Arata slowly awakened, feeling his body sink into a surprisingly soft and comfortable surface, very different from the stone and dirt floors he had become accustomed to.
As he moved his head, a delicate and sweet aroma of feminine perfume reached his nostrils, mixed with the characteristic scent of a refined and impeccably clean environment. It was the smell of wealth.
As he opened his eyes completely, he found two uniformed figures standing right beside his bed.
They were two maids staring directly at him.
— My sister, Sumire... This boy has woken up and is staring at us in a very strange and frightening way — Loiry, the twin with long white hair and pink eyes, murmured timidly.
— Don't worry, my sister Loiry — Sumire, the twin with black hair and equally pink eyes, replied firmly, crossing her arms.
— This pervert won't dare do anything to you. If he even tries anything funny, I...
— Hey! Who are you calling a pervert?! — Arata protested, abruptly sitting up in bed.
— My name is Arata Ryusei! I'm the man who helped Emma recover her necklace! I'm a hyper-useful and badass guy!
Loiry blinked, shrinking back a little more.
— We know that... Miss Emma told us what happened. But she never mentioned that you were a "badass."
Before Arata could retort, the door to the enormous room opened and Emma entered the room, wearing a relieved expression.
— Arata! You're finally awake! — she smiled, approaching him. — Welcome to the mansion.
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— Where are we, Emma?.. — Arata said, confused.
— Well, this property belongs to Joseph, an old and great friend of my family. He lets me stay here, you understand?
— I understand... — Arata looked around, astonished by the high ceiling and the luxurious details of the room.
— I'm in a gigantic mansion, sharing the same roof as Emma! I can hardly believe it.
— But seriously, girls, I promise I won't do anything wrong!
— This boy only knows how to shout. He's kind of annoying — Sumire whispered to her sister.
— Besides, he says a lot of weird things.
— He still scares me, sister... — Loiry admitted, hiding behind Sumire's back.
— You don't need to be afraid, Loiry. This weirdo won't touch you — Sumire assured her, casting a stern look at the boy.
— Hey! Stop judging me behind my back! I can clearly hear everything! — Arata yelled, comically indignant.
Emma let out a small laugh, but her expression soon became more serious and analytical, catching Arata's attention.
— Changing the subject, Arata... We need to investigate further to find out who the true mastermind behind Yumi's actions was.
— Most likely, that person is one of the Bishops of the Cult of One. And to make matters worse, the assassin managed to escape.
"What is it that Emma carries with her?" Arata began to wonder, becoming lost in his own thoughts.
"What does the Cult of One want from her so badly? Could this 'thing' be useful for their plans? Could it involve their ultimate goal of breaking the seal imprisoning One?.."
— Arata? Are you listening to me, or did you get lost in your thoughts again? — Emma asked, lightly waving her hand in front of his face.
— Ah, it's nothing! — he quickly disguised it, shaking his head.
— I was just trying to understand exactly what they could want to take from you.
— Well, we'll have time to find that out later — Emma pondered, walking toward the window.
— But, putting that aside for now... What are we going to do about you?
Arata lay down again, staring at the ceiling with a sideways smile he couldn't hide.
"I finally did it..." he thought, feeling an overwhelming wave of triumph.
"This time, absolutely no one died. I broke the cycle of tragedies surrounding that damned mansion. I'm so fucking awesome! In the end, I changed! I'm no longer that pathetic, broken boy from Japan. Maybe I really am one of those isekai protagonists!
If I managed to change this fate... then maybe I can really change many others.
I'm the true Isekai protagonist! And I swear that, as the protagonist, I'll continue being perfect and useful in order to protect everyone.
'If only I could... I created a new me, and from today onward, I will be this new me and will never return to being the Arata from Japan.'"
At the same time, at the highest point of the forest surrounding the boundaries of the property...
Two figures observed Joseph's immense mansion from a distance.
The first was a short boy with vibrant blue hair, wearing a purple turtleneck shirt and loose light-blue pants.
Beside him stood a man dressed entirely in black.
At the center of his chest, a red talisman gleamed with the heretical symbol of the Cult of One.
His face was completely concealed by a sinister crow mask, similar to those used by doctors during the time of the Black Death on Earth.
The two stared at the mansion's lights in silence for a few moments.
Then, they turned around and walked beneath the dim canopy of the trees toward the heart of the dark forest.
— Let's go. — the man with the crow mask hissed, his voice muffled and ominous.
His footsteps disappeared among the foliage as they vanished completely into the darkness of the night.
End of Arc 1: A Chaotic First Day in Lugiri.
Continued in Arc 2: Five Days Before Dawn...
Total number of deaths in Arc 1: 3