Reborn Into A Dark Social Game World With Completely Loyal Friends. - Chapter 22: Sharing a bed...!?

Sharing a bed…!?

“I can hear~ your footsteps~ coming closerrr~.”

“…?”

Suddenly, a gentle singing voice vibrated through Minato’s eardrums.

When Minato opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the burning campfire… As he slowly moved his gaze, he realized that it was Mia who was singing.

“Mia?”

“Oh, you’re awake?”

Mia looked at Minato with a concerned expression, and he tilted his head in confusion.

The campfire was bright, but the sky had already darkened, indicating it was night.

A large shadow moved behind Mia… Thanatos also peered into Minato’s face.

“You’re awake, Master?”

“…Yeah.”

Minato remembered everything.

Meeting Fran, failing to help the demi-humans, losing consciousness and talking to Yuzuriha in his dream… He thanked Mia, who had apparently let him use her lap as a pillow, and sat up.

“Is this… Nevalis Castle?”

“Yes. Thanks to Thanatos’s magic, it’s not cold, right?”

“Yeah… it’s warm.”

“Master, are you feeling better than expected?”

Not only Mia but also Thanatos seemed to be worried about him.

Still feeling a bit groggy from just waking up, Minato listened as Thanatos briefly explained what happened afterward.

“I see… I collapsed before I could thank Fran. If I meet her again, I’ll have to thank her.”

“She said not to worry about it, though.”

“…Minato-san, I heard you were asked to get married?”

“What? Oh, yeah… but I turned her down.”

Mia pouted her cheeks cutely… but he put that thought aside.

“Fran didn’t seem to remember you, but the moment you met, she asked you to marry her. That guy is something else.”

“Mia…san?”

“But… but I should be glad she’s not an enemy, right? There might be many obstacles, but as long as, Minato-san, you are here, there won’t be any conflict… But keeping someone so unpredictable close by is… grrr!”

Apparently, Mia had mixed feelings about Fran’s proposal.

Minato reached out his hand towards Mia’s head, but midway, he realized what he was about to do and pulled his hand back.

“By the way, why are you here, Mia?”

“What? Because I was worried about you, of course.”

“As soon as we got back here, Mia contacted us. She had a bad feeling about something concerning you, Master, and told us to open a shadow immediately.”

“I see…”

Minato truly thought how Mia was always concerned for him.

But it wasn’t just Mia who worried about him; Thanatos did as well, and Yuzuriha also cared about Minato.

Since coming to this world, Minato had learned just how many people cared about and worried for him.

“For now… thank you, Mia.”

“No, it’s okay… but are you really alright?”

“I need to talk about that too… Thank you, Tana-chan.”

“It’s nothing… but are you really okay?”

Having seen such a shocking sight, Thanatos’s concern was natural, and Mia’s worry was evident from what Thanatos had told her.

“While I was sleeping… I talked to Yuzuriha.”

“With Yuzuriha?”

“Hmm… I didn’t expect her to enter your dreams.”

“Please don’t look at me like that. I understood Yuzuriha’s feelings, and more importantly, it was a good time to face myself.”

Minato began to talk—he recounted everything he had discussed with Yuzuriha and her reflections on the recent events.

“When the demi-humans died, I thought that if I hadn’t done anything unnecessary, they might have been saved. To be honest, I still think that way… maybe someone else could have saved them afterward.”

“………”

“When Yuzuriha told me that everything would be okay if I stayed by her side, I thought it would be easier to just nod and agree. But then I realized that doing so would be unfair to Mia and Tana-chan, who are always by my side… and I couldn’t bear the thought of abandoning the people I had already reached out to.”

Indulging in a sweet dream… living in a blissful reality might be wonderful.

Yuzuriha loves Minato to a pathological degree… Although she can’t move freely now, if Minato accepted her proposal, she would undoubtedly prioritize him.

Yuzuriha can create a space where time stands still, making it an eternal paradise where she would provide everything Minato desires.

(…But that wouldn’t be truly living.)

Despite having lived in a peaceful world until a few days ago, some might see Minato’s thoughts as naive or pretentious… but he couldn’t just abandon those he had already involved.

“What I’m trying to say is… yes, what I saw was something I never want to see again. My heart felt like it was going to break, and I couldn’t argue if the demi-humans blamed me… but that’s exactly why I believe we must not let such things happen again.”

It might be hypocritical and naive… but even so, Minato decided to move forward.

“Really, Minato-san, you’re so stubborn.”

“I agree… but that’s why we decided to follow you.”

“Thank you, both of you.”

After expressing his gratitude once more, Minato continued.

“You two generally support what I do, right? But if you really think something is impossible or reckless, I want you to tell me firmly.”

“Is that okay?”

“Hmm…”

“It’s important for me as an adult to make those judgments, but in this world, I’m still an amateur.”

This was crucial.

Of course, they weren’t just yes-men. When Minato said he wanted to go to the empire, Mia had firmly opposed it.

But because they were close, Minato wanted them to be strict with him if he suggested something reckless.

“Okay, I understand. But for now, there’s nothing particularly… concerning. When the time comes, I’ll make sure to prioritize your well-being and give you a warning.”

“Indeed… I’ll even forcibly confine you in the shadows if necessary.”

“Thank you, that’s exactly what I want,” Minato said with a smile.

Now, it seemed like all that was left was to sleep… but Minato hadn’t had dinner yet.

So, before he knew it, Minato found himself in Mia’s room.

“…Huh?”

“Look, Minato-san, the food is ready.”

“What? Oh, right.”

Minato wondered how it had come to this.

As soon as his stomach growled, Mia said something to Thanatos, and they ended up here.

Though Thanatos reluctantly nodded and left Minato’s side, the delicious meal in front of him made his stomach growl even more.

“Let’s eat, Minato-san.”

“…Yeah!”

After enjoying a meal that words couldn’t adequately describe as delicious, Minato was led to the bathroom in Mia’s room.

“I’ve left some clothes for you, so go ahead and take a shower.”

“What? Oh, okay.”

Something was odd… Minato had only been saying “okay” since earlier.

Following Mia’s instructions, he took a shower and cleaned himself up before returning to the room, only to see Mia heading to the bath.

With Mia gone, he spent some idle time… and when she returned, Minato’s heart skipped a beat.

“Hehe, are you excited?”

Fresh out of the bath, Mia looked adorable in her cute pink pajamas.

She looked so cute that, even in games, he had never seen such a sight, and though he knew it was rude, he couldn’t help but stare.

“I wanted you to relax wholeheartedly tonight, Minato-san. I’m sure staying by Thanatos’s side is safe too, but when I told her I wanted you to sleep in a warm bed tonight, she agreed.”

“I see… wait, does that mean—”

Minato reached a conclusion… Mia saw his reaction and giggled, putting her finger to her lips as she spoke cheerfully.

“You’re right. Tonight, you’ll be sleeping with me.”

“Wh-what?!”

It was a shock like being struck by lightning for Minato.