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

Touko and I often stayed at each other’s houses when we were kids. Usually, we would part ways when the sunset, but on nights we stayed over, we would hold hands on the way home, continue playing in the room, and eventually fall asleep together in the same futon.
When I first met Touko, I thought she was a doll-like girl.
She was cute, quiet like a doll, always clutching a stuffed animal. I figured she must be lonely.
After we got close, we started spending more time together, and gradually, the stuffed animal was replaced by my presence.
But Touko’s behavior became increasingly strange. Sometimes, when we shared the futon, she would breathe heavily or, unlike before, hold my hand tightly and fidget. She was uncomfortably close, making it hard to sleep.
Still, I pretended to be asleep. For some reason, I was scared of her then. Something bad might happen if I told her I was awake and asked her to stop.
Morning came. I had fallen into a deep sleep, truly exhausted from the long journey. The morning sun stung my eyes. I turned over… and felt something soft and warm. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I opened them to find Touko there.
“Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
I yelled, quickly moving away from her and checking my lower half. My pants were on. Touko was in her underwear. This was a tricky situation.
Woken by my scream, Touko yawned and said, “Good morning~.”
“No, not good morning! Why are you here? This is my room!”
Right, my room. I had locked it. I looked at the door; it was broken. I was speechless.
“Ah… this inn is terrible. The doorknob was broken. I tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. I couldn’t believe Yuusha would lock me out… I knocked and knocked, but I was still waiting for your response… Maybe you were ignoring me and a bit angry… I accidentally broke the door. But then I realized how stupid I was. You were sleeping so deeply you didn’t even wake up from the noise. I felt sorry then, thinking I had jumped to conclusions. I didn’t want to wake you, so I quietly prepared for bed and lay down. Hehe, but I’m glad you were asleep. I said some harsh things in the heat of the moment. It’s a misunderstanding, I’m sorry.”
“I don’t get it, but what about the room Mei booked…?”
“Uh, isn’t it a storeroom? It’s weird if we’re not in the same room.”
I resolved to clarify to Touko that she needs her room next time. If she still intrudes, I’ll have to think of something.
“Ah, Yuusha-san, good morning~. Touko-san was angry last night. What happened? What did you do?”
Rubure emerged, sleepy. Like in the Great Forest, the former NEET elf had a good routine. But I wondered if she had heard about Touko’s rampage…
“It was a misunderstanding; she’s in a good mood now. How was she angry? I was asleep…”
“Well, she came to my room, asking if I had taken you… then she banged on the door, muttering something… At first, she kept apologizing to you, but then she mixed in grudges and got violent with the door. It was scary…”
I was glad I slept through it all.
“I’ve thought about it overnight, and I think the best way to find Rubure’s father is to place a request with the guild.”
I remembered seeing many people-search requests at the guild yesterday, some even for bodies, reflecting the harshness of this world.
“But Mei, wouldn’t that reveal we’re looking for him?”
“Yes, we’ll draft a request that wouldn’t raise suspicion. A daughter looking for her father… that shouldn’t cause alarm.”
Making Rubure the requester would seem natural. A classic tale of a daughter leaving the countryside to find her father. The only issue…
“So we’re entrusting her with the money to make the request…?”
I glanced at Rubure, hesitating to entrust her with a large sum of money, remembering her extravagant spending at the gaming arena yesterday. She stared blankly but sharpened her gaze as she noticed my skeptical look.
“Don’t worry! I can handle the request on my own! Despite appearances, I was relied upon by everyone in the forest!”
Rubure puffed out her chest, showing a face full of confidence. But we knew she had been a NEET, so it wasn’t very reassuring. However, it was only the day after the incident. It was unlikely she would misuse the money again so soon… With that thought, Mei handed a small bag to Rubure. It contained the fees and reward money for the guild request.
“Let’s meet at the nearby café after you finish the request. It’s urgent, so I’ve added a bit extra to the usual rate for finding people. Explain that to the guide at the guild. Too high a price can raise suspicions… You got that, Rubure!?”
Rubure’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the money inside the bag, losing herself for a moment before Mei’s loud voice brought her back to reality. She flinched and replied weakly, “Y-yes!”
“Is she going to be okay…?”
As Rubure left, her back seemed unreliable. I hoped nothing strange would happen.
“I’ll go to the guild later and check if the request has been properly placed. Master, you should discipline her using the contract crest.”
Mei’s directive, rather than a suggestion, conveyed her anger or perhaps her anxiety.
In a cave along the coast, away from the port town, lay a mysterious structure at its depths – a recently discovered ruin, a dungeon. Adventurers rushed in search of treasure, only to quickly give up. The reason was simple: not monsters, but a sophisticated defense system that was still operational. Its level was exceedingly high, killing many adventurers who tried their luck. The dungeon was narrow and dark, with many areas still untouched due to these defenses. It was, in a word, a high-difficulty dungeon.
“Hey! That was close… Is everyone alright?”
One party was challenging this dungeon today. The defense system consisted of small and medium-sized autonomous AI robots with bodies made of an unknown metal, impervious to ordinary blades. They were skilled in using stun guns attached to their manipulator arms or simple physical attacks.
The main problem was their number. Deep within the ruins was an automatic production facility, constantly producing more robots.
Many adventurers lost their lives to this overwhelming force. Survivors described the dungeon as a nest of highly intelligent, darkness-adapted, and strong goblins. Goblins might be numerous but weak and low in intelligence. However, this defense system was like an organized army, with each unit possessing high combat abilities.
The party clearing countless defense systems comprised famous S-class mercenaries led by their wealthy employer, who spared no expense for this expedition.
These mercenaries usually didn’t frequent such port towns. They operated near the Demon Lord’s completely dominated continent across the sea, where the risk was high, but so were the rewards. The difficulty of this dungeon was evident from the need to gather such formidable mercenaries.
The expedition progressed smoothly, reaching an expansive, unexplored area. The walls glowed green with mysterious patterns, and a production factory was visible. Even the seasoned mercenaries were impressed by such a well-preserved ancient ruin. Although the treasure they would find was for their employer, its allure was tempting enough to consider a personal expedition.
“Where are you going, boss? The deeper part is that way.”
The adventurers’ intuition told them the treasure lay ahead, but their employer headed in a different direction.
“Sorry, adventurers. What I seek isn’t the treasure you’re after.”
The glowing pattern intensified when the employer touched the wall, and the structure changed, revealing a hidden passage. The adventurers were excited – this must be the real deal. What treasures could lie ahead? They advanced into a small chamber.
“…Boss? This is a dead end.”
Touching part of the room, the employer caused it to glow, but that was all – no new paths appeared.
“Yes, my purpose here is fulfilled. The coordinates for the teleportation stone are set… Thank you for your efforts. This concludes my adventure. Could you open a warp portal back to town?”
Everyone was puzzled, but as long as they were paid, it didn’t matter. One adventurer began to cast a high-level spatial magic spell for instant travel. But nothing happened.
“Sorry… The dungeon’s magical field is too strong; the warp portal won’t stabilize.”
“What? You can’t control the field?!”
Opening a warp portal in a dungeon required high-level magical control. This mage, an S-class mercenary and sorcerer, had never failed to create an outlet in a dungeon. This was a first. Known for their rarity, S-class adventurers were familiar with each other’s capabilities. The fact that she couldn’t generate a portal here made them realize the extreme difficulty of this dungeon. They retraced their steps, heading back to the entrance.
Unnoticed by them, the dungeon had subtly changed since their arrival. It pulsed like a living being, quietly stirring. The elf employer smiled secretly to himself, satisfied that things were proceeding as planned.