(CHAPTER IV COVER)

"Did I.. mishear that? So that means, that-"

Nishio: You're not alone. And so am I, apparently! Hehe...

Nagumi: I-is that... so.

Nishio: What? Cat got your tongue?

Nagumi: Ah.. no. It's that, I thought I was the only one who got transported in this world. I could've thought I was a protagonist of some anime for a second.

Nishio: Guess that'll make me the deuteroganist.

Nagumi: No, I'd rather not we aren't on this roles! Bad things happen to protagonists when they don't know they are one!

Nishio: That's true..

The both agreed mutually not to get way ahead of themselves.

Nishio: Anyhow, let's come visit my home. I have 2 homes myself, one in this village and one on the capital of this country. Wanna camp on em' for now?

Nagumi: As much as I would like to, it's plain awkward for me to acknowledge your offer, since... you're a-

Nishio: Yeah yeah, just cuz' I'm a woman. Right? Not that you would do anything to me anyways. I already told you I'm a master sage swordsman. I'd just pat your back, and you'll set aflames.

!!!

Nagumi: On second thought, I wanna live elsewhere, but since I got no other choice, I'll take your offer.

Nishio: Good!

...

The girl jumps happily. Knowing she would be defenseless against a male being, she's strong enough to bring up her role in the community and loyalty. Aside this, Nagumi is strongly urgent to living elsewhere in his mind, but he really doesn't have a choice, as she is his only source of knowledge to this God forsaken world.

--

The both has arrived at their place of camping. Time is estimated to be at... Dusk. Moreover...

Nagumi: Holy shit! This place is your secondary, and it looks this good? What the hell is your wealth status, mademoiselle? Are you some kind of princess?

Nishio: Spare the flattery, I'm a royal knight. Servant to our Holy Homeland, Demian-to-Knowledgeable! Or, rather that is what some crazy nutcrack would say. But thing is, they're all true to heart.

Nagumi: Right, don't admit that you're a crazy nutcrack yourself! Makes me feel unsafe living here temporarily!

To his eyes, he doesn't feel deserving of living here, as who knows what he would do when he feels motivated to do something ulteriorly negative. Pulling himself would be the best realistic option. He is not pure to heart, even if tempted by this girl unintentionally to do something. Her characteristics as a maiden brightens her feminine imagery. Bright, long red haired color, and a perfect body build. For a knight, she doesn't look like one. Rather, she wears a common village garment outfit. She looks physically weak, but shouldn't be underestimated. To conclude, she might look off duty, but she is doing her job on the streets without anyone ever knowing of her occasion.

The housing, no. The mansion, the furnitures, everything looks neat and clean. Everything feels so rich. The mansion's infracture is built by wood, like a cabin in the forest. To the eyes of Nagumi, this may aswell look like a vacation house for Christmas occasions. It feels so merry to live here on cold nights like this. It may aswell be worth traveling here for 30 minutes estimate by foot, being accompanied by a sweet girl.

Nishio: Help yourselves around. Feel free to call this your home!

Nagumi: Thank you, Nagumi-san. This place is wonderful. Of course, please disregard my improper statements earlier, for I may be rude to your splendid and beautiful architechture.

Nishio: You really don't have to act too proper! Jeez, you're too agitating when you act like that.

The two argues about how Nagumi is having a complexity about proper manners. Maybe he caught his sickness from-

Nagumi: Yuuki.

Nishio: What? Yuuki-san?

Nagumi: Oh, sorry.. It slipped off my mouth by acci- wait.. Yuuki..-san? Did I hear that right?

???

Nishio: Yeah. Tsumi Yuuki, right? It slipped off your mouth aswell.

Nagumi: Wait, do you know her or not?! Which is it, I'm confused.

Nishio: There's no deeper meaning behind what I've said other than the statement being literally it.

Nagumi: ...

Something felt off for a second, but there's no point to pushing the incident now. He'll just assume that he did speak out loud unintentionally.

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It's dark outside. The air feels so chilly and silent.

Nagumi: Oh right. Ni-N... Nishio-san. Can I ask you tons of things? I wanna get to know you better, and perhaps atleast know about my situation.

Asking with hesitation, due to not being used to calling people their first name.

Nishio: What's with the stutter? I already gave you the privilege to call me by my first name. Not that I pay any mind anyways. You may.

Nagumi: Right...

As he proceeds to thinking, he'll need to ask the right questions properly, otherwise there might be a sudden revoke to the interrogation if done wrong. [Firstly...] mutters Nagumi, as his first word to the interrogation.

Nagumi: How did you get transported here?

Nishio: Hmmm, I don't remember much of it, but I think it's because I grabbed something peculiar while strolling uh... Hiroshima, if I may have not forgotten about it.

Nagumi: You're right. Hiroshima's a place, so nothing you could've forgotten about.

"Strange. She said, she have forgotten about it. So this implies it's been a long time since she's been transported here. I'll confirm everything later. Now onto the next."

Nagumi: What did you grab, specifically?

Nishio: I don't remember, I think. But I can assure I grabbed a flashy pebble. It looked like gold, but after grabbing it, I got transported to a mansion in the capital. Which is currently my primary household, and my reason for why I serve the nation itself.

Nagumi: Is that so. Was there anyone in the mansion or where you got transported in the time being?

Nishio: No, fortunately. It was empty and felt like it was abandoned ever since.

Nagumi: Hmm...

He puts his fingers to his chin, to comprehend her case. However, the main difference between their scenario is that she grabbed something else rather than an Omamori. Speaking of...

"I think I still have the Omamori with me. Could it?"

He searches his pockets once more. To his surprise, finds a strange square object and grabs it.

Nishio: Oh! That looks like one of your loots after grabbing the thing before getting transported here! I have one aswell, but all I got from it was a holy sword.

!!!

Nagumi: Spare the bullshit, how did you get a holy sword from something this small?

He shows the black small loot box in front of Nishio's face. She sighs.

Nishio: Well duh, dumbass. I don't know either, but call it that it came from another dimension, but without a doubt it looked badass pulling the sword in my case.

Nagumi: ...

"This looks like one of the holders for a marriage ring. Surprisingly, it looks very gorgeous. What's insi-"

?

Nagumi: ... A ring?

Nishio: That's cool. Though, I don't suspect it to be as cool as my holy sword. Which I call the Excalibur.

Nagumi: You should seriously stop showing off, you're gonna make me cry like a peasant that I am.

Nishio giggles.

Nishio: Well? What are you waiting for? Are you gonna wear it?

Nagumi: No, to your dismay, you look more adamant to wearing it than I do. Why is that?

Nishio: Hmmph. You read me like a book. You're good.

She crosses her arms, with a satisfied look. As if she looks at him as having a stronger will type.

Nishio: It's not that I don't wanna wear it, but why don't you?

Nagumi: It looks like crap, so I may as well give it away. It looks dirty and would feel very strange for a guy to have this look being like a peasant. So I might aswell just give it away.

Nishio: I would take it off your hands for you, but I'm afraid I can't do that.

Nagumi: Why not?

Nishio: Well...

...

She looks away with regret, colliding her pointy fingers with one another.

Nishio: There's a consequence to doing it, so I'd rather not.

Nagumi: And what is that?

Nishio: If I pass my "Familiar" to you, your heart will be ignited astray, or simply put... You might break psychologically if you're not compatible with it. No, rather than compatibility, I'm sure only one in every universe would be able to possess someone else's familiar. Which is impossible for both of us to have more than one familiar.

Nagumi: Is that so.

Nishio, lending her shoulders to the pillar of the house, frustrated.

Nishio: I.. did this once to one of my subbordinates.

Nagumi: And that explains, why you knew about the consequences then?

Nishio: You're right, more or less. Thankfully, his illness was temporary. Of course, I don't wanna test whether if I would gone crazy if I took your ring though.

Nagumi: Hahaha, well, it wouldn't hurt lending it once in a while. I don't mind letting you have it. Here.

Nagumi sets a banter as he shows his ring in his palm to Nishio, as a result she runs away from him, slamming the door and hiding from her room. Angry and scared of Nishio's "Familiar". Nagumi, asks for forgiveness as he doesn't know where he should sleep, and Nishio exits.

Time passes by, through the sleepy cold night, there, sleeps the tired Nagumi. Surrounded by bookshelves, a wooden desk and a lanter on top. A window, shining moonlight to his face. With a ring worn in his finger, little by little...

A skin wears off his right ring finger. Remaining in it, only a skeletal finger, still intact with his hands.

The ring, as cursed as it looks, may hold a strong threshold of invinsible and unstoppable power.

Nagumi. What a mistake. You've possessed a dirty, ring, who realistically, no one should be able to wear it with fashion.

Looking closely, engraved to the ring...

"Ysabel Kiruno and hers' only... •¶∆°π"

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