The World of Otome Games is Tough For Mobs - Volume 12 - Chapter 9

Chapter 09 “Marie’s Hero”

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Part 1

“Okaa-san, is it true that Oji-san is absent from school without permission?”

“Erika didn’t know it?”

In Erika’s private medical room, which had been prepared in Licorne, Marie and Erika were talking.

The topic of the conversation was about Leon, who has been absent from school lately.

Marie tells Erika about the situation in a disgruntled manner.

“You’re in Licorne and you didn’t know it.”

“I only found out about it through Haha-ue’s letter. ——To be honest, I’m not sure if Haha-ue’s letter is the best way to get updates on your Oji-san’s current circumstances.”

Apparently, Milene is concerned about the matter of Leon’s absence without notice.

The problem is that she wrote that in her letter to Erika’s status report.

Marie can’t help but be annoyed.

(Why is aniki laying his hands on the queen? In the first place, that queen seems to have a field of flowers in her brain to tell Erika about such a situation.) (TLN: It means a person whose thinking is so shallow that one wonders if there is a flower garden spreading inside his or her brain.)

Marie was angered by the way Erika was informed of Leon’s love affairs.

From Marie’s point of view, Erika looks exhausted and even keeping her upper body upright looks painful.

Marie also noticed that Erika’s condition was worsening, and she could not forgive Leon for making her worry about Erika in such a state.

“After the holidays, he started absent and finally came back today. And since he didn’t say anything to anyone, the three of them suspected that I knew something about what was going on.”

Marie shudders as she recalls now that Ange and Livia’s stares were terrifying.

Erika smiled wryly at the sight of Marie, but her expression soon clouded.

“——Maybe it’s my fault.”

“Why?”

“Before he took a break, Oji-san came to visit me. At that time, he looked like he was in pain, but he was forcing himself to smile.”

“Aniki came here? That can’t be, the illness——”

Hearing Erika’s story, Marie assumes the worst.

That is, if there is no improvement in the condition, will Erika die? —— Wasn’t the reason why Leon looked so pained, because he realized he couldn’t help Erika?

The sudden absence of him might have been because he was looking for a way to find a way to help?

Just as the anxiety is growing, the door opens and the topic of conversation, Leon, enters the room.

Apparently, he had heard them talking.

“If it’s about Erika’s illness you don’t have to worry about.”

“Aniki!?”

When she turned and looked at Leon, he had a fake smile on his face.

The forced smile on his face made Marie couldn’t shake the bad feeling.

Erika also seems to have noticed something unusual about Leon.

“Oji-san, did something happen? Have you lost some weight?”

When Erika is worried about him, Leon deliberately shows his good health.

He was bulging his biceps and showing it off.

“I’m doing fine on my end. I just gained some muscle mass while losing a little body fat. Well~, the drugs made by Luxion are amazing~. I lost a few percent of my body fat in just a few days. Plus, I gained muscle mass.”

Seeing Leon bragging, a usual Marie would have said, “Give me some of that!” But today, she couldn’t make the joke.

Erika also seems to have noticed Leon’s lies and is suspicious of him.

“You’re getting more wounds. Are you being reckless? Could it be because of what I said before?”

Leon scratched his head and looked apologetic, as if he thought he would be exposed if he continued to make excuses.

“—— I guess I can’t fool you guys”

After all, he was lying, so Marie is indignant.

“Of course it’s obvious! What have you been doing absent from school too? You better tell the truth.”

Marie and Erika.

As the two stared at him, Leon let out a small sigh and put his right hand behind his waist.

‘Is he going to take something out?’ As she thinks that, Leon pulls out a pistol.

“——Eh?”

At the moment Marie’s eyes widened in surprise, Leon pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The muzzle of the pistol, which made a popping sound, was aimed at Erika.

She quickly turns around and sees something sticking into Erika.

“Oji-sa——”

Erika was also surprised, but soon closed her eyes and her body collapsed straight down and lay on the bed.

Marie immediately pressed Leon.

“What are you doing! What are you doing to Erika!”

To Marie’s bewilderment, Leon exhales a sigh and begins to tell her about the situation.

“It’s for Erika’s sake.”

“How could it be!!”

To the distraught Marie, Luxion, who had been silent until now, speaks in an electronic voice.

[It’s a tranquilizer gun. Erika’s just asleep.]

When she turns and looks at Erika, Marie is relieved to see that she is sleeping.

“I’m glad~. I mean, what were you thinking, using a tranquilizer gun on Erika!”

Marie is still angry, but Leon continues to talk to her by sitting in a nearby chair.

“You’ve noticed, right? Erika’s disease is still not cured.”

“——Un.”

“Actually, I would have put her in cold sleep much sooner. It was Erika who refused to do that, saying she wanted memories with you.”

“Erika did?”

Cryonic hibernation——a method of preserving the physical body by freezing the body.

But if it is done, one cannot do anything during that time.

Marie was shocked to hear that Erika had refused to cold sleep, prioritizing time with her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It was Erika’s will. But I decided to put her to sleep because she was already at her limit. Besides——I couldn’t have Erika stay awake any longer.”

“Eh?”

From there, Leon hilariously explains the current situation.

“Actually, we’re going to war with the Empire.”

“Haa!? Why!?”

“I dunno! I mean, there are others like Luxion on the other side. We’re going to destroy the kingdom! It’s like they’re saying.”

“Uwah~, that’s really annoying.”

Calling it annoying, Marie turned her attention to Luxion.

But Luxion turns his single eye away from Marie.

“So, are you okay? I mean, the Empire just got Mia-chan and her friends back.”

Leon shrugs and says.

“Of course, I’m going to do something about it. Well, anyway —— I don’t want to burden Erika any more than she already is. It is time for her to go to sleep. When it’s all over, I’ll concentrate on finding the cure.”

Marie heard Leon’s explanation and was convinced that this was what he had been hiding from her.

Indeed, this is something he can’t talk to Erika about.

If he told Erika now, her illness could worsen from the heartache.

“If that’s so, you should have explained it to me earlier. I was really worried!”

“My bad.”

Marie confirms a few things with Leon.

“Erika’s illness can be cured, right?”

“Of course!”

“And the war —— well, Mia-chan and the others, they’re okay, right? Aniki is friends with Finn, so you’re not going to kill him, are you?”

“Obviously!”

Leon says it’s not a problem.

Then everything will be okay —— Marie believes Leon’s words.

It’s been that way since her previous life.

“I see. If aniki says so, it must be true!”

(Aniki says it’s okay, so it’s definitely okay. Because he’s my big brother!)

Marie trusted the words of her older brother, whom she could rely on at the critical moment.

“——Aa”

When Marie gives a big smile out of relief, Leon’s expression clouds over for a moment.

When Marie tilts her head, Luxion interrupts the conversation somewhat forcefully.

[Master, it’s time to go. Erika will be carried by Licorne’s work robots later, so let’s move on now.]

“I guess so. I’d better get going. I’ve been busy with things.”

“Yes! Good luck with that, aniki. Erika’s life depends on you.”

Getting up, Leon says to Marie with a wry smile.

“It’s heavy. ——Well, I’ll figure something out.”

Leon shows his back as he leaves the room.

Marie felt that his back was dependable.

She doesn’t say it out loud —— but to Marie, Leon was a dependable hero from her previous life.

He helped her no matter what, and solved any problems she had.

After he was gone, she was in a lot of trouble, but now it’s different.

If Leon is there, he can do something.

——She had such high expectations.

(Areh? Aniki, he is not looking so well today.)

However, she felt that Leon’s back seemed a little smaller today.

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Part 2

I go out into the hallway, and Luxion starts to scold me.

[You’ve made a promise without due consideration too much.]

“It doesn’t matter, does it? If we win, the concentration of magic elements won’t get any thicker. As long as Creare is still around, she and Sapling——or rather, Young Tree-chan will take care of the magical element problem.”

Even if I don’t solve the problem myself, I can save Erika by defeating Arcadia.

Anyway —— Erika is a smart girl.

Not only did she see through my secrets, but she was beginning to realize that she was the cause of it.

I should have put her to sleep earlier.

Apparently, Luxion questioned my attitude toward Marie and the others.

[Master, I have a question.]

“What is it?”

[Why didn’t you just push Marie away like you did to Angelica and the others?]

He still blames me for my attitude toward Ange and others.

I let out a small sigh and then tell him.

“Marie is thick-skinned. She can survive without me, and now she has Five Idiots, her merry band of friends.”

[Angelica and the others only have Master, though? They were quite shocked. I’m worried about their future.]

“That’s why. ——Just forget about me, move on, and find a nice guy.”

[Aren’t you being too cold towards your three fiancées? At least show a little of the kindness you showed to Marie and the others——]

“I’m not kind.”

I tried to forcefully end this conversation, but today Luxion was persistent.

[At least let’s clear up the misunderstanding. It is the truth that Master loves those three.]

I burst out laughing because it was funny.

I love them?

“When you have three fiancées, that’s not love. Well~, actually, I was secretly happy to have a harem. But it became a hassle. I understood that when I started dating them. Women are a pain in the ass in so many ways. After the second life, I’ve become a lot wiser.”

[That’s a lie.]

“It’s true.”

[Master is a liar. You can’t even tell me your true feelings.]

Luxion, who doesn’t trust my words, stares at me silently.

Unable to bear it any longer, I spill my true feelings.

“It’s true that I want them to forget about me. I never should have gotten involved with those three in the first place.”

Do I deserve to be loved by those three, just because I successfully made my way around with my knowledge of that otome game?

It has always been stuck in the back of my mind and I have tried not to look at it.

But I can understand it now.

Arcadia, an opponent who cannot be beaten, appears, and I, who try to run away, cannot be worthy of those three.

“In the end, I was out of place.”

[Out of place? What are you talking about, Master?]

“I’m just saying I’m not the right person for those three. There must be someone more suitable.”

This is what I really think, without lying.

No matter how far we go in our relationship, I’m guilty when I can’t tell them the truth about me having a previous life.

I turn my gaze to Luxion.

“I count on you to watch out for those three. And be sure to tell Marie well.”

If they are shocked at being deceived by a bad man, then someone should give them a follow-up.

[Master should tell them the truth.]

“No, I don’t want those three to get involved. ——Please, Luxion.”

I don’t think I’ll ever get another chance to talk to Ange and the others.

[——I’ll see how it goes with Creare.]

“Do that.”

One big problem solved.

As we walk, I recall my conversation with Marie.

“Anyway, that idiot has always relied on me only when it’s convenient.”

I guess I looked a little happy.

Luxion looks dissatisfied.

[You take Marie’s favors without due consideration and are cold to Angelica and the others. Creare is right, you really are a troublesome Master.]

“Say what you want. Well, Marie asked me to do it, so let’s do my best —— oh, right. I didn’t tell Marie about the broken engagement, did I? Luxion, tell Creare to fool her.”

[Understood.]

I abandoned my fiancées for their future.

My little sister also asked me to help her with my niece’s life.

There are too many things I want to protect, so I’m really troubled.

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Part 3

Luxion, who was following Leon as he walked, was developing strange feelings for Marie.

(Marie’s words are pushing Master over the edge)

Leon is motivated by the reason that Marie, his little sister from a previous life, asked him to do it.

That motivation was the problem.

——Leon does not include his own life as a condition for victory.

In other words, he thinks that even if he loses his life, as long as he wins, it is enough.

Fighting Arcadia itself is reckless.

With that in mind, it is only natural that Leon would risk his life.

But now Leon was willing to give up his life.

(He is relying too much on drugs in his haste to train his body. At this rate, even if he survives, there is a possibility that he will suffer from aftereffects later in life. No, it will shorten his lifespan to begin with.)

The drugs that Leon uses, while effective, are also deleterious.

Naturally, it also takes a toll on his body.

Even if they were to stay by their side and treat him, it would certainly cut down on Leon’s life.

The evidence is that he has not thought about the future at all.

(How can he so easily put his life on the line? We cannot add more burdens to Master. Some of the items to be recovered must be removed from the list.)

Considering the toll on Leon’s body, Luxion decides to remove some items——especially drugs from the list.

Even if it was against Leon’s orders.