When I opened my eyes, the now-familiar ceiling entered my view.
Outside the window was still a pale blue; it was obvious at a glance that the sun had not yet fully risen.
I felt as though I had just awakened from a long, vivid dream. I could only recall the very end of it, but it had chronicled the life of a vile scumbag who did nothing but betray everyone around him.
"That felt way too real for a dream... Was that a memory of mine?"
Muttering the words aloud, I couldn't help but chuckle.
That level of depravity was almost impressive in its own twisted way. I didn't hold much confidence in myself either, but I certainly didn't think I could be that much of a scumbag. Going by Kiji's guess, my past was that of an adventurer. If so, it was probably just a memory from back when I was guarding some idiot prince or another.
Regardless, entrusting a country to a wretched bastard who lacked even basic self-awareness would inevitably lead to ruin. Just as that blue-haired man named Al had said, a piece of trash like that would surely be weeded out before long.
It left an unsettling aftertaste, to be sure, but nothing was more foolish than fretting over some nameless scumbag. I didn't have that kind of time on my hands anyway. In fact, speak of the devil—
Accompanying the sound of hurried footsteps dashing up the stairs,
"Gil! Wake up! It's morning!"
A red-haired girl threw the door open and burst into the room.
"Morning, Char."
Letting out a wide yawn, I raised a hand in greeting.
"Today's the village's important meeting, remember?!"
"Right, so it is."
I took a deep stretch and pushed myself up.
That was right. Today was the crucial meeting to decide the Ket Nya's future course of action.
Relying solely on Char wouldn't be enough to protect the Ket Nya anymore. That had been made glaringly obvious by recent events. After all, we hadn't managed to eliminate the mastermind behind Char's abduction. We needed to put countermeasures in place immediately.
That was why I had proposed convening this gathering in the first place. It would set a terrible example if I, the one who called it, showed up late.
"Still, wearing the same clothes day and night is inconvenient. Let's figure out a solution for that, too."
While I was bedridden with muscle soreness, I had finished assessing my powers. If I applied them efficiently, not only could we defend the village, but we could easily elevate its overall quality of life as well.
"Hurry! Hurry! You're going to run out of time to eat!"
Planting her hands on her hips in the doorway, Char puffed out her cheeks.
"Sorry, sorry. I'm coming."
Flashing a wry smile, I headed down toward the first floor.
—A series of fragmented, strangely vivid scenes stitched together. Looking back on that surreal, sickening dream, perhaps a bizarre sense of nostalgia had briefly taken hold of me in that moment. And because the feeling terrified me to my core, I think I simply cast it from my mind without a second thought.