Author Notes: I apologize for not being able to provide updates yesterday. I'm not sure if you've been waiting long, but Chapter 17 of the main game... had quite a shocking development and some intriguing statements, so I've been busy analyzing and speculating about it, and it's been on my mind.
-----
Suddenly, the raging blizzard that had been blowing began to calm down.
However, in this extreme cold environment, it was unlikely that humans would be active and armed in such light clothing. Moore, who had likely determined that they were Nikkes, lowered his gun but kept his finger on the trigger.
He crouched down and took a kneeling posture as he approached the two Nikkes who had appeared in front of him. The two Nikkes were also moving towards him. However, the Nikke with slightly wavy blonde hair, exuding an aristocratic aura, remained cautious and held her weapon.
"Tell me your affiliation and name," she demanded.
Normally, one might have thought about responding first, but Moore hesitated. He noticed the unique shape of the firearm that the Nikke in front of him was holding, whether it was a submachine gun or an assault rifle—actually, it was a submachine gun. He decided it would be best to avoid provoking her.
First, Moore secured his own weapon by engaging the safety and declared that he had no intention of attacking before responding.
"...Lieutenant Shaw Moore. I belong to the outpost base."
"Hmm. Just as I thought. The commander, I assume?"
The blonde Nikke, letting her hair flow, asked again, and Moore nodded in affirmation. At his feet, the wolves were on guard and growling at the strangers, so he bent down slightly and lightly stroked their heads to calm them.
"Indeed... So, from now on, you will be my... servant."
"Servant?"
Certainly, he held the position of a public servant as a military officer, but the way she said it seemed to carry a more submissive connotation. She had specifically used the word "servant."
"Your Majesty! Are you going to make this person your servant?"
"Alice, calm down. We're still in the middle of a conversation."
A silver-haired Nikke with pinkish undertones in her hair, tied into twin tails, appeared behind the blonde Nike. She was carrying a backpack twice her size, and the headset's headband she wore had decorative animal-like ears that moved slightly from time to time, which Moore noticed.
"I have one question. Who do you think is more important, the queen or the commander?"
Without a doubt, it was the Queen.
—Or perhaps it was about whether she allowed herself to be called a queen.
Moore couldn't help but wonder if the Nikke in front of him had a particular interest in that direction, but he sensed that dragging out his response would be troublesome. So, he gave a straightforward and conventional answer.
"Of course. You are absolutely right. That's why you will become the servant of me, the queen."
With perfectly shaped lips forming a smile, the blonde Nikke declared, and the Nikke by her side began to applaud.
"Your Majesty! Congratulations!"
"Haha, don't make a fuss, Alice. Well, let's go. If we stay here too long, they'll gather. Servant, come along!"
"Servant, don't lag behind!"
What on earth is happening?
Moore couldn't help but look down at the wolves at his feet. After encountering an avalanche and straying from his squad, he now found himself in a situation and development he couldn't quite comprehend.
He didn't understand why things had turned out this way, but he couldn't afford to be left behind by the two women. He caught up to them and followed as they continued forward, gazing at their backs.
All he could do for now was follow in silence. At the moment, they didn't appear to be enemies, but he couldn't call them allies either.
Moore had the wolves gather at his feet and continued to walk through the pathless snowy wilderness while watching their backs. The blonde-haired Nikke, who seemed to sense his thoughts, let out a deep sigh.
"Servant, you must have many questions."
She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him as if suggesting a short break.
"All right. I'll explain. We are the 'Unlimited.' We're on a journey to defeat the evil Heart Queen."
"Heart Queen?"
The name of the person that the Nikke mentioned sounded familiar. As Moore searched his memories, he realized it might be a character from a classic children's literature of a bygone era.
As he was recalling his memories, the pink-haired Nikke with silver undertones continued her supplementary explanation with somewhat exaggerated body language.
"This place used to be a lush world, but the Heart Queen caused a blizzard... and now it's become a sad, sad world. That's why we're gathering allies! To defeat the Heart Queen and create a happier world!"
"Hmm... hah?"
---Could such an ability even exist?
Moore couldn't help but tilt his head, doubting whether the character from that children's literature he remembered could wield such power. In that story, the character often had fits of rage, demanding "Off with their heads!" but Moore doubted that he could sever the thick neck with a mere blade.
Moore had question marks floating over his head, but the Nikke who provided the supplementary explanation tilted her head further and turned her gaze to Moore.
"By the way... who are you, and why did servant come all the way here? Why were you in such a place?"
Moore instinctively checked the time on his wristwatch, which was wrapped around his left wrist as if the dial were coming into view. His gesture caught the attention of the Nikke with a strong impression, and she widened her eyes.
"I was on a mission to rese----..."
Originally, he should have already arrived at the research base by this time, but unforeseen events had been happening one after another. Exceeding the schedule was unavoidable, but as Moore attempted to explain the mission briefly, the blonde Nikke gave him a piercing look.
---Don't say any more.
Though it was a silent command, her eyes effectively silenced him.
"I... came to defeat the Heart Queen."
He was aware that he wasn't the kind of person who would talk like this, but for now, he decided to go along with their story. It might fall apart later, but he went along with it. As soon as he uttered those words, the blonde-haired Nikke, with a well-shaped mouth, smiled.
"Your Majesty! A comrade has arrived!"
"Don't make a fuss, Alice. Actually, I'm the one who called the servant here."
"Your Majesty did!? Wow!"
"Yes. The time has come for us to reclaim our home stolen by the Heart Queen."
As Moore responded and Her Majesty the Queen spoke, the young girl expressed joy and anticipation in her facial expression. Meanwhile, Moore was sinking into extreme bewilderment.
The blizzard was beginning to calm down. In an attempt to regain his composure, Moore took out his cigarettes from his pouch, lit one with an oil lighter, and took a puff. While it might not be a substitute for a tranquillizer, he petted the heads of the wolves gathered at his feet one by one. Moore found it somewhat soothing to see them stick their tongues out while being petted.
"But, Servant, why did you come alone?"
If Her Majesty the Queen asked, the lowly servant had no choice but to answer honestly, all while maintaining the setup. There was also the effort of converting his words into appropriate ones. Moore was slowly but surely becoming a, "Whatever happen, just go with it" type.
"I answered Her Majesty's summons and came here with my comrades, but... we were suddenly attacked by enemies, then caught in an avalanche and separated."
"Hmm..."
He seemed have good humor. With that impression, the blonde-haired Nikke created another smile on her face.
"Are there more comrades?"
"Of course. I wouldn't call just one person."
"As expected, Your Majesty!"
"Hehe... Anyway, avalanches are such a hassle. Are the servant's companions of the same 'species'?"
At the blonde Nikke's question, Moore, who felt uncomfortable, let go of the wolves that were looking up at him, sticking out their tongues with teary eyes expressing "pet me more".
As he removed his hands from them, purple smoke from his cigarette dissipated into the air. Moore shook his head from side to side.
"They look somewhat similar to me, but a little different. However, they are much stronger than me."
His intention seemed to get across, and the blonde queen nodded in response.
"Oh, then they will still be alive as well. Alice, we're going to look for the servant's comrades now. Since the blizzard has stopped, the search shouldn't be too difficult..."
"Your Majesty, it seems things won't be that simple."
Suddenly, Moore grasped his assault rifle and disengaged the safety with his fingertip. The blonde Nikke, looking puzzled, followed the gaze of the wolves gathered around his feet, sending their gaze in the same direction and wrinkling their noses.
"It seems the Heart Queen has sent her minions. Servant, you should step back."
"I can't do that. It would be disgraceful for a servant like me to hide behind Queen Her Majesty."
"...Even if you get injured, I won't take responsibility. Alice!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Encounter."
Moore muttered as he held the cigarette with purple smoke. Normally, this was Rapi's role, but now he was alone. Lately, he couldn't get into combat without saying this.
The enemies were three quadrupedal ground-type Raptures. They all seemed to move slower compared to other areas, perhaps hindered by the snow.
Alice, the girl who had been called, placed the backpack she was carrying on the ground and used it as a support while aiming her sniper rifle. Next to her, Moore also placed his backpack on the snow and took a prone position, resting his assault rifle as he assumed a braced shooting posture. He stuck the end of the cigarette he had been holding in his mouth into the snow on his left side.
The distance was about 200 meters. Unfortunately, the Raptures had noticed them and were approaching in a straight line.
Looking through the ACOG with his right eye, Moore adjusted the zeroing for 300 meters and aimed at the approaching enemies through the crosshair's reticle.
"...Sss...Fuuhh--..."
As he repeated his breathing, he exhaled all the remaining air in his lungs as a white breath come out. When the hand tremors subsided, he applied a slight pressure to the trigger he had placed his finger on, and the trigger was pulled smoothly. The hammer fell, followed by the firing pin striking the primer with a snap.
The explosive within the cartridge ignited, and the expelled bullet followed the grooves in the rifling of the barrel, spinning as it was released from the muzzle into the outside world.
The first shot—slightly deviated to the left, only managed to shatter one of the Raptures' left legs.
"...Must have been carried by the wind."
Despite being quite close, it seemed to be affected by the wind current. As Moore adjusted his aim to account for the expected point of impact, the sound of gunfire from the girl beside him echoed.
"I did it!"
A hit with the first shot, and a kill—it was truly commendable. Moore also squeezed the trigger.
As the recoil absorbed into the buttstock bit into his shoulder, Moore looked through the ACOG scope and saw the Rapture that had been hit collapsing in the snow, pierced through.
Just one more to go.
Almost simultaneously, the girl and Moore aimed their barrels at the last Rapture, and the sound of two gunshots overlapped.
"You did well, Servant."
"I'm honored to receive your praise."
The cigarette had become a bit damp, but it was still smokable. Moore picked it up with his fingertips, placing it back in his mouth, and let the remaining nicotine and tar fill his senses as the purple smoke wafted around.
Seeing the two bullets hit the Rapture and the creature billow black smoke as it fell into silence, the Queen, who had realized that Moore's intervention wasn't a waste, praised his marksmanship, with her blonde hair fluttering.
"That was amazing! You took down the minions in no time!... By the way, your leg looks different. It's unusual."
"It's a exoskeleton---... Ah no, It was given to me when I fought an unknown creature that could talk. This is... well, it's what you might call a legendary armor."
"Legendary... armor?! So, does that mean you have legendary weapons too?!"
He had brought it up himself, but he couldn't help but regret for using that kind of expression. Moore, still a bit unsure of the current situation, petted the wolves that had gathered around him as a source of comfort.
"Legendary weapons... Well, this may qualify as one. It's an old gun, but its performance is top-notch."
Standing up and slinging the backpack he had used as a firing platform over his shoulder, Moore drew a .45-caliber automatic pistol from the leg holster strapped to his right leg to show it.
"Even against a Tyrant-class, one well-placed shot can take it down."
"One shot?! We might be able to beat the Heart Queen with legendary armor and weapons like this, Servant!"
"Of course. I wouldn't call for ordinary servants, would I?"
The line between ordinary and the opposite seemed to be somewhat blurred in this situation.
After holstering the legendary pistol—correction, the automatic pistol—into his leg holster, Moore briefly pondered the question that had passed through his mind without a definite answer. Then, he flicked the cigarette he had finished smoking into a portable ashtray.
It had been quite some time since he had separated from the other three. There was no way they would have died already, but he couldn't help but worry. Moore checked the time on his wristwatch again, and as he did so, the girl, who had recognized his action, stared at him intently. After that, she turned to the blonde-haired Nikke and asked,
"Queen, could it be that the Servant is... Mr. Rabbit?"
.
.
.
"...Huh?"
Certainly, the 'rabbit' mentioned didn't seem to belong to the family Leporidae, at least as far as he knew. Given the context of the conversation, Moore assumed it must be the white rabbit from the children's literature.
"Where did that come from?"
It was only natural that a straightforward question mark would appear first.
"Why do you think that?"
"Just a hunch. I mean, it's not like you'd coincidentally meet someone with legendary armor and legendary weapons! And you've been checking your watch multiple times!"
"...Ah, that's---... right."
Indeed, he had been checking the time quite frequently. However, he hadn't exclaimed, "Oh no, I'm running late!" or anything of the sort, and he certainly wasn't dressed formally.
Moreover, the soldier doesn't believe that he possesses the "maturity," "timidity," "frailty," and "nervous indecisiveness" described by the heroine of the fairy tale . Lastly, he is not THAT old.
"Hehe... why not ask the Servant himself?"
"Y-yes! Mr. Servant! Could it be that you're... Mr. Rabbit? The rabbit who will defeat the Heart Queen, and take me to a happy world?"
The girl's innocent and expectant gaze pierced through him, and Moore couldn't help but shoot a blaming look at Nikke.
"What have you done...?"
His accusatory glance contained a fair amount of complaints, but all the Nikke did was shrug her shoulders lightly.
Maybe he should just respond with "I'm the Caterpillar," or something along those lines. Over there, it's a hookah, but here, he's a smoker, so the difference isn't that significant.
But... betraying the girl's expectations, which were so full of hope right now, would weigh heavily on his conscience.
Giving up seemed to be the only option at this point.
After letting out a sigh, Moore turned to face the girl, Nikke in her form, and gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.
In response, the girl, still sparkling with anticipation, approached him. She grabbed Moore's hand with both of hers and, rather than just holding it, began shaking it vigorously up and down.
"At last... we've met! I've been waiting for this moment! Let's go together! To a happy world!!"
What defines a happy world, he wonders? Moore couldn't provide an answer to this newly arisen question and simply continued to be shaken up and down by the girl, with her hand tightly gripping his.
----
Author Notes: "...Could it be that the memory erasure didn't work on Rapi because it wasn't about the past but that specific moment? No, that can't be... But if that's the case..." and so, Moore's thoughts were consumed by speculation.
Author Notes: I apologize for not being able to provide updates yesterday. I'm not sure if you've been waiting long, but Chapter 17 of the main game... had quite a shocking development and some intriguing statements, so I've been busy analyzing and speculating about it, and it's been on my mind.
-----
Suddenly, the raging blizzard that had been blowing began to calm down.
However, in this extreme cold environment, it was unlikely that humans would be active and armed in such light clothing. Moore, who had likely determined that they were Nikkes, lowered his gun but kept his finger on the trigger.
He crouched down and took a kneeling posture as he approached the two Nikkes who had appeared in front of him. The two Nikkes were also moving towards him. However, the Nikke with slightly wavy blonde hair, exuding an aristocratic aura, remained cautious and held her weapon.
"Tell me your affiliation and name," she demanded.
Normally, one might have thought about responding first, but Moore hesitated. He noticed the unique shape of the firearm that the Nikke in front of him was holding, whether it was a submachine gun or an assault rifle—actually, it was a submachine gun. He decided it would be best to avoid provoking her.
First, Moore secured his own weapon by engaging the safety and declared that he had no intention of attacking before responding.
"...Lieutenant Shaw Moore. I belong to the outpost base."
"Hmm. Just as I thought. The commander, I assume?"
The blonde Nikke, letting her hair flow, asked again, and Moore nodded in affirmation. At his feet, the wolves were on guard and growling at the strangers, so he bent down slightly and lightly stroked their heads to calm them.
"Indeed... So, from now on, you will be my... servant."
"Servant?"
Certainly, he held the position of a public servant as a military officer, but the way she said it seemed to carry a more submissive connotation. She had specifically used the word "servant."
"Your Majesty! Are you going to make this person your servant?"
"Alice, calm down. We're still in the middle of a conversation."
A silver-haired Nikke with pinkish undertones in her hair, tied into twin tails, appeared behind the blonde Nike. She was carrying a backpack twice her size, and the headset's headband she wore had decorative animal-like ears that moved slightly from time to time, which Moore noticed.
"I have one question. Who do you think is more important, the queen or the commander?"
Without a doubt, it was the Queen.
—Or perhaps it was about whether she allowed herself to be called a queen.
Moore couldn't help but wonder if the Nikke in front of him had a particular interest in that direction, but he sensed that dragging out his response would be troublesome. So, he gave a straightforward and conventional answer.
"Of course. You are absolutely right. That's why you will become the servant of me, the queen."
With perfectly shaped lips forming a smile, the blonde Nikke declared, and the Nikke by her side began to applaud.
"Your Majesty! Congratulations!"
"Haha, don't make a fuss, Alice. Well, let's go. If we stay here too long, they'll gather. Servant, come along!"
"Servant, don't lag behind!"
What on earth is happening?
Moore couldn't help but look down at the wolves at his feet. After encountering an avalanche and straying from his squad, he now found himself in a situation and development he couldn't quite comprehend.
He didn't understand why things had turned out this way, but he couldn't afford to be left behind by the two women. He caught up to them and followed as they continued forward, gazing at their backs.
All he could do for now was follow in silence. At the moment, they didn't appear to be enemies, but he couldn't call them allies either.
Moore had the wolves gather at his feet and continued to walk through the pathless snowy wilderness while watching their backs. The blonde-haired Nikke, who seemed to sense his thoughts, let out a deep sigh.
"Servant, you must have many questions."
She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him as if suggesting a short break.
"All right. I'll explain. We are the 'Unlimited.' We're on a journey to defeat the evil Heart Queen."
"Heart Queen?"
The name of the person that the Nikke mentioned sounded familiar. As Moore searched his memories, he realized it might be a character from a classic children's literature of a bygone era.
As he was recalling his memories, the pink-haired Nikke with silver undertones continued her supplementary explanation with somewhat exaggerated body language.
"This place used to be a lush world, but the Heart Queen caused a blizzard... and now it's become a sad, sad world. That's why we're gathering allies! To defeat the Heart Queen and create a happier world!"
"Hmm... hah?"
---Could such an ability even exist?
Moore couldn't help but tilt his head, doubting whether the character from that children's literature he remembered could wield such power. In that story, the character often had fits of rage, demanding "Off with their heads!" but Moore doubted that he could sever the thick neck with a mere blade.
Moore had question marks floating over his head, but the Nikke who provided the supplementary explanation tilted her head further and turned her gaze to Moore.
"By the way... who are you, and why did servant come all the way here? Why were you in such a place?"
Moore instinctively checked the time on his wristwatch, which was wrapped around his left wrist as if the dial were coming into view. His gesture caught the attention of the Nikke with a strong impression, and she widened her eyes.
"I was on a mission to rese----..."
Originally, he should have already arrived at the research base by this time, but unforeseen events had been happening one after another. Exceeding the schedule was unavoidable, but as Moore attempted to explain the mission briefly, the blonde Nikke gave him a piercing look.
---Don't say any more.
Though it was a silent command, her eyes effectively silenced him.
"I... came to defeat the Heart Queen."
He was aware that he wasn't the kind of person who would talk like this, but for now, he decided to go along with their story. It might fall apart later, but he went along with it. As soon as he uttered those words, the blonde-haired Nikke, with a well-shaped mouth, smiled.
"Your Majesty! A comrade has arrived!"
"Don't make a fuss, Alice. Actually, I'm the one who called the servant here."
"Your Majesty did!? Wow!"
"Yes. The time has come for us to reclaim our home stolen by the Heart Queen."
As Moore responded and Her Majesty the Queen spoke, the young girl expressed joy and anticipation in her facial expression. Meanwhile, Moore was sinking into extreme bewilderment.
The blizzard was beginning to calm down. In an attempt to regain his composure, Moore took out his cigarettes from his pouch, lit one with an oil lighter, and took a puff. While it might not be a substitute for a tranquillizer, he petted the heads of the wolves gathered at his feet one by one. Moore found it somewhat soothing to see them stick their tongues out while being petted.
"But, Servant, why did you come alone?"
If Her Majesty the Queen asked, the lowly servant had no choice but to answer honestly, all while maintaining the setup. There was also the effort of converting his words into appropriate ones. Moore was slowly but surely becoming a, "Whatever happen, just go with it" type.
"I answered Her Majesty's summons and came here with my comrades, but... we were suddenly attacked by enemies, then caught in an avalanche and separated."
"Hmm..."
He seemed have good humor. With that impression, the blonde-haired Nikke created another smile on her face.
"Are there more comrades?"
"Of course. I wouldn't call just one person."
"As expected, Your Majesty!"
"Hehe... Anyway, avalanches are such a hassle. Are the servant's companions of the same 'species'?"
At the blonde Nikke's question, Moore, who felt uncomfortable, let go of the wolves that were looking up at him, sticking out their tongues with teary eyes expressing "pet me more".
As he removed his hands from them, purple smoke from his cigarette dissipated into the air. Moore shook his head from side to side.
"They look somewhat similar to me, but a little different. However, they are much stronger than me."
His intention seemed to get across, and the blonde queen nodded in response.
"Oh, then they will still be alive as well. Alice, we're going to look for the servant's comrades now. Since the blizzard has stopped, the search shouldn't be too difficult..."
"Your Majesty, it seems things won't be that simple."
Suddenly, Moore grasped his assault rifle and disengaged the safety with his fingertip. The blonde Nikke, looking puzzled, followed the gaze of the wolves gathered around his feet, sending their gaze in the same direction and wrinkling their noses.
"It seems the Heart Queen has sent her minions. Servant, you should step back."
"I can't do that. It would be disgraceful for a servant like me to hide behind Queen Her Majesty."
"...Even if you get injured, I won't take responsibility. Alice!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Encounter."
Moore muttered as he held the cigarette with purple smoke. Normally, this was Rapi's role, but now he was alone. Lately, he couldn't get into combat without saying this.
The enemies were three quadrupedal ground-type Raptures. They all seemed to move slower compared to other areas, perhaps hindered by the snow.
Alice, the girl who had been called, placed the backpack she was carrying on the ground and used it as a support while aiming her sniper rifle. Next to her, Moore also placed his backpack on the snow and took a prone position, resting his assault rifle as he assumed a braced shooting posture. He stuck the end of the cigarette he had been holding in his mouth into the snow on his left side.
The distance was about 200 meters. Unfortunately, the Raptures had noticed them and were approaching in a straight line.
Looking through the ACOG with his right eye, Moore adjusted the zeroing for 300 meters and aimed at the approaching enemies through the crosshair's reticle.
"...Sss...Fuuhh--..."
As he repeated his breathing, he exhaled all the remaining air in his lungs as a white breath come out. When the hand tremors subsided, he applied a slight pressure to the trigger he had placed his finger on, and the trigger was pulled smoothly. The hammer fell, followed by the firing pin striking the primer with a snap.
The explosive within the cartridge ignited, and the expelled bullet followed the grooves in the rifling of the barrel, spinning as it was released from the muzzle into the outside world.
The first shot—slightly deviated to the left, only managed to shatter one of the Raptures' left legs.
"...Must have been carried by the wind."
Despite being quite close, it seemed to be affected by the wind current. As Moore adjusted his aim to account for the expected point of impact, the sound of gunfire from the girl beside him echoed.
"I did it!"
A hit with the first shot, and a kill—it was truly commendable. Moore also squeezed the trigger.
As the recoil absorbed into the buttstock bit into his shoulder, Moore looked through the ACOG scope and saw the Rapture that had been hit collapsing in the snow, pierced through.
Just one more to go.
Almost simultaneously, the girl and Moore aimed their barrels at the last Rapture, and the sound of two gunshots overlapped.
"You did well, Servant."
"I'm honored to receive your praise."
The cigarette had become a bit damp, but it was still smokable. Moore picked it up with his fingertips, placing it back in his mouth, and let the remaining nicotine and tar fill his senses as the purple smoke wafted around.
Seeing the two bullets hit the Rapture and the creature billow black smoke as it fell into silence, the Queen, who had realized that Moore's intervention wasn't a waste, praised his marksmanship, with her blonde hair fluttering.
"That was amazing! You took down the minions in no time!... By the way, your leg looks different. It's unusual."
"It's a exoskeleton---... Ah no, It was given to me when I fought an unknown creature that could talk. This is... well, it's what you might call a legendary armor."
"Legendary... armor?! So, does that mean you have legendary weapons too?!"
He had brought it up himself, but he couldn't help but regret for using that kind of expression. Moore, still a bit unsure of the current situation, petted the wolves that had gathered around him as a source of comfort.
"Legendary weapons... Well, this may qualify as one. It's an old gun, but its performance is top-notch."
Standing up and slinging the backpack he had used as a firing platform over his shoulder, Moore drew a .45-caliber automatic pistol from the leg holster strapped to his right leg to show it.
"Even against a Tyrant-class, one well-placed shot can take it down."
"One shot?! We might be able to beat the Heart Queen with legendary armor and weapons like this, Servant!"
"Of course. I wouldn't call for ordinary servants, would I?"
The line between ordinary and the opposite seemed to be somewhat blurred in this situation.
After holstering the legendary pistol—correction, the automatic pistol—into his leg holster, Moore briefly pondered the question that had passed through his mind without a definite answer. Then, he flicked the cigarette he had finished smoking into a portable ashtray.
It had been quite some time since he had separated from the other three. There was no way they would have died already, but he couldn't help but worry. Moore checked the time on his wristwatch again, and as he did so, the girl, who had recognized his action, stared at him intently. After that, she turned to the blonde-haired Nikke and asked,
"Queen, could it be that the Servant is... Mr. Rabbit?"
.
.
.
"...Huh?"
Certainly, the 'rabbit' mentioned didn't seem to belong to the family Leporidae, at least as far as he knew. Given the context of the conversation, Moore assumed it must be the white rabbit from the children's literature.
"Where did that come from?"
It was only natural that a straightforward question mark would appear first.
"Why do you think that?"
"Just a hunch. I mean, it's not like you'd coincidentally meet someone with legendary armor and legendary weapons! And you've been checking your watch multiple times!"
"...Ah, that's---... right."
Indeed, he had been checking the time quite frequently. However, he hadn't exclaimed, "Oh no, I'm running late!" or anything of the sort, and he certainly wasn't dressed formally.
Moreover, the soldier doesn't believe that he possesses the "maturity," "timidity," "frailty," and "nervous indecisiveness" described by the heroine of the fairy tale . Lastly, he is not THAT old.
"Hehe... why not ask the Servant himself?"
"Y-yes! Mr. Servant! Could it be that you're... Mr. Rabbit? The rabbit who will defeat the Heart Queen, and take me to a happy world?"
The girl's innocent and expectant gaze pierced through him, and Moore couldn't help but shoot a blaming look at Nikke.
"What have you done...?"
His accusatory glance contained a fair amount of complaints, but all the Nikke did was shrug her shoulders lightly.
Maybe he should just respond with "I'm the Caterpillar," or something along those lines. Over there, it's a hookah, but here, he's a smoker, so the difference isn't that significant.
But... betraying the girl's expectations, which were so full of hope right now, would weigh heavily on his conscience.
Giving up seemed to be the only option at this point.
After letting out a sigh, Moore turned to face the girl, Nikke in her form, and gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.
In response, the girl, still sparkling with anticipation, approached him. She grabbed Moore's hand with both of hers and, rather than just holding it, began shaking it vigorously up and down.
"At last... we've met! I've been waiting for this moment! Let's go together! To a happy world!!"
What defines a happy world, he wonders? Moore couldn't provide an answer to this newly arisen question and simply continued to be shaken up and down by the girl, with her hand tightly gripping his.
----
Author Notes: "...Could it be that the memory erasure didn't work on Rapi because it wasn't about the past but that specific moment? No, that can't be... But if that's the case..." and so, Moore's thoughts were consumed by speculation.
