Reborn Into A Dark Social Game World With Completely Loyal Friends. - Chapter 8: However, there is a mountain of things to consider.

However, there is a mountain of things to consider.

“Oh, that’s right, Mia—I’m not the commander, so if you don’t mind, could you call me by my name?”

“Your name…? You mean Minato-san?”

“You can just call me Minato.”

“That’s not good!? You’re much older than me! They say you should still be polite even with close friends, right?”

After this conversation, Mia decided to go back for now.

Mia really wanted to stay by Minato’s side, but she had her own responsibilities, so she couldn’t stay away for too long.

“The day after tomorrow.”

“Huh?”

“I want you to come to Leirinia again the day after tomorrow… Minato-san.”

Minato’s eyes widened at her suggestion, but Mia continued speaking.

“I’ll give you all the useful things for this world. You need a Lyphon, right?”

“…Ah.”

A Lyphon is a communication device commonly used in this world, Artentis, similar to a smartphone in Minato’s world.

Although it is widely used, it is still quite expensive, so there are many people who don’t own one, especially those living in poor, remote villages.

“…I can’t use this here, anyway.”

Minato pulled out his smartphone, feeling quite relaxed.

The wallpaper displayed a smiling Mia, which Mia, standing next to him, saw clearly.

“Oh… Minato-san♪”

Instead of finding it creepy, Mia looked very happy.

Even so, Minato felt embarrassed and quickly put his phone away, coughing to cover his embarrassment.

Mia giggled at his reaction but then adopted a slightly serious expression and said,

“Thanatos, could you close your ears for a bit?”

“Mia?”

‘Understood.’

Thanatos seemed to use magic to create a barrier, blocking out sound, rather than just covering his ears.

Mia gently approached Minato, continuing to speak with a soft smile.

“Hey, Minato-san, the reason I’m smiling like this is because you’re here. It’s not the commander who kept me company, but you who made me happy.”

“Mia…”

“To you, it might just seem like you were choosing from prepared lines… but right now, I’m smiling at you, and I’m genuinely happy to have met you. It’s not the face or voice of the commander I always watched, but I’m glad to be here with you, Minato-san.”

“!? …”

Mia’s words felt like they were lifting a deep-seated anxiety from Minato’s heart.

He had always slightly worried that it wasn’t really him, Minato, who had built bonds with Mia and Thanatos.

It was the commander, a persona he had assumed, who had met and interacted with them, using pre-written lines to win their hearts.

“You were worried, weren’t you? That it should have been the commander of this world, not you, fulfilling that role.”

“Maybe a little. But I also forgot about it, because I was so happy to meet you and have Thanatos support me.”

“That makes me happy to hear! But please, don’t feel guilty, okay? Not just for me—don’t deny the feelings that I, Thanatos, and maybe even others have for you with such thoughts.”

“…Alright, I understand.”

With these words, Minato couldn’t help but nod.

Seeing this, Mia smiled brightly, leaned in closer, and gently kissed him on the cheek.

“Oo-ohh..?”

“Isn’t this good enough? Alright then, I have things to prepare, so I’ll be heading back now! See you the day after tomorrow for sure! I really don’t want to be apart even for a moment, but I’ll hold back and return… If you don’t come, I’ll detain you!”

With that, Mia returned to France with Thanatos’ shadow.

“H-Hold on… ‘detain’?”

“Seems like Mia’s love is as intense as ever… Oh, that’s right, Master.”

“Huh?”

“I too am happy to be by your side because you are here. So, please don’t doubt these feelings by thinking about trivial matters.”

“…Understood. Were you listening to all that!?”

“Well, who knows what you’re talking about.”

Minato glared at Thanatos, feeling thoroughly listened in on, but Thanatos remained nonchalant.

Minato sighed softly, a relieved expression crossing his face as the guilt in his chest dissipated. He then expressed his gratitude to Thanatos.

“Thank you, Thanatos.”

“No worries.”

***

Two days had passed, and the promised day had arrived.

Minato, accompanied once again by the diminutive Thanatos and using shadows to enter France, headed towards the tower where Mia would likely be.

“Come to think of it, did we mention what time we would go?”

“Now that you mention it… Well, it’s Mia we’re talking about. She’ll probably sense your arrival and come rushing out,” Thanatos replied.

“No way… Wait, huh?”

At that moment, a tingling sensation flickered in Minato’s mind—not literally, but the sudden noise around him drew his attention.

His gaze didn’t lead to the towering sky but to the road leading to the tower itself.

If Minato’s eyes weren’t deceiving him, something was rapidly approaching—a spectacle that left Thanatos more amused than alarmed, suggesting there was no danger.

“N-No way…”

Indeed, it was exactly as unexpected.

Running toward him with incredible speed was Mia—by the time Minato recognized her, she had already thrown herself into his arms.

“Welcome, Minato-san! Alright then, let’s go!”

Despite running at such speed, Mia wasn’t sweating at all.

Her hair and clothes were immaculate, without a single wrinkle or speck of dirt. Despite the shocked stares around them, Mia paid no mind.

However, being this close to her brought back memories of their recent kiss. Seeing Mia unperturbed, Minato tried his best to maintain his composure as they walked together.

“W-Who is…?”

“Who’s that man?”

“Our Mia-sama…”

In any case, Minato and Mia attracted abnormal amounts of attention as they made their way to the tower.

Only members of the Teaching Corps were permitted inside this tower, and even family members were strictly prohibited unless directly escorted by someone like Mia.

(Well, Mia being acquainted with me already makes me not quite a regular person…)

Minato halted his thoughts.

Entering the interior of the tower, they proceeded from a somewhat familiar corridor to Mia’s room.

Of course, they drew stares from the Teaching Corps members again, but Mia continued walking without a care in the world. 

“Minato-san, I’m sure you wouldn’t make a mistake! Here we are, my room!”

Finally, they arrived at Mia’s room. Upon entering, it was not only impeccably clean but also had a distinctly girly and cute feel to it.

Seeing the room, Minato couldn’t help but burst into tears.

“Minato-san!? Why are you crying!?”

“Mia, remember, the master has been living in the open all this time.”

“…Wait a moment. You didn’t ask around with Thanatos nearby, but you’ve been camping out all this time!?”

Minato’s tears were due to the overwhelming feeling of seeing a proper room. In his memory, he had only camped out for a few days, but the stark difference in environment made it feel much longer. Overwhelmed by the warmth and lived-in feeling of the room, Minato wiped his tears and composed himself.

“Sorry, I got emotional there.”

“Good grief, why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?”

While it was akin to camping out, thanks to Thanatos’ magic, the temperature remained stable even at night, and any dirt on his body was removed. Although Minato wanted a bath or a shower, his mind was occupied with other thoughts. Nevertheless, he laughed it off and quickly returned to the main topic.

“Well, let’s discuss those details properly… Anyway, here! This is Minato-san’s Lyphon!”

“Wow!”

Handed the Lyphon, Minato couldn’t contain his excitement. In a way, it was like getting a new smartphone. However, Minato looked to Mia, unsure if this was really okay.

“Thank you, Mia… But—”

“Don’t worry about it. You know, Minato-san, I make quite a bit of money? I don’t want you to think I’m being condescending, but preparing just one Lyphon is really no trouble.”

“Is that so… Alright, I understand. Thank you, Mia.”

“Yeah yeah, you’re welcome!”

Then let’s not dwell on it any further.

It seemed that only Mia’s contact information was stored in the Lyphon for now. From here on, depending on Minato’s choices, more contacts would likely be added—a prospect that added to the excitement.

“By the way, Thanatos looks really cute in this small form. In my memories, he was always in his larger form.”

“Well, at that time, I didn’t enter the city much.”

“That’s true, but… he’s kind of cute like a mascot.”

“Hey, don’t tickle me.”

After their banter, Mia clapped her hands.

Soon after, as if waiting all this time, a maid opened the door and entered with a mobile table, upon which tea and cookies were neatly arranged.

“They’re delicious! Let’s have a tea party and talk things over again.”

“…”

“You can have some too, Thanatos.”

“Really?!”

The maid, taken aback by this unusual combination, prioritized her duties and efficiently finished preparing before bowing and leaving the room.

Now, the discussion resumed in earnest.

Talks about the future, about important matters.