Kidnapping (1)
The carriage interior was wrapped in silence, save for the rhythmic jolting of the wheels against the road. Alessia had seated me on one side and now sat across from me, beaming at my bound form.
"Rion... you must be so confused, right? Just a moment. I'll untie this too."
She removed the gag, freeing my mouth to speak, but I said nothing. Truth be told, the suddenness of it all left me at a loss for words.
"How do you know my name?"
"Oh, that's what you were wondering? Hmm... what do you think the answer is, Rion?"
Even in a situation like this, she wanted to play riddles. But she held the upper hand here—I had no choice but to guess.
Regression.
She knew information I couldn't possibly have shared, and she acted as if she was certain I'd come running if she made a fuss. I knew the genre where this kind of thing happened all too often.
"...Regression?"
"Correct."
Alessia leaned forward and gently caressed my cheek.
"I turned back time. For no one else but you, Rion—to see you again."
Her story was hard to swallow. Possessing a game character was already beyond common sense, and now one of the game's main heroines, Alessia no less, claimed to be a regressor. But if she really was, it explained everything that had happened so far.
"Then why kidnap me?"
"Mm, before that... would you call me Alessia?"
"...Alessia?"
"Yes! From now on, just Alessia is fine. And if possible, drop the formalities too."
"Got it, Alessia."
She seemed thrilled just by me saying her name. Unable to contain her excitement, she threw her arms up in cheer.
"Alessia?"
"You have no idea... how long I've waited to hear my name from your lips, in your voice."
The Alessia before me felt worlds apart from the one I knew. In the game, she was pure-hearted yet coolly pragmatic when it came to business, the perfect merchant heroine. But this Alessia, who called herself a regressor, was neither pure nor cool. At this point, I couldn't help but wonder what she'd gone through before regressing to change so drastically.
"Alessia?"
"Yes, Rion!"
"If you regressed... why?"
Her expression shifted at my question. The joyful smile vanished, replaced by a chill that made it hard to believe she'd been grinning moments ago. Instinct told me I'd touched on something I shouldn't have.
"Rion, imagine a girl gravely wounded right before your eyes. If saving her required your sacrifice... what would you choose?"
But her response wasn't anger or threats—it was a question. A vague one whose intent I couldn't quite grasp. Still, I answered without hesitation.
"If my sacrifice could save her from danger, I'd do it."
Human life is precious. If you can save it, you should. But I couldn't save everyone in the world with my own hands—even if I had the power.
"If there's a girl I can reach out and save right then and there, how could I not?"
"You really are... you, Rion."
Alessia smiled faintly, as if she'd expected as much.
"In the future... you get murdered, Rion. Because of that self-sacrificing spirit, you die a more gruesome death than anyone in the world."
Me, dying for my sacrificial nature? It sounded absurd. I'd never once gone that far for anyone else in my life.
On the other hand... if my death could save ten thousand lives...
I'd choose it.
One life for ten thousand? No reason not to. Sacrificing the few for the many isn't always right, but if that few was me, I had no reason to refuse.
"So I thought... is there a way to stop you from giving up on yourself, from sacrificing yourself?"
"Did you find one?"
"No. I just couldn't figure it out."
Clink.
Clink?
I glanced toward the suspicious sound. There was an iron shackle—and for some reason, it was locked around my ankle.
"So I decided to make you mine. If you're mine... you won't go anywhere, you'll stay with me forever. No need to sacrifice yourself for anyone else."
"...You're insane."
"Yes. I'm crazy for you, Rion."
She'd regressed because of my death, and now she'd imprison me to prevent it. No sane person would arrive at that conclusion.
How do I escape?
Riding along in this carriage with her would only lead to a bad end—it was obvious. If she locked me away somewhere, powerless as I was, escape would be impossible.
Thud.
Suddenly, Alessia lunged at me from across the seat.
Never thought I'd get wall-slammed by a girl.
She planted her arms like barriers on either side, trapping me. Panting, she stared into my eyes, tears welling up, her breath hot against my face.
"Ahh... finally... finally! You're in my arms! I won't let you go ever again. No matter what. I'll protect you, Rion... so you never suffer anymore! Whatever it takes... anything!"
Something was off about Alessia. Even I, who knew nothing of psychology, could see she was far from normal.
"Alessia? How about calming down a bit?"
"You don't get it, Rion. How hard I'm holding back right now!"
Her face drew closer. I wanted to push her away, but my arms were still bound, my ankle shackled, and her arms blocked both sides. No room left to flee.
Screech!
The carriage lurched to a halt amid the rumbling. Alessia snapped back to her senses, startled, and flung open the window.
"What is it?"
"Uh, well... it's the guards. They're blocking the road."
The guard who'd tied me up earlier spoke tensely.
Knock knock.
Alessia swallowed hard and cautiously opened the door.
"Apologies. By order of Her Highness the Princess, we're inspecting all carriages leaving the city today."
"The Princess... which one?"
"The Third Princess, Your Highness."
Alessia began biting her nails at the words. The guard pressed on, ignoring her.
"Do you know a man named Rion by any chance? He looks like this..."
That's when the guard showing what looked like a wanted poster met my eyes.
His gaze flicked between the poster and me, then he bellowed.
"He's here! Seize him now!!"
The other guards swarmed toward the carriage at his shout.
"Damn it! That bitch!"
"Alessia?!"
She spat the shocking word, then kicked the shouting guard square in the chest. As he crumpled, she yelled at the coachman.
"Get us out of the city! Whatever it takes!"
"Y-yes! Right away!"
The guard-turned-coachman whipped the horses with flashy skill, but it wasn't enough to break through the tightening encirclement.
"Nngh!"
In the end, Alessia was dragged from the carriage, and my arms were seized by guards, pinning me in place.
"Let go of me!"
Alessia thrashed to break free. One guard alone couldn't hold her—he went flying—so now over ten had her roped down tight.
Click-clack. Click-clack.
Footsteps in heels approached from nearby. Their owner soon appeared.
"You've arrived, Your Highness."
"The man I mentioned?"
"We've got him there."
Golden hair like autumn wheat fields. An aura that overwhelmed by presence alone, and her signature fan.
Never imagined meeting her here.
She was the heroine who appeared latest in the game. And now she stared right at me.
"I am Lucia Edel Valterion, princess of the Valterion Empire."
Lucia's courteous bow to an ordinary-looking man like me left the onlookers baffled. It might've been nicer if I weren't that man.
She extended her hand gracefully.
"I'll accompany you from here, Sir Rion. Please, forget that madwoman."
One second after escaping my first kidnapping, the second one began.