71. Parallel World

71. Parallel World71. Parallel World

"As you know, Dragon King Ernia is not in her right mind right now. She's being manipulated by the Beginning."

"Has she been brainwashed...?"

"That's right."

She adds, just like her former self, and I wonder, could it be...

"Then Nia too...?"

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She explains why she took on the role of a judge.

She says it wasn't something she wanted to do, but that she was manipulated by the Beginning. If that's the case, it makes sense.

The Nia I know is someone who can't resist cute things, coupled with laziness and an extreme introvert who wants to live in her room...

"You're not thinking anything strange, are you?"

"O-of course not..."

She looks at me as if to say 'Is this the right time for that?', but it's true...

She continues to explain that the Beginning is using Dragon King Ernia as a pawn to destroy the two worlds.

In other words, it's not of her own will, but then isn't there a way to break the brainwashing?

Then a memory suddenly comes to mind.

Nia changed after I gave her a magic stone.

Then wouldn't it be possible if we feed a magic stone to Dragon King Ernia too?

"I've thought of a good idea."

When I explain the plan I just came up with, she says it sounds plausible.

"That's right. I came to my senses after receiving a magic stone from you. Until then, it felt like I was being controlled like a puppet on strings, not moving of my own will."

Hearing those words gives me hope.

We need to find the vanished Dragon King Ernia and feed her a magic stone.

But the problem is where to find her.

"Nia, do you know where the Beginning is?"

"I don't know. I only received orders."

Hearing those words, I feel dejected, but Nia offers words of comfort.

"The Night Clan will help too, so don't worry."

"Nia..."

I look at her with a moved expression, but she turns her head away, seeming embarrassed.

Sometimes that side of her is cute.

*

*

*

After returning to the hideout, I told Ara that Dragon King Ernia is alive.

"I-is that true? Our mom is alive...?"

"Yes. So don't worry."

Hearing my words, Ara thanks me with tears in her eyes.

After crying for a long time, she falls asleep exhausted. As I brush her hair aside to check her condition, I see that most of her wounds have healed, but judging by her anxious appearance even while sleeping, it seems the wounds in her heart still remain.

It seems the mental shock was quite big.

"What should we do from now on?"

We need to find the Beginning and also find Dragon King Ernia to bring her back to Ara's side, but I don't know where to start.

"I'm not good at using my head, this is a big problem."

"Kyuung."

"Yeah, using my head doesn't suit m... Wait, what did you say!?"

When I press Yong-yong's cheeks, he protests that it's true, but I think I need to show some dignity as his master.

"No snacks for a while."

"Kyuuung!?"

Yong-yong apologizes, but my heart doesn't soften.

Our Yong-yong uses all sorts of aegyo on me as I stay upset for a while.

Really. When you use aegyo, I have no choice but to forgive you, right?

"I'll forgive you just this once."

"Kyuung."

As I'm talking with Yong-yong, he suddenly turns his head to look outside.

"What's wrong?"

At that moment, the door bursts open and the Silver Fox Clan twins Rang and Ran enter.

"We have something urgent to tell you."

"It's a big problem!"

The twins urgently lead me somewhere.

I follow them in confusion, wondering what could have happened, and they point to the distant sky.

There, some enormous 'something' exists.

Something so large it can't be seen with the naked eye, something that I can see with my eyes but can't understand with my head.

"Kyuung."

As my mind is overloading, I come to my senses at Yong-yong's cry.

"Wh-what on earth is that..."

"We don't know either."

Then I hear a voice.

[Let's talk.]

With just one word, the space changes.

We were in the hideout just a moment ago, but suddenly only Yong-yong and I have been moved to a different space.

As I'm unable to process this situation, our Yong-yong helps me come to my senses.

In a rather violent way.

"Ouch!"

He hit my head with his tail, and thanks to that I was able to come to my senses, but now I have a lump on my head as a bonus.

"That's too much! My head is already bad enough, what if it gets worse!"

"Kyuung!"

As I turn my gaze to where Yong-yong is pointing, chairs and a table appear in the previously empty space, along with various snacks and tea.

A middle-aged woman is drinking tea with an elegant posture, as if she had been there from the beginning.

I rub my eyes thinking it might be a hallucination, but I'm startled by the voice I hear.

"Don't just stand there, come and sit down."

My mother's voice...

As I approach the table with trembling steps, a chair moves on its own to make it easier for me to sit.

As I sit down, the woman smiles at me.

No, the being that has taken on my mother's appearance.

"Are you the Beginning? Why have you taken on my mother's appearance..."

"Isn't it nice to see a familiar face? Or should I change to this appearance?"

With those words, she changes into my sister's appearance.

"Let's stop the jokes there."

"Shall we?"

She smiles and takes a sip of tea, then makes me a sweet offer.

"I'll send you back to your original world. To the world where your family is."

"......"

"I'll send the dragon beside you too. How about it? This is quite a generous offer, isn't it?"

"What's the condition...?"

As I speak, she smiles, and it sends chills down my spine.

To make such an expression with my sister's face.

"I'll give you time to think about it. Have a happy time and come back."

"What?"

With those words, I lost consciousness.

*

*

*

Am I dreaming?

It feels like I'm floating on water.

Just as a languid sensation takes over my whole body, I hear a voice and feel a stinging pain.

"Kyuuung!"

"Ouch!"

I feel a stinging pain on both cheeks and come to my senses. As I get up and look around, I'm in my room.

And Yong-yong is there beside me, looking at me, but how did this happen?

"Kyuuung."

"I-I don't know either."

When I check the full-length mirror right in front of the bed, I'm not sure whether to say it's fortunate or not, but my appearance is the same.

The appearance of a young girl with short blonde hair and blue eyes.

As I'm staring blankly at the mirror, the door bursts open and the person who comes in is my older sister!?

"My cute little sister! How long are you going to sleep!?"

Is it because I'm seeing in person the face I've only seen in photos?

My vision blurs and tears start to flow.

"Wh-what!? L-little sister!? What's wrong!? Did something happen!? Did you have a scary dream!?"

"B-big sis!!"

"Big sis!?"

After crying for a long time in my older sister's arms, I come to my senses and blush, but she comforts me with a warm touch.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? No, more importantly, why are you suddenly calling me 'big sis'!? Is it April Fool's Day!? Is that it!?"

"Umm? Th-that's not it, u-unni."

She said she'd send me back to my original world, but I was a woman in this world from the beginning.

All the photos hanging on one wall are only photos taken as a woman.

Isn't this a fraudulent contract?

As I'm pondering this, my older sister, no, my unni is playing with our Yong-yong.

Wait a minute. Why is this so natural?

"Did Yong-yong sleep well too? It must be hard taking care of our little sister, right? Thank you always."

"Kyuuung."

The two of them chatting naturally.

"W-wait, how do you know about our Yong-yong!?"

"What are you talking about? You brought him, didn't you?"

"Kyuung!"

As I stare blankly at this baffling situation, she tells me to come down for breakfast and leaves the room.

Come to think of it, if my older sister is here, then mom and dad...?

I hurriedly open the door and go down to the kitchen to find mom and dad sitting at the table talking.

"Our daughter is here? Hmm? What time do you think it is, and you're still in your pajamas?"

"Hahaha, it's okay since it's a holiday today. Did you sleep well, my daughter?"

"......"

As I stare blankly, they ask what's wrong and tell me to come sit beside them.

With trembling steps, I approach my parents and hug them, surprising them.

"Our daughter, did you have a bad dream?"

"......"

I stayed in my parents' embrace for a long time without saying anything.

"Oh my, why is our daughter like this today?"

"That's right. She's never been like this since puberty hit."

"......"