Reborn Into A Dark Social Game World With Completely Loyal Friends. - Chapter 9: Words can easily cause misunderstandings.

Words can easily cause misunderstandings.

The delicious cookies and tea eased Minato’s mind.

It hadn’t even been a week since he reincarnated here, and perhaps because he hadn’t had such sweets before, he couldn’t stop himself from eating. Thanatos, in his smaller form, was hugging a cookie with his whole body while eating it, which was quite endearing.

“Now, let’s have a serious talk, Minato-san,” 

“Okay.”

She continued to speak with a beautiful, unwavering smile but with a serious gaze.

“I agree with what you said the day before yesterday, Minato-san. I genuinely want to cooperate with you entirely… but my position makes it difficult. That’s why I want to help as much as I can within my limits… I can’t let Thanatos take all the credit.”

“I alone am sufficient,”

“Quiet, you.”

Whenever they tried to outdo each other, they quickly became quarrelsome. If Minato asked them not to fight, they would stop, but it was clear that without him, they would start a major argument.

“Anyway! This world is already challenging enough, and changing the original course could cause unforeseen problems… That’s why you want to make small positive changes in areas where your involvement is minimal, right, Minato-san?”

“Yes… I understand that it’s a naive way of thinking. I’m aware that I might be told it’s pointless since I can’t fight at all… but with Tana-chan and Mia here… having such dependable companions, I…”

At that moment, Minato noticed his hands were trembling. Despite expressing his desire to make a difference, the ordinary life he had lived made him scared. He knew it was naive, but still, he wanted to try. If it could reduce even a little bit of unhappiness, it would be worth it.

“I know it’s self-satisfaction, but I’d rather do good than not do anything. I want to try.”

“Got it. I’ll help as much as I can. After all, I was the closest to you, right, Minato-san?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. You were the first—”

“Not just the first, I was always the closest from beginning to end, right?”

“Oh, yes.”

Once it reached this point, even Minato couldn’t push back against Mia. Thanatos continued to munch on cookies, but Minato understood that his feelings were aligned with Mia’s.

“The path will be tough, but you don’t have to overthink the problems that will arise. Because I have memories, there is one thing I definitely want to change.”

“Is it… about the Pope?”

“Yes. The assassination of the Pope shook the country and caused many tears. I can’t let that future happen… so I intend to cheat a bit in that regard. You won’t stop me, will you?”

“Of course not. In fact, I thought Mia might do something like that.”

“Hehe.”

Upon further inquiry, it became clear that Mia had already devised various plans to protect the Pope.

At the very least, whatever happened at this stage, safety was assured, and despite the Pope himself feeling a sense of strangeness about Mia’s behavior, he trusted her to handle things precisely because she was Mia.

“So, Minato-san, where do you plan to go first?”

“………”

“Hey… your expression is really scary right now.”

“I have a vague idea, but I want to hear it from you.”

The reason for Minato’s stern expression was that there was a country he wanted to see first. This country was considered the harshest and was often described as a garbage country by many players in this world.

“The Empire.”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“I thought so.”

Mia instantly rejected the mention of the Empire. The Empire in this world was not only marked by extreme disparities between the rich and the poor, but human life there was also very cheap. Imperial officials would casually go to impoverished frontier villages to collect taxes, and if the villagers couldn’t pay, they would be killed. This instilled fear in the people as a daily occurrence, making it a truly wretched country.

“That country… well, not everyone there is bad. There were people who followed you, Minato-san, and even I fought alongside some people who helped me… but that country is really trash.”

“Heeehh, even Mia calls the Empire trash.”

Mia, who was usually merciless towards her enemies, showed an unmistakable look of disgust when talking about the Empire. It was indeed a nation notorious for its cruelty and fitting as an enemy. However, it didn’t play a major role in the overall story, and the horrific conditions were mostly heard about from imperial commanders who had become allies.

(… The stories alone are overwhelming…)

Even from the stories, it was clear how terrible the Empire was. There was a lingering suspicion that the Empire might have been involved in a plague that would spread later, even though the true culprit was never identified.

“In a way, it’s a morbid curiosity… but I want to do something. I might not be able to save everyone, or even a single person, but I think I need to find out—the reason I was reincarnated into this world.”

“Minato-san…”

“’Give it up, Mia. Once he’s like this, only force will stop him, and you won’t do that, will you?”

“Of course not… but Minato-san, do you understand? Even if you don’t interfere with the original flow, your actions will inevitably intersect with the path at some point. Even if you don’t take action together, people will eventually know of your presence, Minato-san.”

Yes, in the end, even if you say you won’t get involved in the story, you will inevitably intersect with it somewhere.

Even though Minato said he left the matters of this world to the commanders, any action he took would leave a mark on this world. Sometimes, it might even leave a significant impact.

“I don’t need any achievements or anything. I just want to turn even a little bit of the despair of the people living in this world into hope… but that’s naive, isn’t it?”

“It’s naive. Sweet like syrup.”

Mia said this clearly but continued.

“But no one else did it… because they decided it was impossible… I see. This is what happens if Minato-san gives up his role as a commander… Hmm, at this point, maybe I should confine you and make you look only at me.”

“Mia…?”

“Mia, don’t say such things lightly.”

“Just kidding♪ But… you’re right! Smiles are better than tears, happiness is better than misery, and hope is better than despair! Alright, I’ve decided. I’ll support you, Minato-san. Not because you’re a commander, but because you’re trying to work for the sake of others.”

Grasping Minato’s hand with both of hers, Mia said this firmly. Not only Mia, but Thanatos also made eye contact and wagged his tail as if to say, “Count me in too.”

“Of course, I haven’t forgotten about you, Tana-chan… It’s relying on others, but I don’t mind. I’ll need both of your help.”

“Yes!”

“Leave it to us.”

Thus, Minato’s initial plan was set. Many people would probably laugh at what Minato was trying to do, calling it a pipe dream. Minato knew it wouldn’t all go smoothly; he knew he would face hardships, sadness, and pain. But because he had some knowledge of this world and because he had comrades by his side, he had the courage to face the despair of this world.

“Minato-san, if it gets too tough, you can quit anytime, okay? Just remember that.”

“I understand.”

“You have a good face, Master. Also, I have a suggestion—”

Just as Thanatos was about to say something, there was a strong knock on the door from outside, and the door opened with a click.

“Mia! There are rumors that you’ve brought a man—”

“Oh, Makina-chan… and everyone else.”

About five women entered the room.

They were all wearing uniforms of the Disciplinary Corps, indicating they were Mia’s colleagues. Among them, Minato recognized a red-haired girl called Makina, a playable character in the game. However, unpleasant memories involving Makina resurfaced for Minato.

Minato knew Makina, but she didn’t know him, which is why she glared at him intensely.

“So, it’s true that you brought a man here… Mia, you know this tower is a prestigious place only accessible to the Disciplinary Corps, right? What were you thinking, bringing in some random guy? And someone like you, of all people, with someone like him?”

Apparently, Makina’s first impression of Minato was the worst possible. Mia seemed to anticipate some complaints, but the more Makina spoke, the more the atmosphere soured.

However, Mia noticed Minato looking uneasy.

“Minato-san? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, um… I just remembered something.”

“Remembered what?”

“Don’t ignore me!”

Despite Makina’s outburst, Minato couldn’t help but speak up. The unpleasant memory he recalled was—

“Well… back then, I had terrible luck. I had to spend a lot of money before Makina finally came to me.”

He was referring to a gacha pull in the game. But as he spoke, it sounded as if he was genuinely recalling how he had to spend a fortune to get Makina, not as if he was making it up.

“Spent money… what are you talking about—”

“Makina, did you take money from him?”

“…That’s terrible.”

“Is it true, Makina-san?”

“What are you all misunderstanding!?”

Of course, this led to some serious misunderstandings about Makina. Meanwhile, Mia, who understood the context, burst into laughter, and fortunately, the tense atmosphere from earlier dissipated.