Chapter 201

“Probably, my thoughts reached everyone. I was always thinking about all of you.”

That night, as I fell asleep, I pictured this place—the “Round Table”—and arrived in the mental world.

My characters were already seated there, and among them was a new face this time: Selene.

“Everyone, thanks for gathering. And Selene… this should be our first time meeting… right?”

“Yes, Shizuma-sama. This is the first time we’ve met like this, so yes—this would be our first meeting.”

S-Sama!?

Hmm… their personalities likely follow the in-game scenario settings, but the protagonist never has that many fixed lines. Probably to help players project themselves into the character.

So the characters’ personalities are shaped by their circumstances, story treatment, and environment… maybe all of that was partially preset by the game devs.

“Shizuma-sama, you handled my body better than I ever did. Honestly—I’m impressed.”

“Mhm, indeed! It pleases me that my teachings and knowledge were of good use to ye!”

Hearing Selene and Rue compliment me made me feel a bit embarrassed.
But I only dared to fight like that because I trusted in Seline’s strength.

After all, I had taken the time to properly level up the Spear Fighter sub-job.

“Let’s get back to the main topic. Does anyone have any opinions on my plans moving forward?”

My question was met with silence. In other words—no objections.

“In that case, assuming that your wills can be reflected after summoning, and we can choose two people… I want to decide in advance who should be released first.”

This was the biggest topic for tonight.

Before hearing everyone’s thoughts, I needed to present my own.
Feeling the tension from the unusually serious faces around the table, I spoke.

“First, I want you all to hear my opinion. If we can only choose two people, the first should be Same. The one with the deepest connection to this country is ‘me’ in Same’s form. If I’m going to travel, then the one staying behind in Lindblum should be Same. It feels like I’m dumping all the responsibility on him, and I do feel bad about that…”

Yes—I wanted Same to stay in this country.

He had the most trust, the most relationships. Leaving all of that to him felt like handing over a massive set of duties—like an absurdly huge job handover.

Everyone at the table fell silent, including Saim himself, who closed his eyes in deep thought.

“…Actually, we’ve had similar discussions amongst ourselves before. And back then, the opinion was the same—that I should be prioritized. And personally, I agree.”

“Really!? So you’ll accept it, Same?”

Relief washed over me.
Everyone here should share these memories and relationships to some extent.

But dealing with people face-to-face and maintaining those relationships would be much harder.
Because I and they aren’t the same person. Our personalities differ.

Yes, I had been “acting” to match each character’s image, and I could sense fragments of their feelings—but we’re not identical.

Passing the relationships along intact would be difficult. Absolutely.

“Alright… then next. We can summon one more person. Let’s decide who that should be.”

“Hm… If I were being selfish, I would like to be chosen—but that won’t work. Same alone should suffice for protecting Lindblum and responding when needed. In that case—”

“Someone who can assist Shizuma in a different way than Same… or we could leave the second slot open. You could save it for when you’re in trouble during your journey and summon someone to give a role on the spot.”

Silent’s suggestion earned a nod from everyone.

But one person voiced disagreement—Still.

“If you’re going to leave the slot unused, why not assign me as a freely moving decoy who can act independently?”

“It’s frustrating to admit, but he’s got a point. Shizuma can become any of us and handle most problems alone. Forcing one of us specialists to go out isn’t necessary. Letting someone like Still act freely is a valid option.”

“Oh my, I didn’t expect you to agree, Seira.”

“Well, it’s the logical choice. But… personally, I have another idea.”

With that, Seira turned her gaze toward someone.

That person was—

“If Melt and Shizuma are traveling, it might be wise to send someone who can act as guardian and advisor. Someone who is:

• fundamentally different at their core,
• loaded with practical knowledge,
• genuinely intelligent and close to Melt as well.
  Such a person should accompany them. Don’t you think… Sheele?”

It was said toward Sheele.

Honestly, the suggestion felt cruel, considering Sheele likely wished to remain in the mental world.

As for the one addressed—

“…That may be true. The loneliness and sense of alienation I felt were rooted in ‘the feeling that I’m fundamentally different.’ If I could live outside as a single individual… and if Melt and Shizuma would be by my side… then I’d be happy to accompany them. However, if ordered to stay in Lindblum, I would absolutely refuse.”

Surprisingly, she seemed willing.

Thus, the choices so far were:
1. Let Still act freely.
2. Keep the second slot unused.
3. Take Sheele on the journey.

“Hm… in that case, I too would like to volunteer for the journey—but my desire to protect Lindblum, to protect the place Shizuma and the others will return to, is stronger. There will definitely be things Same alone cannot handle.”

“I vote for Sheele. Her differing perspective—because she originally wasn’t one of us—is necessary for the journey. And she has more knowledge than any of us. You’ve become quite the scholar, Sheele.”

“Oh my, it seems my suggestion is losing momentum. Though… perhaps this is fine. Now that Same is staying in Lindblum, there’s room to spare. And considering that my existence was likely confirmed by Hūs’s faction in Riseark, there’s no need for me to force any disruption.”

“I’m so jealous, Sheele. I want to be with Shizuma and Melt-chan too. But I know I’m still weak, so hmm…”

“Hehehe, everyone, may I present one more idea? Behold—the soothing power of music that colors the nights of a journey—”

“Hash, be quiet. I withdrew my proposal myself, and yet you still dare speak? How shameless.”

“Guh…!”

Hash is way too unshakable…!

But honestly, it is convenient to keep Hash in a form where he can transform at any time.
Just like last time, when dealing with high nobles—sneaking in or gaining favor—Hash’s skills as a musician are extremely useful.

I explained that to Hush.

“Ooh! As expected of you, Shizuma—you understand me well! Very well then, I shall continue to grace this round table with my music for a while longer!”

…Thinking “wow, he’s easy” is my little secret.

But yeah… keeping characters inside me means I’m basically keeping my cards in hand, huh…
I should sort the characters I still haven’t used yet sometime.

And so the meeting ended, our plans were mostly settled, and I let consciousness fade.

The next morning, while I was making breakfast in the living room, I heard Melt’s door open—and immediately after, another door closing deeper inside. She must have moved straight to the workshop.

Makes sense: even during the short wait for breakfast, she wants to get as much done as possible.

For this morning’s menu, I thinly sliced the leftover squid, stir-fried it with garlic and other vegetables, then mixed that into pasta flavored with garlic, chili, and oil—a sort of improvised seafood aglio e olio.

It feels a bit heavy for a morning meal, though, so I also prepared some herbal tea to help with breath and digestion.

Once breakfast was ready, I called out upstairs loud enough for Melt to hear—

“Comiiing! I’m on my way!”

She came out right away. Thank goodness she’s not like the kids of the world who won’t come no matter how many times you call.

…Which, actually, was exactly me back at home.

“I can’t stop my MMO right now!”—that kind of vibe.

“Good morning, Melt. How’s the work coming along?”

“Morning, Shizuma. Hmm… right now I’m trying to separate all the components of that alcohol, but… it takes sooo much time. It’s precision work, so once I start the separation process, I can’t move, and then I can’t work on anything else either.”

“I see… after we eat, maybe I’ll experiment a bit. Melt, would you like an assistant?”

“Assistant? You mean you will help?”

“No, I’ll summon someone—like usual. I’ll call a specialist in potion mixing to help with your work. They should be able to move exactly as instructed.”

“Oooh, who will it be? I’m excited.”

So after we finished our pasta, I decided to summon Selene—the form that has helped me a lot lately—while I took care of the dishes.

“Oh! A girl I’ve never seen! What’s her name?”

Seline and Melt were roughly the same build, though Selene was a bit taller. Because of her facial features, they looked about the same age.

Sheele was about the same height too, but her face made her seem older.

“Her name is Selene. Selene, from now on, I’d like you to follow Melt’s instructions and help with mixing. Can you do that?”

I selected the command [Mixing] for her and gave the order.

She nodded firmly, then turned toward Melt as if waiting for instructions.

“O-oh wow… I’m suddenly feeling nervous. Okay… let’s go to my room and I’ll teach you how it works.”

“…(nod)”

Without a word, Seline dipped her head and followed Melt to the workshop.

Well then… I don’t really have anything to do now, so once I finish the housework… I should head to the castle.

I did end up using the dungeon core for this country, so I need to report that.

After telling Melt, I finished the housework, brushed my teeth carefully, and set off for the castle.

…Facing Her Majesty the Queen with garlic breath would be way too disrespectful!