Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Reward (2)
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Finally, we provide you with the right to an interview with the author.
Will you accept?
I rubbed my eyes.
Rubbing them until they hurt, I opened them again and checked the monitor.
Nothing had changed.
This wasn't a mistake?
"......Haha."
I recalled the early days of possession, when I'd diligently used the suggestion box.
I'd asked quite a few questions, most of which were rejected.
-A: We hope for a smooth agreement with the author.
Unlike the blatant hint of the author's existence, I hadn't found a single trace of them.
So I'd dismissed that response as meaningless macro reply...
Who would've thought they'd actually let me meet them.
Whatever the case, it wasn't a bad thing.
I had a ton of questions for the author.
And if possible, I'd love to punch them once or twice.
Rewards accepted.
Acquired 50,000p.
Acquired 'Advanced Avatar'.
Acquired 'Author Interview Pass'.
If you use the 'Author Interview Pass', the administration will request an interview with your assigned author.
The author cannot refuse, and detailed scheduling will be provided later.
Will you use it?
"Can't meet right away, huh."
I hadn't planned to meet immediately anyway.
I'd have to step away during the interview, and there was no guarantee some other 'hater scheme' wouldn't pop up in the meantime.
This time, I planned to prepare as much as possible beforehand.
"I'll use it."
'Author Interview Pass' used.
......
Interview approved!
"Hm?"
The interview will take place in 24 hours.
Interview duration: 120 minutes.
"Faster than I thought."
At this rate, maybe the author had been waiting for me.
No time to rest, then—I'd head out to prepare right away.
I stretched lightly and got up from my seat.
.
.
.
Late at night, when everyone was asleep.
Sitting on the roof of the Griffith mansion, I gazed silently at the sky.
"You got off easy..."
I muttered with a chuckle.
A slight shift of my gaze to the side revealed Sitla there.
Sitla, who'd been subjected to 'headplant'.
"You said you wouldn't complain!"
"Huh? Got a problem?"
"......"
Hands behind her back, butt sticking out, head planted.
The roof's slope must make it pretty tough.
Sure enough, Sitla's whole body was trembling.
"Get up."
"Hnggh."
Sitla, who had been half-collapsed, sprang to her feet.
She rubbed her head with a teary face, clearly in pain.
Even demons specialized in magic apparently had crap stamina.
"I killed the demon."
"As expected."
"No one but me will take over Roel's body now."
"Ooh."
"What's with the 'ooh'? If you fail to protect her this time, you're really done for."
"Haha..."
Sitla wore an awkward expression.
I barely held back the urge to smack her.
"I trust you."
"......Me?"
I did trust Sitla.
Of course, she was following orders thanks to the oath, but still.
If not for her bad luck with matchups, Sitla was one of the stronger demons out there.
So she could handle most situations while I was away.
But there's always an 'if' in everything.
"If an opponent shows up that you can't beat, you know what to do, right?"
"Yes! Take Roel and run?"
"Exactly."
Roel wouldn't ignore death in her line of sight.
If there were others around, like this time, she'd never flee.
That was when Sitla's job was to make her run.
Whether by forcibly gating her away or manipulating perceptions with charm.
Whatever it took, she had to keep Roel alive.
"By the way, where are you heading off to? Somewhere far?"
Far away, huh.
Unlikely the author would come to the inner world themselves.
I'd probably have to go to them, so it wasn't wrong to call it far.
"Probably."
"How long will you be gone?"
"Two hours."
Sitla stared at me blankly.
"......Just that?"
"Headplant."
I knew it too.
That I was being overly protective, making a fuss over just two hours.
I knew all that.
But after everything that had happened?
Every time I properly used an avatar, an attack came—being cautious was the sane choice.
"I'm really sorry..."
"Hold it for 30 minutes."
"Please, no."
Just leave Sitla like that.
"M-Master? Where are you going?!"
I headed to my next destination.
As I thought about cleanup tasks, one thing came to mind belatedly.
No way it was still there, but...
Ah, it was.
In the corner of the ruined village.
Inside a collapsed house, a glimpse of brown hair.
I approached.
"......It's cold out, why are you still here."
"You told me to wait here."
Helen Forrest, crouched down.
She looked utterly pitiful and bedraggled.
How long had it been since I left her here?
Roughly six hours, at least.
A heavy guilt weighed on my chest...
"Be honest."
"Huh?"
"You forgot, didn't you?"
I couldn't bring myself to answer.
"Knew it."
"Sorry."
"It's fine. You were busy."
Not really.
I'd just been rolling around in bed.
"Make the wait worth it."
"Uh, yeah, sure."
Helen brushed off her clothes and stood, looking me straight in the eye.
"First off—what the hell are you?"
"Secret."
"Figured. Next question."
Good.
She wouldn't pry.
"Tell me about my brother. What did the Archmage do to him?"
It was the question I'd expected.
Naturally, I'd thought about how to answer.
"......"
But the words wouldn't come easily.
It felt like I was a soldier delivering death news to bereaved family.
I kept agonizing.
The uncomfortable silence dragged on for nearly a minute.
"Later."
In the end, I decided to put it off.
"Wh-what?"
"I know, keeping you waiting then pulling this makes no sense. I get it. But..."
I still pondered it sometimes.
That day—did I really have to kill Dylan?
No matter how much I mulled it over, time had passed.
Spilled water couldn't be gathered, leaving only responsibility to me.
I couldn't substitute that responsibility with half-heard info.
"I'll tell you everything you're curious about."
"......"
I'd ask the author directly.
Get the truth about the Archmage and Dylan, then tell Helen the full story.
"......"
Helen's shoulders trembled faintly.
I understood if she got mad.
It was unreasonable.
"What can I do? It's not like I can beat you."
"It's not just empty words because of my strength."
"......Huh?"
"I'm sincerely asking."
Helen looked dazed.
She blinked for a moment, then spoke again.
"Fine. You have to tell me, okay?"
"Promise."
With that, Helen left.
I handled the remaining tasks and returned to the inner world.
For Sitla... I sent a telepathic message that she could go.
Thanks to all the hustle, time flew by.
Time until 'Interview' - 00:00:05
The timer on the monitor ticked toward zero.
What did the author look like?
Ordinary?
Sinister?
Hard to say.
"......Guess I'll find out when I meet them."
00:00:01
00:00:00
Interview commencing.
The familiar sensation of being pulled in enveloped my entire body.
It was similar to possessing an avatar.
Since I was a spirit now, maybe they'd placed an avatar at the interview site.
Anyway.
I opened my eyes.
"Welcome."
A white-haired old man stood before me.
"You're..."
"I'm not the author."
"I see."
I turned my head to survey the surroundings.
It was an ordinary hallway in an ordinary building.
For a moment, nostalgia hit from the sudden modern vibe, but the old man guided me.
"This way."
I followed the old man down the hall.
The corridor was lined with 'rooms'.
[ Room 1 ]
[ Room 2 ]
[ Room 3... ]
According to the plaques, every room was an interview room.
Were there this many people in the same boat as me?
"Here. Your author is waiting—go on in."
"Thanks for the guide."
Finally.
Finally, this damn author!
My hands shook with tension.
I took deep breaths.
Soon, I steeled myself.
I flung the door open.
BAM!
"Eek!"
A shrill scream rang out as the door opened.
The voice was different from what I'd imagined—I doubted my ears for a second.
"Th-the d-door, why so... rough..."
A low table with two cups of black tea on it.
The person visible right away was nothing like I'd pictured.
"......You're the author?"
Baggy hoodie and sweatpants.
Long, disheveled black hair.
Worn-out glasses...
There was a woman in the interview room.