Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Mary Heidi (2)
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Shwaaaaa━!
The few thick raindrops that had started falling, as if a hole had opened in the sky, soon filled our entire field of vision.
Naturally, those of us walking outside got drenched, and we hurriedly sought shelter.
The dormitory was still a ways off, so we spotted a shabby warehouse nearby.
We ducked inside right away.
"Phew, haha, that came down so suddenly. Scared me, right? Lady Mary?"
"……."
I shook out my wet hair and casually struck up a conversation, but something was off about Mary's condition.
Drip, drip.
The sound of heavy raindrops pounding the warehouse roof echoed, and the darkened sky made the interior dim.
And even in that darkness, Mary's trembling shoulders stood out clearly.
'...Cold?'
"Hold on a sec! I'll grab something to dry off and cover up with real quick!"
"……."
Mary just trembled, offering no reply.
She simply hugged her arms around herself, shivering like a rain-soaked cat.
I promptly pulled a towel and blanket from my subspace pocket.
Handy things like this are a real lifesaver in situations like these.
I handed the dry towel to Mary.
"Lady Mary. Here, dry off quick."
"……."
"Lady Mary?"
But Mary wouldn't take the towel I offered.
She just huddled tighter, shaking all the while.
As I watched her odd state intently amid the rain's patter, her tiny voice emerged from the noise.
She was mumbling so softly it was barely audible.
"……Sorry."
'Sorry...?'
Focusing my senses to make it out, the words gradually came into clarity.
"……Ah, Father... sor, sorry. ...I, hic, did wrong."
She was apologizing.
Trembling violently, begging forgiveness from someone not even here.
Her state was far from normal.
'...No way.'
I immediately pulled up Mary's status.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 👤 Name: Mary Heidi 🌀 Unique Skill: Blessing of Frost 🎭 Unique Trait: Dual Personality 🔒 Traits: Fear Lv. 1, Anxiety Lv. 1, Trauma Lv. 1 'She's got issues too...'
Sure enough, Mary's status was a mess.
Not quite Despair level, but Fear and Anxiety traits had manifested, along with Trauma.
Whatever it was, something was definitely wrong.
In the game, simultaneous Fear and Anxiety traits imposed a paralysis penalty.
That must be why she wasn't responding to me.
'More importantly, what's Dual Personality?'
Just how many hidden backstories did these pervy game devs cram into the characters?
The more I learned, the more new stuff kept popping up.
'System, display details on the Dual Personality trait.'
At my request, a status window appeared before my eyes.
Unique Trait: Dual Personality The trait holder undergoes a personality switch upon meeting specific conditions. A simple explanation.
Specific conditions, huh.
'In this case, it has to be the rain.'
I pondered as I started drying Mary's hair with the towel.
She might take it the wrong way as harassment, but leaving her like this would definitely lead to a cold.
Her hair should be fine.
'Or is it water itself, not just rain?'
Thinking back, Mary had been fine right after the rain started.
She'd even properly responded to the suggestion to seek shelter up until it poured.
I'd only noticed the change after we entered the warehouse.
After she'd gotten completely soaked.
"Lady Mary... You okay?"
After toweling her hair moderately dry, I draped the blanket over her shoulders.
Her shivers transmitted through the blanket.
As I racked my brain for what to do next, Mary's hand moved.
She grabbed the sleeve of my shirt.
"Lady... Mary?"
"...Sor, sorry, Ken. ...I-I'm not in a good state right now... ."
Thankfully, as her mind cleared, Mary explained in a small voice...
Rumble, crash━!
"Kyaa!"
...only to let out a girlish scream at the sudden thunder and fling herself into my arms.
"Y-You're okay, right?!"
"Hic, sorry. Sorry... Sorry I'm such a mess."
With her face buried in my chest, shaking, she kept mumbling something.
When she finally looked up at me, it wasn't her usual cool, dignified expression.
It was the terrified, tear-filled face of a child.
'...This is the Dual Personality trait.'
This side of Mary was one I'd never seen, even after multiple playthroughs.
Sure, she showed emotions like frustration or sadness, but she was generally calm and composed.
She hadn't even teared up in front of Ken's corpse.
"Hic, sorry, Ken. M-My legs gave out... ."
Now she was a total scaredy-cat crybaby.
Her hand clutching my collar trembled as she apologized nonstop for who knows what.
"F-First, let's calm down a bit?"
"...Y-Yeah."
And so, Mary and I hunkered down in the warehouse for a while, waiting out the rain.
A short time later.
I finally understood why Mary skipped academy on rainy days.
"You feeling better now?"
"...Y-Yeah."
She said she was, but she was still trembling.
We were sitting on the warehouse floor now, wrapped in the blanket.
Terrified Mary clung to my collar like she was leaning on me for protection.
'Like a bunny rabbit.'
She usually gave off elegant cat vibes. Who knew getting wet could change her impression so drastically.
She turns into this when she gets wet, apparently.
I didn't know the reason.
But she becomes a scaredy-cat when wet, and thus avoids getting wet at all costs.
"So, how do you handle showers?"
"...If I don't wear clothes, it's fine... The feel of wet fabric, I-I really hate it."
So if she were naked, she could go out in the rain?
No, obviously not.
What an idiotic thought.
The downpour stopped soon after, not lasting long.
Thankfully, with the rain cleared and her body mostly dried, Mary looked markedly more composed than before.
"...Sorry, Ken. For showing you such a pathetic side today."
"No way! If anything, I'm glad I got to see a new side of you, Lady Mary!"
Mary then trudged off to her dormitory with slumped shoulders.
'...Dual Personality.'
I didn't hear exactly why it happens, but at least I now knew why she skips on rainy days.
She has an extreme fear of getting wet.
More precisely, she rejects the scaredy-cat self that emerges when wet.
'That's why she fell for Adrian.'
In the early part 2, after a certain event, she falls for Adrian.
The exact reason wasn't specified, but I could guess now.
Adrian hates water too.
'That guy dreaded getting wet.'
Adrian's weakness was the water element itself.
He had the unique skill 'Ifrit's Eye,' which freely manipulated the fire element, but it made him hate water.
Not due to trauma like Mary's, though.
Anyway, some empathy-building event must have happened over that.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "...Mm."
"Ken, what's troubling you now?"
"...Just planning to help someone out."
"As expected of Ken... So kind!"
I escorted Mary back to her dormitory and returned to Rafne's tower.
Now I was pondering at my workbench.
'How can I get her to come out on rainy days?'
I was thinking of ways to make Mary attend academy even when it rained.
'Do I need her to overcome the trauma first?'
Most of the game events with Mary revolved around clashes with Emily, so info on this was scarce.
'Should I ask Adrian?'
From Mary's state, their event probably hadn't happened yet.
Still, if I brought it up as an example, he might share a solution.
'Nah, we're not that close.'
I was racking my brain like that.
If you're wondering why bother helping Mary at all?
It's to escape Emily's bullying.
'Skill grinding's done anyway.'
Physical Resistance and Mental Fortification had hit Lv. 2 and showed no signs of further growth.
No need to play along with Emily's harassment anymore.
Getting annoying, frankly.
The problem is...
I'm weaker than Emily.
'Of course, with Calorie Burn, that's another story.'
But then it's not about winning—my normal attacks might straight-up kill her.
What then? Kill the protagonist?
That's why I need someone to protect me.
"Um... Ken."
Rafne, who'd been watching me from the side as I crossed my arms in deep thought, spoke up.
What? Offering to help?
"Yeah?"
I turned to look at Rafne.
She leaned with her hands on my workbench, peeking up at me with just her head extended.
Her lifeless, dead eyes fixed on me intently.
Then she smiled and opened her mouth.
"Hey, that person you're helping."
"Uh, yeah?"
Overwhelmed by that gaze for some reason, I stammered.
"...Is it a girl?"
Her voice carried an inexplicable pressure.
"......Gulp."
I couldn't answer.
W-What? Why does it matter if it's a girl? Why this atmosphere?
Her cold smile urged an answer, but my tangled thoughts kept my mouth shut.
"...Really a girl?"
Rafne stared at dumbfounded me, her mask-like smile vanishing.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "No, no, I mean, it's a guy, I swear!!"
"Liar! Liar! Liar!!"
Why does it always end up like this?
"Don't lie! It's a girl! You're planning to give a gift to some girl, aren't you? Why else would Ken be agonizing so hard?!"
"What are you talking about? It's really a guy friend I need to help!"
"Ken has no friends!"
"Urk!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Mental Fortification proficiency has increased. Damn, knowing from Ken's memories that he really had no friends, I took inner damage.
Her roasting skills might even surpass the queen's?
The original bully ringleader is on another level.
"A-Anyway, girl or guy, what does it matter?! I'm just trying to do a good deed!"
"No, no! If Ken gets a girlfriend, you won't come here anymore! You'll be all gooey with her and forget about me! Please... Hic, please don't abandon me!"
Rafne's familiar ultimate move.
She deployed trouser-leg grab.
"Waaah! No, don't go, don't abandon me! I'll do better than that girl! If you need a girl, just use me! I can do it better! I can do anything you want!"
"I told you it's not like that!!"
How long to calm her down this time...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Rafne Bell Martinez's Despair level rises. 98% ... 99% I know, so shut up already.