I wondered how long it had been since the carriage first set off.
By the time the cobblestones had given way to the Royal Capital Highway, my heart had calmed, and the agitation I felt at our departure had finally begun to fade. All that remained was a solemn vow: I would return alive, no matter what.
It felt a little odd for a villain like me to have thoughts as heroic as a protagonist's.
"Everyone was crying, weren't they..." Lene murmured softly from the seat beside me.
Her eyes were bloodshot and her voice was still thick. It wasn't surprising; her composure had evidently reached its limit the moment she stepped into the carriage. She had dissolved into a fit of sobbing that rivaled even the Head Maid's. She had cried enough for the both of us, and it had taken me a considerable amount of time to comfort her.
"Isn't that how it usually looks when I head out on an expedition?" I asked.
"D-do you think so...?"
"Yeah. You were always the one on the other side, seeing me off, so you probably didn't realize."
"I suppose so. Now that you mention it, this might be the first time I've ever been the one leaving."
"Now do you understand how it feels to be the one getting wailed at every time I leave for a mission?"
"Uuu... but, but for me, being separated from you is just that unbearable, Rai-sama...!"
Lene's words lightened the atmosphere in the carriage. I didn't say it aloud, but usually, the role of the person wailing while seeing me off was occupied by the girl currently sitting in front of me. The routine was always the same: she would scream, "Please don't leave me behind!" until the Head Maid eventually scolded her.
It wasn't as if we were parting forever. I would be back soon, so I always thought her reactions were a bit excessive.
Perhaps because I was so used to those scenes, my own mental recovery was relatively quick. I rested my elbow on the window frame and watched the scenery flow past.
"...It’s such a wonderful family," Lene whispered.
"Yeah. They're my pride and joy."
"Truly... it's such a warm home."
The tone of her voice suggested she was savoring the memory.
Suddenly, I recalled the past.
There had been a Labyrinth Disaster within the Arkberg Territory. A labyrinth had manifested without warning and gone berserk, sending a tide of monsters to ravage the surrounding villages. During an inspection to assess the damage, I had found a young girl sitting alone in a corner of a devastated village.
She sat in the freezing rain, her light brown hair soaked. She wasn't crying or screaming. She was simply trembling, her teeth clenched tight. Her entire family had been wiped out; she was the sole survivor.
That girl was Lene.
"Would you like to come to my home?"
Before I knew it, I had brought her back to the mansion. I had practically forced my father to let her live there as a servant. She was slow to learn at first and did nothing but make mistakes, but her natural brightness and stubborn refusal to give up slowly turned things around. Before I realized it, she had become my personal maid.
She had been with me ever since.
Morning, noon, and night. She was always by my side. She followed me whenever I went out, and if I so much as scratched myself, she would turn pale with worry.
I'm sure... she’s simply terrified of being left behind again.
"I think I understand a little better why you're so kind, Rai-sama."
"...Hm?"
"I mean, if someone grows up in a house like that, they're bound to be kind. Absolutely."
In my previous life—before I regained my memories—I might have replied with a quick "Of course." But now that I knew the truth, those words were difficult to answer. After all, the original Rai Arkberg was an irredeemable piece of trash. It was almost impressive that someone born into such a warm family could turn into such an arrogant, selfish low-life who looked down on everyone.
I offered a forced smile to hide my discomfort and looked straight at Lene.
"You're the same, Lene."
"Eh?"
"You're just as kind as I am. And more importantly, you're cute."
It might have been my own bias talking, but I thought her appearance was quite refined for a character who barely appeared in the original game. She had a light brown bob cut and large, matching eyes. Her features were definitely that of a mob character from an anime, but a "Kirara-type" mob—the kind of clean, cute design you’d see in a slice-of-life series. She certainly wouldn't lose to the main heroines.
When I said that, Lene froze.
"..."
"...?"
Slowly, her entire face turned a deep shade of crimson.
"W-what was that for, so suddenly?!"
"I was just speaking my mind."
"Please stop saying things like that out of the blue!"
She began to pitter-patter against my chest with her fists. It didn't hurt in the slightest, of course. She kept at it with a frustrated "Geez!" until she eventually calmed down and looked away, hanging her head.
"That's bad for my heart..."
"I was just giving you a compliment."
"T-that's exactly why it's bad..." she grumbled.
I wondered why a compliment could be a bad thing. Sometimes, I truly didn't understand her. Whenever I asked for a reason, she would dodge the question, and if I consulted my mother or the Head Maid, they would just smile and say, "My, my." I really didn't get it.
Perhaps that was why I missed her next words.
"If I fall for you any more than this, I don't know what's going to happen to me..." she murmured in a voice so tiny it seemed to vanish into the wind.
"...Hm? Did you say something?"
"N-no! You're hearing things!"
Lene denied it, her ears turning bright red.
Well, whatever. It was just the usual Lene. I decided not to let it bother me and continued our conversation. We talked about the mansion and our plans for the future, enjoying the casual back-and-forth. I didn't mind passing the time this way.
I could truly say that spending a peaceful moment like this—without worrying about battles, labyrinths, or destiny—was more enjoyable than anything else.
"Um, Rai-sama..."
"Yeah?"
Lene’s tone shifted. The cheerful expression she’d worn during our chat vanished, replaced by a stiff, grim look that betrayed her deep anxiety.
"Aren't you... afraid?"
"...Of what?"
"The academy... the labyrinth. They're dangerous, aren't they?"
Working for a ducal house, Lene was naturally aware of what it meant to be one of The Chosen. She knew it wasn't an honor; it was a system akin to human sacrifice. As a survivor of a Labyrinth Disaster herself, she understood the terror of those places better than most. That was why she had to ask if I was afraid.
"I am afraid," I answered honestly. "But... more than that, I'm afraid that if we leave the labyrinth alone, it will eventually reach out and hurt my family and the people I care about. That’s many times scarier."
"...Rai-sama."
"That’s why I'm going. To save everything, and to make sure we all come home safely."
Lene remained silent for a moment before letting out a small laugh. "...You're really unfair, Rai-sama."
"In what way?"
"The way you say things like that so casually."
I didn't think it was all that special. I believed it was only natural for anyone to do their best to protect their family. Though, I suppose that might be an unusual sentiment for a noble to hold.
Lene only gave me a soft, enigmatic smile when I tilted my head in confusion. As I was watching her smile—
Bang!
The carriage lurched to a halt with a loud crash. Outside, I heard the horses neighing in panic and the coachman’s voice raised in a shout.
"B-young master! Monsters! A pack has appeared on the highway!"
A monster attack. It was a rare occurrence; monsters almost never appeared along the highway. Perhaps our lack of an escort had invited trouble.
"Rai-sama."
Lene stood up. The blushing girl from moments ago was gone. Her face was now the calm, focused mask of a warrior.
I stood up to follow her, gave a short "Yeah" in response, and threw open the carriage door.
The scent of spring was gone, replaced by the faint, musky odor of beasts. In the distance, I saw a pack of black and brown creatures charging toward us.
Grave Hounds. They were early-game monsters that hunted in packs of five to twenty. They looked like emaciated dogs with their ribs showing through their skin—tenacious monsters that would hunt whatever they identified as "prey" to the ends of the earth.
"...Well, shall we, Lene?"
"Yes!"
With a brief exchange, the two of us leapt from the carriage simultaneously.