CH 131

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“…Fuuh.” 

I was lying upside down on the room’s bed, and let out a deep sigh.

How am I going to explain to them tomorrow night?

Just how will my comrades react when I tell them? 

Whenever I try to think too deeply, my stomach squeezes in pain, so I forcefully push those thoughts to the side. 

What I was reminded about was the secret of Ina. 

When I told Ina that I knew about the Assassin Rage, she looked dejected, but Ringo and Mitsuki returned soon after, and the talk was interrupted there. 

We all ate dinner, and Mitsuki’s cat ears were twitching impatiently as if wanting to ask something which was the same for the others, but I said ‘I will talk about this in detail tomorrow’ and went back to my room pretty early. 

“That said, Assassin Rage, huh…” (Souma)

The Assassin Rage -or Saving Blade- is a skill that’s not utilized often despite being well-known. 

The name of this skill being famous is mostly because of the video that was uploaded, and the reality is that, not only users of it, there’s not that many people who have learned this skill. 

Assassin Rage is the 13th Skill of the Ninja Sword.

It is more difficult to learn than Soaring Blade. 

Even Soaring Blade is a skill that’s questionable whether you have finally learned it after clearing the game, so a player won’t be learning Assassin Rage in a normal playthrough unless they really grind it out a lot with the Ninja Sword as their main weapon.

Well, that skill that could even be called an ultimate heals the enemy instead, so there was talk because of that, but the ones who used the bug technique of the Assassin Rage were mostly people who cleared the game -players who raised their Ninja Sword proficiency with the Master Torch.

However, seasoned players like that would only find the bug technique of the Assassin Rage as useful enough to be a small trick. 

I can only think of 3 useful points about this healing method compared to others.

First: it doesn’t consume MP but Stamina, so you can heal at almost no cost when you are traveling. 

Second point: Its skill modifier is high, and because it relies on the physical attack, warrior job characters can expect decent healing from it. 

Third: as long as you have a Ninja Sword, you can instantly activate it without bringing out items or chanting a spell, so it is useful in emergencies. 

The most important one would be the first one. 

Stamina recovers fast, so you don’t need to worry about stuff like running out of MP, so you technically can recover your HP infinitely. 

Healers are in tears. 

The thing is that the further you go in midgame, the more prepared you are in healing items, and by the time you get the Master Torch, the benefit of healing while traveling isn’t as much.

Also, you can only heal your HP with this. 

Considering the countermeasures for status ailments, healing magic and healing items really are important. 

On the other hand, the downsides are that you must have a Ninja Sword equipped in one hand, can’t heal your comrades from long range, and can’t heal yourself. 

It obviously has no moments where it can be of use, and even if your companions learn it, they will use it as a normal attack skill. 

You could even say it is the number one skill you have to make your companions learn. 

Because of this, Assassin Rage was considered a ‘handy skill, but with not many chances to actually use it’ so it was treated as a half-joke skill by the Nekomimi Neko players. 

(But the story changes if you get the Master Torch in the early game.) (Souma)

If it is when you still don’t have healing magic and items round up, having even one Ninja Sword user with this skill that can heal you infinitely will proportionally increase your survival rate. 

I wouldn’t go as far as saying the world would change, but there’s the chance of changing the weapon configuration and party formation heavily because of it. 

As for what exactly would change, it really would be the healer being in tears. 

But what merits the most attention in this incident here would be that Ina managed to discover this on her own.

(Ina really impresses me every time.) (Souma)

Ina herself may have gotten dejected after her revolutionary secret ended up missing, but it really is a big deal. 

In the game, NPCs wouldn’t use bug techniques as bug techniques on their own accord.

The fact that she came to the capital with her own hard work and formed a party with Thiel, the actions of Ina are really different from that of when it was a game. 

That difference must have been created from her becoming a real person. 

What I will be saying here is just an assumption, but at the beginning of the game, in other words, when I came to this world, this world was in its closest form to the Nekomimi Neko game. 

Ina was solo, Mitsuki was going around the world helping people out, Ringo was still Princess Shermia, all the characters were in the places the game designated, and should have had stats exactly as the game had set. 

Due to many variables including the NPCs becoming real people, the situation has been changing little by little. 

And that trend will most likely be getting stronger and stronger as time goes on. 

Not only Assassin Rage, even simple bug exploits from defensive effects like Hide, or bugged weapons like Shiranui will be discovered more and more by the NPCs…no, by the people of this world. 

Of course, equipping an excessive amount of accessories and the cancel which are system level stuff might fall into that category. This talk isn’t limited to just bug techniques. 

In the game, NPCs fought aimlessly, but now that the world is real, they will be creating more efficient hunting methods, thinking up strategies of their own, and will be clearing this world just as if they were players…or at least there’s a chance it can happen.

If that does happen, it might be possible to make a world where humans are more predominant than in the game world. 

Also, I have already dealt with the Demon Lord and the Yellow Slimes which were the biggest threats to the fall of this world. 

In that case…

(There’s probably already no need for me to get all desperate and work hard.) (Souma)

I felt as if a burden had been lifted from my shoulders, but at the same time felt sad about it. That kind of strange mixed feeling was hitting me here. 

There are still a number of events that are dangerous if they were to happen, but it might be about time we thought about ourselves here. 

Tomorrow, I will tell everything to my comrades, and then I will try to think seriously about returning to our world one more time.

Just when I reached that decision…

*Knock Knock*

A reserved knock rang in the room.

“Come in.” (Souma)

The door opened up a little after I said this. 

What peeked in from there was a clear blue color.

“Ringo? Is something the matter?” (Souma)

Since the day Mitsuki began living in the mansion, Ringo and I have been sleeping in different rooms. 

Ringo has not come to my room at night until now. 

“…Souma.” (Ringo)

Ringo walked to my side and looked around the room.

“…Do you know…where Bear-san is?” (Ringo)

Looks like she is searching for the Bear. 

It is true that the Bear comes often to my room, so it did come here, but…

“Sorry, I haven’t seen the Bear.” (Souma)

The Bear moves as it pleases the most when it is inside the mansion. 

It seems like it knows all the gimmicks of this mansion. Moreover, all the weird guys in the mansion obey the Bear’s orders.

You could say finding the Bear in the mansion is almost impossible. 

“Do you have some business with it? If so, I can help out—” (Souma)

I was about to say that, but Ringo shook her head before I could finish. 

“…It is okay. I was just…curious.” (Ringo)

She probably wants to say it wasn’t anything big. 

But what situation requires her to suddenly need to find the Bear in the middle of the night? 

I stared at her intently, and she slightly averted her gaze.

“…I just…couldn’t sleep.” (Ringo)

It is true that Ringo seems to be lacking energy here.

“Could it be that you are not feeling well?” (Souma)

I got up and peeked at the face of Ringo, but she took a step back.

“…I-I’m okay.” (Ringo)

But contrary to her words, I could see she was flustered. 

She is basically confessing that it is a lie here. 

“I won’t get mad or anything, so please tell me honestly.” (Souma)

I look at Ringo in the eye and plead this. 

Ringo didn’t make eye-contact with me even until the end, but when I continued staring at her without giving up, she eventually gave up and spoke. 

“…It is a bit…” (Ringo)

“Yeah?” (Souma)

She confesses with a low voice. 

“…It is a bit…hard to breathe.” (Ringo)

“Breathe…?” (Souma)

I furrowed my brows and Ringo chose her words before answering.

“…It feels as if…my chest is blocked.” (Ringo)

Is it an issue with her pulmonary system? 

I have no medical knowledge, and I don’t even know if modern medical knowledge would work in this world. 

But I had a bad feeling that it was not a physical wound.

“Since when?” (Souma)

“Hmm…Today. Since returning to the city.” (Ringo)

Meaning after defeating the Demon Lord, huh.

It is not like we had an intense battle, so I can’t think of the reason. 

“Did you drink a healing potion?” (Souma)

Ringo shook her head to the sides at my question.

“…It is not…a big deal.” (Ringo)

It sounds like the excuse of a child that doesn’t want to go to the hospital.

Ringo says that, but this world has the mysterious system of being able to cure lack of sleep, muscle pains, and hangovers with healing potions. 

If you are not feeling well, drinking a potion is the best option. 

“W-Wait a moment.” (Souma)

I hurriedly had Ringo sit on the bed, bring out a potion from my pouch, and tried to give that to Ringo.

But Ringo shook her head to the sides again to refuse it. 

“…No. It would be a waste.” (Ringo)

“It wouldn’t be a waste!” (Souma)

This may sound cheesy, but Ringo’s body is far more important than potions. 

I grabbed the hand of Ringo in a slightly forceful fashion and had her hold the potion.

“It is okay. Just think it is for my sake and drink it.” (Souma)

When I asked her like this, Ringo reluctantly brought the potion to her mouth. 

She lifted the flask with both hands and drank it little by little. 

I observed how the inside of the flask slowly disappeared, and seeing that Ringo was stealing peeks at me, I felt like doing nothing would be weird.

“Here, I will rub your back.” (Souma)

After telling her this beforehand, I stretched my hand to the back of Ringo.

Ringo’s body quivered for a moment when my hand touched her, but she didn’t show discomfort when I rubbed her back. 

I rubbed her back as gently as possible while observing how her white and thin throat was going up and down faintly. 

“…How is it?” (Souma)

I asked this as I confirmed that the contents of the flask have been emptied.

If this had no effect, we will test out with items to heal status ailments, and if even that doesn’t work, we might have to check with a medic. 

No, just in case, we could go get the Nectar from the dungeon…

“…Better.” (Ringo)

But my worry was unnecessary. 

Ringo blinked a few times and rubbed her own chest in wonder. 

“I see. That’s a relief…” (Souma)

I rubbed my own chest in relief at those words.

Potion-san really is a wonder drug! 

“What do you want to do? Want to take a break here for a while?” (Souma)

When I asked her this, she shook her head to the sides and stood up.

“…Thanks, Souma.” (Ringo)

She just said this bluntly and was about to leave the room.

I hurriedly grabbed her arm. 

“…Souma?” (Ringo)

Ringo opened her eyes wide, but I have to say this. 

“Listen here, Ringo. If you feel anything off about your body in the future, tell me at once, okay?” (Souma)

“…Hn.” (Ringo)

Ringo nodded lightly in a way that I don’t know if she gets it or not.

I push it even further.

“You might think you don’t want to bring unnecessary worry to others, but being silent about something like that is far more worrying.” (Souma)

I said this with serious eyes, and Ringo lowered her head for a while. 

“…So…rry.” (Ringo)

“Ah, no, it is fine as long as you get it.” (Souma)

My momentum was completely killed by the unexpected apology, and I let go. 

Ringo immediately moved as if slipping away from my hand and went out to the corridor. 

“…Good night.” (Ringo)

“Yeah, good night.” (Souma)

We exchanged our good nights there, but Ringo didn’t move from there. 

She stood still in front of the door, and she seemed to be pondering something.

“Ringo?” (Souma)

When I called her, Ringo said this in a feeble voice.

“…S-See you tomorrow.” (Ringo)

She muttered this and waved her hand lightly. 

And then, she closed the door hurriedly before I could even react. 

I watched that door dumbfounded for a while. 

(Ringo really has changed a lot…) (Souma)

I eventually snapped back and thought this. 

The first time I met her, Ringo was the very personification of the nickname Doll Princess, but she has recently been showing emotions often, and it seems like she is more open in a good way. 

I am a little worried about her condition just now, but let’s just keep an eye on her state for a while without having her push herself too much. 

I think I can sleep well thanks to Ringo.

I was thinking about cleaning up the flask that Ringo left, and…

“Ah…” (Souma)

I noticed my misunderstanding.

“This is an MP potion…” (Souma)

I hurriedly took it out from the pouch, so I mistook it for an HP one. 

There shouldn’t be any effect on healing the constitution with MP potions…

“The placebo effect really is something.” (Souma)

I might even be imagining that it is a wonder drug. 

I fell asleep while in wonder of the mysteries of the body…

…Is how the day should have finished nicely. 

*Knock Knock*

Just when I covered myself with the blanket, knocking rang in my room again.

Could it be that Ringo came back?

“Come in.” (Souma)

I spoke, but the door was not showing any signs of opening. 

(Someone playing a prank?) (Souma)

There’s a lot of those people in this mansion.

No, can’t really call them people. 

“What a pain.” (Souma)

That leaked out of my mouth, but I can’t not go check.

I got up from the bed and opened the door violently. 

“Hyah!” 

I lowered my gaze at the scream and the one there was…

“…What are you doing?” (Souma)

Ina was holding a big cushion and looking up at me with eyes wide open.