CHAPTER 140: DOUBTS AND QUESTIONS

"You have been oddly quiet," I heard as fire crackled. I looked up to find Helen staring at me strangely. Perhaps that dream affected me in more ways than I want to admit. But I can’t help it—the fact that it seems the individual who was about to go into whatever the hell ’the cradle’ was, relates to me.

Or is he me?

Am I trapped within some cradle trying to remember who I am?

I mean, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Back then, while I was trapped within that game, it was this same thing. I was stripped of my memories and thrust into an incomplete world to serve as entertainment, completely unaware of my circumstances.

Could this all just be the same thing?

Is this whole world just like the game one?

Am I... not in the real world?

"Sighs," I sighed visibly, rubbing my forehead.

What even prompted me to have that dream in the first place?

Could it be due to what the slave bond between Helen and I was doing to me?

I mean, it could be.

I have never had such a dream before, and even if it was all darkness, the voices felt so vivid.

"Hey," I heard and looked up again. Tsk, I got lost in my thoughts again. But I can’t help myself—I am just so lost and frustrated altogether. What if all this is just some game? What if all this is just some elaborate story by some grander entity, just like with that goddess and the game? I can’t rule it out. If that for some reason has some truth to it, does that mean Tessa... wasn’t really telling the truth before she sent me to this world?

"Mind your business. Isn’t that boyfriend of yours just some tents away?" I asked, not really in the mood for dealing with her. At this point, all the amusement I had from messing with her was gone. I was no longer in the mood to joke around. I don’t know what exactly it is, but I have this feeling that something is coming... something I can’t quite place my finger on.

Sighs.

Right now we were already on our way to the academy. It was nighttime so we made camp. We should reach Windfall—that’s the city where the Academy is located—tomorrow. At this point, all I plan to do after getting to Windfall is to first investigate if the ’darkness’ Tessa talked about is actually real.

Yes, after that dream, I am really starting to have doubts about everything.

And that’s because there’s a chance I am just some pawn in a larger game.

The whole Tessa situation was too ’convenient’ if I think back on it.

It was just like it was planned to happen that way.

Or... at least that’s what I think now.

"You have been acting quite odd after I returned to that room. Wait... don’t tell me," her eyes widened and I rolled mine, already guessing what she was thinking in that rotten brain of hers. "Are you jealous or something?" she asked, and I just blankly stared at her.

"How exactly are you going to help me participate in the entrance examination? If I remember correctly, it’s for nobles," I said, totally ignoring her question.

"Well, I would just register you as one of the noble houses under our control," she said.

"You can do that?" I asked with a frown.

"Yeah," she responded, hugging herself more tightly as she stared at the fire.

"You can just use your ability to warm yourself," I said, tossing another piece of wood into the fire.

"No, idiot," she said, and I looked blankly at her.

"Hmph," she huffed.

For some reason, it seems the master-slave relationship is getting distorted.

"Firstly, call me master. Second, why do you think it’s stupid?" I asked, and she just glared at me. She still didn’t like calling me master, but then again, I don’t care.

"Sighs If I use my mana here, not only would I risk mana depletion when I actually need mana to protect myself, I would also stand the risk of attracting wandering mana beasts. Though that might not be so problematic given that the beasts that roam these areas are mostly low rank, fighting mana beasts at night isn’t exactly ideal," she said, and I nodded.

Made sense.

"So... what’s that boyfriend of yours doing?" I asked, changing the topic.

"You really aren’t jealous?" she asked, and I just wanted to slap my forehead at this point. Why was this girl so shameless?

"I am not interested in you, and I probably never will, so just forget it," I said.

"..." I looked at her and found her eyes slightly narrowed, like she didn’t believe me. God, who praised this bitch so much that she became this way?

"Just answer the question... I am not in the mood for your weird fetish," I said, taking a calm breath before tossing another branch into the fire.

"I don’t know," she said, and I frowned.

"Yo, we are completely under his mercy. Your guards are few since the bandit attack, and we didn’t wait for more backup. Most of the guards here are his. Shouldn’t you at least be cautious?" I asked, and she huffed as though I was the only one stupid for thinking that way.

"He would never harm me. What is there to worry about?"

Is it just me, or is she getting more spoiled by the day?

Well, fuck it.

Once I get to Windfall tomorrow and she registers me, to hell with her. At this point, all I want to do is figure out the reason for that dream.

....

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!