Mental Rebirth: The World's Savior Was Not Me, but My Childhood Friend and Stalker

“What about this slave crest? Have I been mistaken for a slave elf ever since I arrived in the city?”
“Yes. You haven’t been approached by anyone, right? Normally, elves are rare and attract attention, but as a slave elf, people avoid contact, not knowing who might be behind you.”

“I hate that, being treated like a slave elf when I’m not! Can’t we move the contract crest to a less conspicuous place, like under my clothes where it can’t be seen?”
“We can, but… um, there?”

Rubure lifted her shirt, pointing to her stomach. Her slave crest was currently on her arm, which could be mistaken for a tattoo at a glance. The man from the gaming parlor must have misunderstood it too. Though hidden on the stomach, it seemed a bit…

“Are you sure about that…? That place is commonly used for slave crests.”
“What, real slaves hide it too, right? Go ahead and do it.”

Mei glanced at me as if asking for help. I understood what she meant.

“Rubure, that… that’s not a good spot. It’s bad feng shui. The current position is fine. Just now, no one realized it was a slave crest right away.”
“Why do you always have to be so mean? If I say it’s fine, it’s fine. You don’t understand the pain of being thought of as a slave elf unless you become one!”

Of course, I don’t understand, not being an elf… but…

“Master, there’s no helping it. Honestly, Rubure has a point. As someone from another world, you might not be aware, but the issue of slave elves is quite sensitive. Let’s respect her wishes.”

Mei seemed to imply something deeper. Clearly, I was unaware of the history of this world. And since the crest can be moved multiple times, if Rubure dislikes it, we can always change it again.

“Ehehe… Now I can meet my father with my head held high!”
“That’s good… wait, your father?”

According to Rubure, she had seen her father at the gaming parlor. She couldn’t speak to him in the excitement, and by the time she decided to, the earlier situation unfolded. She didn’t want to show herself, seemingly a slave elf, to her father who wasn’t supposed to think of her as one. Rubure’s father apparently chose to fight with the Demon Lord along with her mother, which meant he could be part of the Demon Lord’s army, potentially even a high-ranking member. His presence in this human city could lead to a dangerous development.

“What do you plan to do, Rubure? Meet your father and join the Demon Lord’s army?”

Mei was visibly anxious and tense, having a strong grudge against the Demon Lord.

“To be honest, I don’t know… My village dislikes both humans and the Demon Lord, preferring neutrality. But why did my parents decide to join the Demon Lord’s army… I want to know that before deciding.”

“Are we just going to overlook that?”

For Rubure, it was a simple desire to meet and understand her father. For Mei, however, it was as if Rubure was declaring she might join the hated Demon Lord’s army, something Mei could not tolerate.

“Hey, Mei, calm down. It’s a family reunion for Rubure. Let’s separate that from any Demon Lord involvement.”
“Master, what if Rubure decides to join her father in the Demon Lord’s army? Would you use the contract crest to force her to harm herself or kill her own father?”
“Um… that’s…”

A troubling thought. Mei’s point made sense: eliminate enemies swiftly. What Rubure might do equated to that.

“But Rubure just wants to see her father… I can’t stop that… if she chooses to oppose us… then…”

It was a crucial decision for Rubure – her parents or her current life. It seemed inevitable she’d choose her parents.

“I’ll relinquish the contract crest. I don’t want to force Rubure’s important decision. No one can make a sound decision under coercion.”
“And what will you do? Can you fight against Rubure if she becomes an enemy?”

“If she chooses the Demon Lord’s army, knowing their atrocities, then I’ll be prepared to fight. But I want her to decide, without the influence of the contract crest.”

I had no fighting power. Likely, Touko would be the one to take action, probably mercilessly. If I remained silent, knowing this, I’d be equally guilty. Mei was confirming my resolve to truly live for others.

I came to this port city to settle and live a slow life. But as a citizen, I might have to fight the Demon Lord’s army, regardless of being a savior or not. I was determined to fight, even if Rubure was there.

“Ah, respecting Rubure’s family ties and preparing for the human and Demon Lord conflict… Such a naive idea. But perhaps that’s why you were chosen as the savior. I guess it’s my duty to support such beliefs.”

Mei sounded exasperated but not dismissive. She smiled faintly, recommitting to protect me, thinking my naivety wasn’t all bad.

“So… can I go meet my father then?”
“Sure, but… why is a member of the Demon Lord’s army openly in the port city?”

That was the fundamental question: why was Rubure’s father, a member of the Demon Lord’s army, in the city?

“It could be a betrayal. Either by Rubure’s father or someone in this city.”
“So if my parents betrayed the Demon Lord’s army, it wouldn’t be a betrayal against Yuusha and the others…!?”
“Well, yes. In that case, they’d be a valuable source of information, and we’d protect them.”

We headed to the gaming parlor to find Rubure’s father. Despite our inquiries, we found no trace. Was Rubure mistaken? She adamantly denied it. As time passed and the day turned to night, the situation remained unresolved.

“If Rubure’s statement is true, it’s a grave situation with the Demon Lord’s army infiltrating this city. Master, enough tourism. If you reveal yourself as the savior, influential people in this city will help. Let’s share the information with the guard and look for any suspicious elves.”

It was a sound argument. But Mei knew I wasn’t the true savior. Rubure agreed with Mei’s suggestion.

“Wait, Mei. The Demon Lord’s army knows two of their leaders were quickly defeated by the savior. If they learn the savior is in the city they’ve infiltrated, what will they do?”
“They might decide the infiltration mission is too risky and withdraw… So we need to infiltrate the city and catch them.”

It was a made-up reason, but it sounded plausible. Mei and Rubure seemed convinced, and we decided to keep my identity hidden.

“Let’s return to the inn. We need to rethink our search strategy without a large-scale effort.”

After a long time in the wild, it was a relief to rest under a roof. A shower and a comfortable bed felt heavenly after days of walking and sleeping on hard ground. I surrendered to my desire for sleep and fell into a deep slumber.