Chapter 16: Dialogue with the God of Death

Cecil Imitation was a beautiful girl in male clothing.

To be honest, that part didn't really bother me. In the original game, she could end up becoming a girl depending on the route anyway. Plus, there was the fact that she was actually 《Monster-Possessed》, but I didn't need to overthink that right now.

No, the most pressing matter at hand was...

“...There was a slight mishap, but the situation hasn't changed, Alvart,” she said.

The air around her was freezing. The aura she projected was laced with genuine bloodlust...

It was incredibly bad. (I was losing my vocabulary to the sheer pressure.)

Despite the crushing tension, I forced myself to speak calmly.

“First off... about my answer to your question. I only wanted to suggest that you might be hiding your true strength. That’s all.”

Cecil didn't respond. She used magic to repair her torn uniform while keeping her eyes locked on mine. The neutral, pretty smile she usually wore was gone. In its place was a cold, inorganic mask.

“Cecil. I can’t blame you for being skeptical... but please, believe me. I only suspected what I just said. I have no intention of telling anyone about this.”

I’d tried to close the distance between us by acting like I knew her deal, but it had clearly backfired, causing a massive misunderstanding.

“I’ll say it again: I don’t know a single thing about your background.”

Even in the original game, Cecil had no established backstory. Most players accepted her as a mere deus ex machina. On the other hand, this world was a reality based on that game, meaning Cecil must have had a life of her own.

Still, I had no way of knowing what that life was like.

“I get that you’re harboring some dark secret. Otherwise... you wouldn't be giving off this much killing intent.”

Cecil was a girl in drag—I’d stumbled onto that info by accident. But I didn't think she'd look at me like she wanted to murder me just for that. There was definitely something bigger hidden beneath the surface.

“I have zero interest in exposing your secrets. I just... I really did just want to be your friend.”

I laid it on thick, but in the end, it was all up to her.

Would she try to erase me? Or would she choose to believe me?

“............Hey, Alvart.”

After a long, heavy silence, she finally spoke.

“Can I ask you one question?”

“Sure. Anything.”

“...That ideal you talked about with Elise. Were you serious about that?”

I couldn't read her intention. Should I lie? Or tell the truth? After a brief moment of hesitation, I made my choice.

“Cecil. If it’s you... I want to tell you my true feelings.”

No lies. Not this time.

“I don't want to stand out. So when she challenged me to a duel, my first thought was just... how to end things peacefully without fighting. That was it.”

If I wanted her trust, how could I lie now? Even if the truth was pathetic, lying here would be the height of stupidity.

“Everything was a misunderstanding. The courtship, the ideals... all of it.”

Of course, if I stopped there, Cecil would probably kill me. In fact, her eyes were already starting to turn cold again. But that wasn't the end of my story.

“But, Cecil... I’m starting to get a little confused. About myself.”

“............”

“After spending the weekend with Elise... I found myself actually wanting to support her.”

It wasn't a lie. I was still torn on whether to actually go through with it, but I was definitely drawn to Elise in a way I hadn't expected.

“So, my answer to your question is: half-true, half-lie. The ideal I told Elise was just a lie to get through the moment... but my desire to watch over her as she tries to reach that ideal? I swear to all the gods, that part is the truth.”

I’d shown her my complete sincerity. All that was left was for Cecil to make her judgment—

“—Pfft.”

A tiny chuckle. It was a genuine smile, slipping past her guard.

“You really are something else...”

I couldn't tell if it was an act, but her usual gentle expression returned to her face.

“—Come on, Alvart. Let’s get back to the exploration.”

After that, the two of us walked side by side, wandering aimlessly through the dungeon while taking down monsters here and there. We engaged in some idle chatter.

“By the way... should I be calling you Ms. Cecil from now on?”

“Hmm. Let’s just stick to 'Cecil.' I mean, we’re friends now, aren't we?”

For a while, the atmosphere remained peaceful and uneventful. But then...

“Hey, Alvart.”

The tone of her voice changed. There was a sense of tension—almost like a repressed passion—lingering in her words.

“A little while ago, you asked me about my family and where I came from, right?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“And I told you that my family has served Elise’s house for generations as slave-nobles. I said we were treated horribly in the past, but we were saved by the Lucifor family’s kindness in the modern era.”

She kept her slow pace, but her speech became hurried. She let the next words out in a single breath.

“────It was a lie. Everything I told you. Every single word. It was a complete fabrication from start to finish.”

I felt a sudden surge of tension. It was a classic trope, wasn't it? The villain telling the hero everything before they kill them as a parting gift. But Cecil wasn't giving off any killing intent. Instead, she looked like a penitent soul trying to confess her sins.

“The truth is, I’m not even a noble. I was born in some nameless village in the middle of nowhere... and I spent my childhood tasting a very ordinary kind of happiness.”

Cecil told me she had no connection to Elise. It was all a deception she’d created using her abilities.

“I had a big family. Aside from my mother and me, it was nothing but men. Between that and the village being mostly boys, I grew up playing with the guys. That’s why I never really learned how to be 'girly.'”

The reason she dressed as a man. The reason she used masculine pronouns. It was just a result of the environment she grew up in—nothing more, nothing less.

“My early life was perfectly mundane. It was actually boring... but thinking back on it now, that peace was the greatest happiness I ever had.”

A dark shadow crossed her beautiful, androgynous features. Then, she turned to me.

“Alvart. Normally, I should have to eliminate you. Because you know too much. You know my past. And you know that my entire persona—including my relationship with Elise—is a fiction created on the orders of a certain person.”

She was talking her head off about things I hadn't even asked, and then saying she had to kill me... it was a pattern I’d seen a million times in manga.

But again, there was no hostility in her. If anything, there was a desperate, clinging emotion in her eyes. I realized then that her words weren't a threat—they were a cry for help.

“You knew nothing. But now you know almost everything about me. Eventually, given what you’re bound to experience next, you’ll reach the ultimate truth. That’s why... as I said, I should have to dispose of you right here... however.”

Cecil said she would never do such a thing, not in a million years.

“This is a huge deal for me, Alvart. Because until now, I’ve spent my life as a puppet. That was my role. My reason for existing. Everything else has become so blurred and faded. That’s why you’re so special.”

She looked at me as if she were staring at something dazzling. Or perhaps... like she was looking at someone she loved.

“I’m really glad I met you, Alvart.”

Her smile was gentle. There was no lie in it, no trace of malice. There was only one emotion dwelling there—

A quiet desire for self-destruction.

“Right. Class is almost over. Let’s head back to the instructor.”

“...Yeah, let’s.”

As we walked back through the labyrinth side-by-side, my mind was racing.

Cecil Imitation. In the original game, she was nothing more than a plot device meant to resolve the scenario. But in this world, she wasn't “nothing” yet. Depending on my choices, she could become a doom flag... or perhaps, she could become a heroine to be saved.

Facing that reality, I sighed.

My life was steadily heading toward becoming a protagonist in a direction that was decidedly not an eroge.

◇◆◇

After school, once all classes had finished.

I made my way to the Student Council room along with Lumiere, Elise, and Cecil. We had committee meetings almost every day, and on the surface, everything seemed the same... but I noticed the faces of the members were brighter than usual.

Clarice confirmed my suspicion the moment she opened her mouth.

“Regarding that certain matter... it appears we are heading toward a resolution.”

The “certain matter” was the string of serial killings that had been terrorizing the academy. Clarice began to explain the details.

“Early this morning, a suspicious student was discovered in front of the fountain in the courtyard.”

Uh-huh. I’m listening.

“He had been restrained by someone... and nearby, several items were left that proved he was the culprit behind the incidents.”

Oh? Interesting.

“I have performed a brief verification myself, and... I am certain. With this, the case has come to a close.”

Huuuuuuuuh.

Well, it seemed like a job well done, exactly as ordered. Anyway, that was one problem solved—

“Lord Alvart. No... Night King. Your handiwork this time was truly magnificent.”

—Huh?

“W-wait just a second, Lady Clarice. I have no idea what you’re talking about. Not a clue. Zilch.”

Crap. I was so flustered I was making up words.

“Huhu. I expected you to be modest... but your actions deserve nothing but praise, Lord Alvart.”

“N-no. Like I said. I had nothing to do with—”

“Yes, yes. Perhaps that is technically true.”

Then what?! How did you find out?! There shouldn't be any evidence that I indirectly solved the case—

“Among the documents left near the culprit... every single one of them was stamped with the Zesphiria family crest.”

Aaaaaaaaah.

Okay. Right.

—ELIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEE! You! You really did it now!

“Huhu. What is the matter, Master? You seem to be in quite a foul mood.”

Standing beside me in her concealed state was that masochistic pervert. Yes, she was the ultimate masochist pig. I’d forgotten... no, to be more accurate, I’d underestimated her.

“Oh boy, this is trouble. I’ve gone and angered Master.”

She was my ally, my servant, and—in a way—my enemy.

“What kind of punishment will you bestow upon me tonight? I’m looking forward to it, Master!”

This bitch...! She sabotaged me on purpose just so she could get punished!

“Whether it was you personally or one of your subordinates... thanks to the Night King, the unrest within our school has been purged. For that, we are truly grateful.”

I couldn't think of an excuse! I couldn't think of any way to convince them I was innocent!

“As expected! My husband is incredible!”

“Truly! He’s amazing! Lumi’s Onii-sama is the best!”

My head was starting to throb.

“Haha. Thanks to you, Alvart, I can sleep soundly now,” Cecil said.

Cecil’s lie only added to my growing headache.

“Now then. If I were to prioritize my personal feelings, I would love to spend the entire day praising you, Lord Alvart... but since we have items to discuss, we shall leave it at that for now.”

Looking genuinely disappointed, Clarice moved on to the next topic.

“Moving on. It is a bit early, but regarding the summer academy festival—”

The meeting proceeded. But the contents were entirely peaceful.

“This concludes today’s meeting. Thank you for your hard work, everyone.”

Apparently, the Correction Force wasn't a complete monster. Today’s activities were ending without any further trouble—

“Lord Alvart. Do you have a moment?”

The moment I felt relieved that it was over, she stopped me.

“If you are available... normally, I would phrase it that way, but...”

“...Is there something you need from me?”

“Yes. However... it is not just my will, but the will of another as well.”

“...Another?”

Oh boy. I had a very bad feeling about this, and it was growing by the second. And the moment it reached its peak…