed by her story, but they tried their best to understand her because she didn’t seemed to be lying.

“I think I’ve understood most of the story. And I believe there won’t be any problem because there’s no way that I’d fall in love with someone other than you.” Ruben pulled Carna into his arm.

Carna’s face turned red. She opened her lips but didn’t know what to say. It seemed that the possibility of getting her engagement called off and eventually turning into kaiju had become zero.

Razé felt relieved. She thought: The problem is how to stop the event. Carna had already told Prince Ruben about the prophecy. The rest is up to me. I’ll make sure that they would be able to graduate smoothly. It’s my duty to crush all those evil events.

Adis: “By the way, scholarship student, you’re not in the story just now. Why?”

Razé: “My existence is a bug, a mistake. I’m not supposed to be here. Carna-sama was worried that the plot enforcement is trying to eliminate me which caused the incident during the match earlier.”

“Eliminate …”Adis’ expression turned grim when he heard those words. Razé immediately denied it and said that it was an exaggeration.

“Of course I’m worried. If Razé is gone, then my death flag is basically confirmed,” Carna said and puffed out her cheeks.

Ruben: “Oh, I see. So, that’s why you said you’d die and follow her.”

Razé: “That’s right. Besides, if the plot enforcement really exists, then Zars-sama should be more interested in Folia.”

Carna: “That makes sense. Adis-sama, do you like Folia?”

Adis: “Huh? I like all girls.”

Other than Adis, all three of them were speechless.

“Adis …” Ruben gave him a look of reproach.

Adis shrugged his shoulder and said, “I am interested about Folia’s healing magic. But if you’re asking if I have special feeling for her, then the answer is my feeling towards her is the same as what I felt with other girls.”

His words made the three of them realized: Ah, this guy has never been in love.

Adis noticed the look they were giving him. He cleared his throat and tried to change the topic. “Sometimes both of you were talking in a different language. Is it from the story in the prophecy?”

“Yes. It’s like another native language for us,” Carna explained.

Razé: “It’s almost time for your matches.”

Ruben: “Okay. Then we should leave now.”

The four of them stood to leave.

（((@д@_)))! Razé felt lightheaded when she stood up. She closed her eyes to endure it. She had bled a lot when she was stabbed; it wasn’t good for her to run while carrying Carna.

Actually, she had used her movement magic to remove the blood from her stabbed wound so that the audiences won’t get panicked. She had lost quite a lot of blood.

Carna: “Razé?”

Razé: “Nothing. Just a little dizzy.”

She opened her eyes and stood straight up. Then she recalled the words said by the mysterious woman who had stabbed her.

Pardon me. You do not belong to this world. I’ve been told to remove the meddling mob. Please don’t messed up our plan any further.

Considering the words “I’ve been told to remove the meddling mob”, it seemed the enemy camp also had someone who knew that this world was an otome game. Seeing that the other reincarnator had conspired with someone from this world, it seemed that they had already verified their prophecies. Which meant, it was highly likely that there was an enemy spy inside the academy.

I need to take care of this. Razé clenched her fist, full of determination.

She was unaware that Adis was watching her.