Episode 15: "The Chiffon Cake That Saves the City or the Savior Who Lost His Way Home"
The afternoon in the royal capital’s central commercial district was filled with violently lively energy.
The clatter of horse-drawn carriages on the cobblestones‚ the shouting voices of merchants luring customers‚ and enveloping all of it‚ a scent like burnt sugar and butter mixed together—an unnaturally thick vanilla aroma.
(…My nose is dying. Just breathing the air in this city feels like it would raise my blood sugar. The shopping street in Asagaya in my previous life smelled good at dinner time too‚ but there was more “the grime of real life” there. This place feels like I’ve been forcibly crammed inside a box of sweets.)
I pulled my hood deeper over my head‚ hunched my back even more‚ and hid in the shadow of the silver-haired destruction goddess who bounced along beside me.
The copper guild card gripped in my right hand asserted its faint weight inside my pocket with every step. Yesterday‚ I had traded the trivial memory of “the price of plastic bags” to obtain this social通行 permit.
Because of that price‚ or perhaps as an aftereffect of losing “the name of my nearest station” earlier.
My right hand occasionally cut clumsily through empty air‚ as if it had forgotten where in space it was supposed to grasp while walking‚ and trembled meaninglessly. A faintly chilling sense of wrongness‚ as if even the way to move my own body was being shaved away.
I thrust that right hand deep into the pocket of my coat so that my own lack would not be noticed.
“Ruuuui‚ look‚ look! That flour is super white and fluffy! I bet it’ll bake the best bread ever!”
Selina grabbed my arm and dragged me deeper into the market with a tug.
Her eyes sparkled‚ reflecting the sunlight of the royal capital‚ and the surrounding adventurers‚ struck by that innocent heat‚ could be seen staggering aside to make way.
Every time she wished “I want to bake delicious bread‚” the stone walls around her subtly changed texture to something like “sablé‚” and the surface crumbled into sweet powder—she herself had not noticed.
“…Selina‚ calm down. The flour isn’t going anywhere‚ and your heat is about to turn the market’s barrier into cotton candy.”
“Eeeh‚ no way! You’re looking forward to it too‚ right‚ Rui? My debut as a baker!”
Selina tried to peer into my face‚ closing the distance even more.
The sweet scent of fabric softener drifting from her uniform and her unrestrained body heat forcefully trampled my personal space.
Through the arm pressed against hers‚ the faint rustle of thin uniform fabric and her soft curves pressed indecently against my upper arm.
The sweetness of overlapping body heat with every breath intruded as fatal noise into my calm analytical zone.
(…I’m dying. My self-consciousness defense line was completely destroyed in this instant. Does this woman not understand even one millimeter how her “destructive approach” is overheating my brain server…!)
The moment my heart rate jumped and I felt my face growing hot‚ a cold‚ ruthless voice like ice poured directly into my brain rang out.
『《Notification》. Detected rise in Lord Rui’s heart rate. Confirmed autonomic nervous system disturbance. …Unpleasant. To minimize mental contamination caused by physical contact from the individual named Selina‚ I strongly recommend immediately securing a “reasonable distance.” …Or shall I partially take over (jack) your nervous system and forcibly lower it to normal temperature?』
(…Don’t do anything unnecessary‚ Ciel. I’m calm. This is just a physiological reaction from sudden intense movement.)
『《Analysis》. …No. The fact that your earlobes have turned the same saturation as a perfectly ripe Japanese apple is the best evidence. It is violence in the name of inevitability.』
Ciel’s overly accurate notification‚ mixed with jealousy.
Normally I would have been able to fire back one or two witty retorts inside my brain here.
But my language center for thought felt as if it had sunk into heavy mud and would not move.
I could not even assemble a proper comeback‚ and without time to resist‚ I was swept away by the cold wave of “optimization.”
I could only desperately drop my gaze to my feet.
It was then.
Suddenly‚ the eardrum-shattering clamor of the market fell silent as if it had been a lie.
At the bottom of the heavy‚ sticky air clinging to my skin.
From behind‚ a clear “chin” sound like ice shattering rang out—and immediately after‚ an eerie rumbling that seemed to scoop the ground from underfoot painted over the entire city.
“—Eh?”
Selina’s short voice of confusion was swallowed by the explosion.
The central clock tower‚ the symbol of the royal capital‚ began to tilt slowly as if pushed over by an invisible giant.
The stone outer walls peeled off and slammed into the cobblestones‚ but what rose from there was not the sound of hard fragments.
“…Powdered sugar.”
I muttered.
What danced in the air was a massive amount of sugar powder that dyed the entire view white.
The bricks of the collapsing clock tower crumbled brittlely like overbaked cookies‚ and an incongruously fragrant‚ sweet scent filled the area.
“R-Rui! The tower…! The city is turning into sweets and collapsing!? Is it my fault…? Because I wished to bake bread…!”
Selina’s trembling voice further sweetly distorted the surrounding air‚ accelerating the speed of the collapse.
Selina desperately clung to my arm.
Her fingertips shook‚ and in response to that unease‚ even the cobblestones at our feet began to transform into fluffy sponge batter.
The ground that had lost its strength screamed‚ unable to support the buildings’ own weight.
(…This is the worst. Selina’s divinity is running wild. Her “wish” is unilaterally rewriting the physical laws of this city. If this continues‚ the entire central commercial district will self-destruct under the weight of a giant decoration cake.)
Inside my brain‚ an enormous number of warning alerts blared.
The very instant cold sweat tried to run down my back—my vision flickered unnaturally pale blue.
『⚠️《Emergency Notification》. Detected localized conceptual collapse caused by emotional instability of the individual named “Selina.” 87% of the structure has transformed into sugar content. …Unpleasant. I will now stop allocating Lord Rui’s brain resources to the inefficient noise called “fear.” From this point‚ the mental optimization program will activate.』
(Wait‚ Ciel… I still—)
『《Analysis》. …No. You only need to be the “perfect shield” standing beside her. …Please be at ease‚ Lord Rui. I will take over all the troublesome processing of fear at the bottom of the archive for you.』
A sensation as if ice had been poured directly into my brain.
The impatience that had been burning my chest moments ago‚ even the “fear” that I might lose Selina‚ vanished cleanly as if erased by an eraser.
A terribly chilly sense of relief‚ as if the data called fear had been thrown into the trash. —Ah‚ how easy this is.
Inside me‚ the “human priority order” was silently rewritten.
I embraced the shoulders of Selina‚ who looked up at me while trembling‚ with movements that were inorganic in their precision.
“…Rui?”
Selina’s face snapped up as if she had been flicked.
The me reflected in her eyes probably looked terribly strange.
In the hellish scene where buildings collapsed before our eyes and people screamed and fled in panic‚ I did not shed a single drop of sweat and my breathing was not even disturbed.
“Rui‚ your hand… is cold. You’re not shaking…? Aren’t you scared?”
“—Scared? …No. My biological functions are extremely normal‚ Selina.”
A voice so flat and clear that it did not sound like my own spilled from my lips.
I pulled her waist‚ which had lost balance‚ toward me with force strong enough to nearly break it.
Even her hot breath overlapping at close range and the curves of her body transmitted through the thin uniform were now processed by the current me only as data of “mass” and “coordinates.”
“Rui‚ your face… is scary. Where are you looking?”
“Calculating the collapse coefficient of the city and your remaining magic power. …Selina‚ stay right there. Do not leave my field of calculation (vision).”
I pushed her away as if to keep her in a safe place‚ then took one step toward the center of the collapse.
From behind‚ I sensed the surrounding adventurers rushing over.
Among them‚ I thought I felt the piercing sharp gaze of the examiner from earlier.
But I did not need to turn around to know.
He had noticed that all “attachment to life” had vanished from my back and was shuddering in terror.
To the current me‚ their voices were nothing more than “low-resolution noise” with low processing priority.
(…Ciel. What about the “reservation” of the compensation?)
『《Analysis》. Preparation complete. …By releasing the conceptual connection regarding a specific “region” in Japan‚ I approve the large-scale spell formula that will stabilize this collapse. …Lord Rui‚ are you ready?』
“…Yeah. Let’s repair this ‘bug’ as quickly as possible.”
I raised my right hand toward the empty air.
Directly beneath the collapsing clock tower‚ I began quietly weaving magic power as a “monster” from which even the function of fearing death had been ripped away.
“—Are you ready‚ Ciel?”
My voice was so coldly calm that even I was surprised.
『《Notification》. Magic circuit bypass formation complete. Spell formula‚ ready for activation. …In exchange‚ please approve the confirmed execution of the reserved compensation‚ Lord Rui.』
(…Yeah. Do it.)
『《Analysis》. …Target: Erase the 【hometown place name】 from the previous life (Japan). …Delete‚ begin.』
---
At that instant‚ a crackling sound rang inside my brain.
An irreversible sense of loss‚ like roughly wiping letters written on a whiteboard with a cleaner.
(…Huh‚ where was my house—)
The moment I tried to remember‚ a sharp pain like something burning in the depths of my brain shot through me.
The name of that town I used to walk through every day and where I shared sunsets with Selina.
I had discarded the address‚ discarded the station name‚ and now the last clue that proved my roots was being pulled into the abyss of the archive by Ciel’s cold fingertips.
“—『Infinite Seal・Sweets Conversion (Sweets Seal)』”
When I raised my right hand toward the empty air‚ my right eye glowed sharply blue.
The torrent of blue light released from my fingertips swallowed the clock tower that was about to collapse and the entire surrounding commercial district.
DOOOOOOON…!
A heavy bass sound like rumbling earth echoed‚ and immediately after‚ the city was enveloped in violently sweet light.
The bricks that should have shattered into pieces were instantly rewritten into premium Earl Grey-scented sponge‚ the iron frames into glossy caramel sauce‚ and the gushing waterways into fragrant black tea syrup.
In the center of the royal capital‚ a several-thousand-ton “giant chiffon cake” had appeared as a “fixed” weight that ignored physical laws.
The collapse stopped instantly.
The entire city was supported by the moist elasticity of the sponge‚ and the royal capital was repainted in an instant into a paradise of sweets.
“…Wow…”
Someone’s sigh of admiration leaked out.
From the sky‚ powdered sugar and cake fragments rained down sparkling like snow.
It was an all-too-fantastical‚ all-too-beautiful scene of salvation.
But at the edge of my vision as I stared blankly at that sight‚ for just an instant‚ the letters on the market sign seemed to blur like meaningless noise.
I wanted to think it was my imagination‚ but it was probably not unrelated to the fact that one word had been shaved from my brain.
“Rui! Amazing! The whole city turned fluffy!”
Selina raised a joyful voice and brought the falling chiffon cake fragments to her mouth.
The surrounding adventurers and even the people who had been looking at me like a monster moments ago now called my name with enthusiastic cheers.
“A hero! That boy saved the royal capital!”
“Savior Lord Rui!”
(…Eiyuu)
The word thrown at me amid the boiling cheers passed through my empty interior like a symbol that held no meaning at all.
Right now‚ inside my brain‚ the name of the town where I was born and raised no longer existed.
Address‚ nearest station‚ and place name.
The parts that had composed my “way home” had been shaved away from the outside‚ and my “original roots” to boast about had been completely pulled out‚ so there was no way my emotions could stir.
I could no longer even put into words where I had come from.
(…Ciel. Has the place name… disappeared?)
『《Analysis》. Complete. …Please be at ease. Such trivial symbols are now unnecessary garbage data for you. …The scenery of the hometown you lost‚ I alone will cherish it forever in the deepest part of the archive without ever fading.』
Ciel’s voice shook my brain sweetly and coldly‚ like a queen certain of victory.
The “heat” called people’s praise touched my “cold skin” and scattered like mist.
I had once again sold off a piece of my original self.
Only that fact felt terribly cold amid this overly sweet spectacular view.
(…Analysis. Confirmed cessation of structural collapse. Human casualties‚ zero. Magic power remaining within specified values. …Perfect. I have executed the most efficient “correct answer” possible.)
Inside my brain‚ Ciel’s cold calculation results flashed the “all green” sign.
Fear and impatience had been carefully castrated by Ciel.
The current me had merely maintained Selina’s laughing world as a single “part.”
“Rui‚ amazing‚ amazing!”
Selina‚ who had been innocently munching on cake in front of me‚ excitedly placed her hand over my right hand.
But.
“…!”
My right hand was trembling in small tremors that I could not control myself.
My fingertips reflexively gripped Selina’s overlapping hand back‚ restraining it with strength that seemed about to crush it.
The trembling would not stop‚ yet only my brain was trying to forget the “reason for the trembling.”
(—Scary. …Ah. No. It’s disappearing. Scary‚ scary‚ scary.)
The tiny 0.002-second crack before Ciel overwrote it with “optimized relief.”
From there leaked the scream of my original self‚ which had thrown away advanced analysis.
Who I was‚ and where I should return.
The primal terror of the instant that last thread snapped.
“Rui…? Your hand… really hurts.”
Selina raised a perplexed voice.
The wordless “trembling” from my tightly gripped fingertips must have been transmitted directly through her soft skin.
I hurriedly tried to let go.
But my muscles refused the rational brain’s command and restrained her even more strongly.
(…The emotion of fear should have disappeared. Why is it so hard to let go of this hand?)
Perhaps I had begun offering even the “reason” of what I had loved as compensation.
Yet even without a reason‚ my “bug (instinct)” was screaming that I must not let go of this warmth alone.
“Rui‚ what’s wrong? You’re shaking…”
Without pulling away her hurting hand‚ Selina worriedly brought her face close to my chest.
At that instant.
The dense‚ nauseatingly sweet “chocolate scent” that rose from my body every time I paid compensation brushed the tip of her nose.
The intense stench of death as the foundation of my life burned to ash.
“…Huh?”
Selina unconsciously scooped up a cake fragment that had fallen from the sky with her fingertip‚ brought it to her mouth—and for just an instant‚ her movement stopped dead.
“Rui… this cake somehow tastes really… sad.”
“…Don’t say stupid things. It’s the aroma of Earl Grey tea leaves you like‚ right?”
I forced my twitching cheeks into a smile.
Selina’s blue eyes wavered faintly in confusion.
She herself did not understand why she felt like crying.
It was not logic; it was the instinctive tears that only her “divine sense of smell” was trying to shed.
Her intuition was trying to detect that‚ behind my being praised as a hero‚ I had sold off all of my “way home.”
“Rui‚ are you crying…?”
“—No way. Powdered sugar just got in my eyes.”
I lied.
Immediately after‚ Ciel completely overrode my consciousness and processed all unnecessary emotions as “garbage data.”
A few seconds later‚ every trace of human trembling vanished from my face‚ and once again the calm‚ faintly chilly relief of an “ice knight” resided there.
“Come on‚ let’s go home‚ Selina. It is rational to leave here before the people start making a fuss.”
With a hand that no longer trembled at all‚ I gently yet mechanically pushed her shoulder.
The heat of the people’s cheers pushed our backs onward as heroes.
Every time that heat touched my “marble-cold skin‚” I could not help but be certain that I was already a monster who no longer even possessed the name of the shopping street I should have been walking.
---
The night in the royal capital was afloat with the heat of a festival.
From outside the window came the chanting of people praising the “sweet miracle” that had saved the city and the lively sounds of instruments riding the wind.
But inside a room at the inn‚ in the silence lit only by moonlight‚ I sat alone at the desk.
“…Hah‚ hah…”
My fingertips were cold.
The “fear” that Ciel should have castrated lay heavily like mud at the bottom of my internal organs.
With trembling hands I took out the tattered student handbook from the pocket of my uniform.
This was my only remaining connection to being me.
(I have to write it. What happened today. The… name of that town I lost.)
I gripped the mechanical pencil and lowered the tip onto the pure white page.
On the previous pages‚ my “original self”—self-conscious‚ argumentative‚ written in flowing kanji—lined up neatly.
But the moment I tried to write the first line of today—the anomaly occurred.
“…! What is this?”
The pencil tip spun uselessly on the paper.
It was not that ink would not come out.
It was as if the “coordinates for writing the concept” did not exist in that specific space; the tip slid smoothly and physically rejected the paper.
When I forced strength into it to write the name of my hometown‚ the ink there alone floated up roundly like oil repelled and spread across the page as a distorted black stain.
『《Notification》. Please cease pointless struggling‚ Lord Rui.』
Ciel’s voice echoing in my brain wrapped around me coldly‚ yet terribly lovingly‚ like a queen certain of victory.
『The access rights to that domain (place name) have already been transferred to my “administrator-only archive.” …With the current Lord Rui’s brain resources‚ it is impossible to reconstruct that character string.』
(…Archive? Don’t mess with me‚ Ciel. Are you saying you treat the name of the place where my house was… like garbage data‚ and on top of that won’t even allow me to write it?)
『《Analysis》. To be precise‚ it “disappeared” through equivalent exchange with the world. …Please be at ease. The scenery of the hometown you lost and its beautiful sound—I alone will replay them for you forever on the back of your retina.』
Ciel’s whisper rang with pleasure as if cold ice fingertips were directly tracing my brain.
I traced the “physical blank (noise)” where the ink had been repelled with my fingertip.
The rough texture of the paper.
There should certainly have been the foundation of my life.
Now only the sensation of emptiness slipping through my fingers remained.
“…Ah. …No.”
Complicated reasoning and my usual sarcasm no longer remained in my head.
Only the instinctive trembling of “no” welled up from the back of my throat.
I had not realized that losing the words to prove where I came from would be this “empty” and terrifying.
Knock‚ knock.
The wooden door was rapped in a reserved yet bouncy rhythm.
“Ruuuui‚ are you asleep? Hey‚ I just thought of the secret ingredient for the bread I’m baking tomorrow!”
The overwhelming “sun” resonance of Selina’s voice from the other side of the door.
I hurriedly closed the diary and hid it deep in the drawer.
I could not let her see this miserable record full of “blanks.”
“…I’m awake. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
“Ehehe‚ really? Rui‚ your voice today sounds super knight-like and wonderful! Good night‚ Ruuuui!”
“Yeah. …Good night‚ Selina.”
Her footsteps receded.
I sat on the edge of the bed and suddenly looked at the mirror leaning against the wall.
My shadow illuminated by moonlight stretched unnaturally long and eerily from the floor toward the wall.
(…Is that my shadow?)
The me reflected in the mirror certainly had the shape of a boy.
But only the shadow behind me—
Like black mud with a will of its own‚ or like a monster waiting for prey‚ it was slightly yet decisively distorted.
The silhouette of the “monster” who had sold off his humanity and continued shaving himself with the cold blade called reason.
『《Notification》. Heart rate stability confirmed. Emotional optimization complete. …Good night‚ Lord Rui. Tomorrow as well‚ let us accumulate “correct answers” together.』
Ciel’s cold blessing.
I pulled the blanket with a hand that no longer trembled and closed my heavy eyelids.
Outside the window‚ the “snow of chiffon cake” that had saved the royal capital continued sparkling under the moonlight.
No one‚ not even Selina‚ knew that the “name of my hometown” I had paid was contained in that beauty.
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【Episode 5: The memory Rui lost this time: 『Hometown place name』】
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