Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Long Time No See? - 1
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“Ugh…”
I woke up with a splitting headache.
Come to think of it, saying I "woke up" feels a little off. I don't even remember falling asleep.
But that was nothing compared to the bizarre sight unfolding right before my eyes.
Or maybe "bizarre" is the wrong word. Familiar fits better.
Rabbit paintings lined up along the walls, maids in bunny girl outfits bustling about, rabbits roaming freely through the mansion like they owned the place...
And that was just the start. This opulent estate was overflowing with rabbit motifs everywhere you looked.
...Ellis.
That name popped into my head the moment I took in the rabbit-filled scenery.
After my dream of becoming a teacher fell through, I didn't jump straight into shadow work. Truth be told, I didn't have the skills for it back then.
I hadn't even graduated from the academy, and as a commoner, my options were slim.
So my first gig was right here, in Lady of Revelry Ellis's mansion.
Running odd jobs as a noble lady's servant was the best I could manage at the time.
Back then, I truly had no dreams, no hopes.
Until Elfriede Dice killed Ellis, I slaved away with just four hours of sleep a night, faithfully playing my role without a shred of ambition.
Like a cog in a machine.
Beaten every day, berated every day... Even now, the thought makes my skin crawl.
That said...
“...Why the hell am I here?”
Whatever life Ellis had lived, she'd done it her way until the end—right up until she fell under Elfriede's thumb.
Then she got gloriously discarded like trash.
A fitting end for someone obsessed with rabbits.
But why was this mansion still standing? Elfriede had flattened it without a trace.
Rebuilt it?
That doesn't add up. Everyone connected to Ellis was wiped out. Who would bother?
Did I... go back in time?
The thought hit me like a bolt, and I bolted upright, scrambling for a mirror.
No luck finding one, so I checked my reflection in the polished surface of a picture frame.
“What the...”
I muttered aloud.
The scars that had covered my body were gone. Even my left arm, torn off long ago, was back in place, good as new.
A dream? No, this was real.
I hastily rolled up my sleeve to check the spot where I'd gotten the injection.
A Stigma?
There it was—a cross-shaped Restoration Stigma etched into my skin.
The Restoration Stigma. The mark left on those blessed by the Goddess. And it was right there on me, plain as day.
“What the hell is this...”
No doubt about it—I'd gone back in time.
I tuned into the voices of the servants rushing around me.
“Lady Ellis is returning from the Luht Continent today! Move faster, everyone!”
“Have the rabbits been fed?”
“This is insane. I need ten hands!”
The Luht Continent—the frozen northern land where Elfriede first made her appearance.
And the reason Ellis had gone there...
To expand her drug business.
Right. That tracked.
Ellis had made a huge name for herself in drug manufacturing and distribution.
Her success even earned her a spot in Wonderland, the elite gathering of top crime ladies.
Wonderland? Just another outfit under Elfriede's umbrella, of course.
That pinned down exactly when I'd returned.
They'd only just inked the treaty allowing drug distribution on the Luht Continent, so Ellis was still mostly pushing product in her own territory.
Like a dragon poking its head out of the well for the first time. A very promising yellow dragon.
If only it'd sent me back a little further...
Working as a servant in Ellis's mansion meant a lifetime contract.
And from the look of things, I was already dressed for the part.
Quitting? That'd be like begging for execution.
Ellis at this point had zero qualms about murder. Say you wanted out, and she'd kill you to keep the secrets.
How do criminals keep secrets? Not with trust or loyalty. They just kill everyone who knows.
A bit further back, and I could've chased my teaching dream. My little sister would still be alive. A small regret lingered.
What should I aim for? What to do first?
As I pondered, someone grabbed me by the collar.
“Hey! You're new, so work harder! What're you doing just standing there?”
Dark skin, blond hair, muscular build.
I remembered. This was Rave.
Thank goodness Ellis didn't make the male servants wear bunny girl outfits.
“Sorry.”
“Sorry? You lost your mind or what?”
Slap—!
“If you don't wanna die, get to work! Otherwise, I'll kill you for real. What the hell are you always spacing out for, you idiot?”
He slapped my cheek hard, then stormed off fuming.
This place didn't give you the luxury to hold onto someone and vent. He wrapped it up quick.
My cheek stung.
Back then, I was too weak to fight back, so I'd taken beatings from this guy while getting my work done.
Assaults were routine, but he dished out the most.
Thanks to Rave's curses and the burning pain, it really sank in. I'd definitely gone back.
“Still, it's good to be back.”
Even with the slap, relief outweighed the anger.
Whatever the reason, I'd been given a second chance.
I could use that chance to flip my life upside down. The Goddess said so herself.
Only then did I grin. Like a madman.
I raised my hands to my face, caressing it.
A young face really was nice.
Gazing at my smooth, scar-free features brought a smile without trying.
“Hm?”
Suddenly, my arm with the Stigma prickled, and my palm and cheek grew hot.
Startled, I dropped my hands—and something even more shocking happened.
“...It's healed?”
For real. The swelling from the slap vanished in seconds.
Wait, I'd heard of this.
The Goddess's blessing that best fit the word "Goddess"—the Restoration Stigma.
Not quite resurrection-level, but versatile enough for almost anything.
No doubt. It was cross-shaped, just like they said.
How does the Restoration Stigma recharge, again?
Stigmas grant almighty power, but each has its own quirky recharge method.
Some run on mana, but others demand weird stuff—like only murders or sex.
I'd have to figure that out first. Can't use it without a charge.
“Hey! Help me dump these defective ones!”
A shout snapped me out of it.
“Ah, sure.”
In Ellis's mansion, "defective product" didn't mean goods. It meant rabbits that had lost their pep.
Brutal, right?
Tons of rabbits died here just for lacking energy, not even illness.
The servants treated them like objects. I had too.
A maid tossed one my way.
It landed in my arms with a pitiful squeak, looking rough. Covered in blood, probably kicked around by servants.
“Ugh...!”
I vaguely thought to activate the Stigma, and my arm tingled. The rabbit in my arms leaped up.
Hop, hop, hop—
Perfectly fine now, scampering through the mansion. This was definitely the Restoration Stigma.
Any other blessings from the Goddess? I checked my body over.
Physique feels amazing first off.
Scars gone, but all my training stuck around. The lightness proved it.
Magic aptitude?
I gathered mana inside me. Jackpot.
Whoa. Intact too.
In short, I'd kept all the abilities from my days as Elfriede's shadow and come back.
Perfect. Too perfect, almost problematic.
Now I could ponder my path—what to aim for, what to start with—at my leisure.
And not just that. I had time to get even stronger.
“Fuck. This asshole's at it again.”
Lost in grateful fantasies of the Goddess, someone shattered them.
“Hey, you psycho! What the fuck have you been standing around doing since earlier?”
Fair reason to curse, under the assumption I was Ellis's servant.
But not anymore.
“Rave.”
“This prick's getting cocky with informal speech again.”
“Still haven't figured it out?”
“Guess I'll have to beat some sense into...”
Slap—!
Someone flew down the hall, crashing into the far wall. Naturally, it was Rave.
“Someone toss this defective piece of trash.”
I muttered, dusting off my hands.
Rave's words echoed in my ears.
What was I planning to do...? Yeah, no long deliberations needed.
“...The exact opposite of whatever Elfriede does.”
Since I'm back, that's how I'll live. Starting with taking down Ellis.