５１
TN: More details on the world’s custom about Reincarnators. Reader discretion is advised. (This chapter is depressing.)
Dole stopped and smiled ironically.
[Well, I figured that that’s the case. Giving birth to a child is the absolute requirement, but more or less, there’s hope. However, I’ve seen a guy, who said a lot of things like he likes someone like this or that he doesn’t want someone like that, hugs the Reincarnator who was exactly the type he said he didn’t want many times once he took the Ceremony.]
My heart skipped a beat. A Reincarnator that he absolutely destests. Isn’t that me? Male Reincarnators are the most hated Reincarnators.
[But maybe he doesn’t have a choice? If he said that he doesn’t like them after performing summoning for so many days, won’t the Priests be troubled? It’s not like he can keep doing it over and over until someone he likes comes out, and in the first place, even the other side has the right to choose.]
[If everyone thinks like you, we won’t have a hard time. But reality isn’t like that so the red wine was created.]
Olphynn’s shoulders loosens up in relief.
[You’re a little too serious. Relax a bit. Even if their preferred woman is summoned in the Ceremony, they’ll be happy about it for, I think, half a year. It just becomes a habit after that. They keep complaining that women are so troublesome.]
[Even so, I think girls are nice. Having someone like me come out will be bothersome, right?]
Even though I planned to say that lightly while laughing, but no one replied and the silence extended. Did I step on their landmines all at once? As I was panicking inside, Saine stroked my head.
[Just having your delicious cooking is a great help.]
[Yes yes, being good at cooking is very important. The biggest reason why those who have Reincarnators complain is because of food.]
[The grannies are good at it.]
[Ignoring whether they’re good or not, it doesn’t suit our palate. They make what they want to eat, they don’t care if it suits the taste of this world. Even if they say that it’s good for the health, if it’s not something we want to eat then, you get what I mean?]
Saine also nods in agreement.
[The food you cook is delicious.]
Being praised kind of makes me happy. It sure feels nice to be praised, doesn’t it? It’s like I’m being tickled inside my chest.
[Oh, speaking of which, Saine drank the red wine, right? Are you okay?]
[With what?]
Dole said to Saine while wearing a playful smile.
[I’m asking if you’re s*xually frustrated.]
Saine’s arm cut through the air. Dole dodged it while laughing.
[Don’t worry. Its effect disappears after 10 days of taking the Ceremony.]
Olphynn said that then immediately started walking.
[If it’s only effective for 10 days, how are they supposed to accept a Reincarnator?]
[Almost everyone who took the Ceremony fraternizes their Reincarnators on the same day they’re summoned. After experiencing it once, there’s no need to depend on the red wine. But it must be experienced at least once, the red wine’s effect disappears and the body returns to normal.]
[Since Saine didn’t do anything, does it mean he’s back to normal?]
There’s nothing between Saine and me. After the Ceremony, Saine didn’t come home, and we sleep differently after he comes home. Saine never tried to touched me.
[Yes. Many of those who received a male Reincarnator as a result of the Ceremony’s failure do that.]
[‘Many’…… Aren’t male Reincarnators rare?]
It should be called a miracle in a sense. There are a lot of Reincarnators’ Association in town but there’s only one Men’s Club.
[Currently, there are 921 Reincarnators in town, of which 5 of them are male. ]
[Although I heard that there are at least 500 Reincarnators, that is quite a number. But I know that there are 5 male Reincarnators. I met all of them in the Men’s Club.]
[In reality, there can’t be that few…… Can’t you tell?]
Olphynn stares at me. I couldn’t understand what he’s saying so I shook my head.
[During the Ceremony, there was and official, right? If the one taking the Ceremony is petrified, the Official will whisper into his ear………… Would you like to get rid of it? He’d ask.] (TN: Wtf?)
A big hand was placed on my shoulder. Saine was standing there when I looked up. His black eyes, which had lost any emotion, stared at Olphynn.
[A male Reincarnator is a symbol of failure. Such an existence won’t be readily released in the town. That’s why, they get disposed of.]
[Do you mean…… they get k*lled?]
My heart start pounding. Olphynn nodded while looking at me.
[I told that the one with the most failure was the white crest, right? However, even the red crest has some failures, too. In a Ceremony that is done 50 times a year, it’s impossible to only fail once. Among the less than 1000 Reincarnators, 5 males are just too few. Even in the black crest that I am familiar with, its Ceremony has failed 5 times in the last 10 years, after all.]
[……So what did you give to the ones whose Ceremony failed?]
Dole questioned with a sneer.
[Their mouths would have been silenced. Did you return the 1 million ales?]
[No…… they were simply given a Reincarnator.]
Olphynn’s blue eyes shook as if enduring his pain.
[Did they redo the Ceremony?]
[No…… Have you ever seen a Priest’s Reincarnator?]
A Priest’s Reincarnator, doesn’t that mean his wife? I titled my head, wondering why a Priest’s wife is brought up during this conversation, but the two guards appear to have understood his meaning and they both snorted.
[I see, so that’s how it is.]
[What are you talking about?]
Saine said nothing and just hugged my firmly.
[In other words, when a male Reincarnator is summoned, they’ll give him a Priest’s Reincarnator instead.]
[If they do that, won’t the Priest lose his wife?]
[He won’t. Probably……]
[Yes, that’s right. The Priest has already attained a new one. The Priests also perform a Ceremony for themselves, but no Priest mates with a Reincarnator for a lifetime. If the Ceremony fails, they simply give out the Reincarnators they got.]
[You mean to say that the Priests already have new young Reincarnators by their side.]
Saine’s hand that’s holding me tightly hurts. The tone of Dole’s voice getting lower is scary.
[How do you shut the mouths of the guy whose Ceremony failed and the Reincarnator that that’s given to him?]
[The Priest erases their memories. It’s ironic. The 8 Priest clans who fight with each other in factions join hands for this one occasion only. Powerful Priests immediately gather and erase the two’s memories. Not all of it. The memories of the Ceremony’s failure and that the Priests’ tricked them will be erased. All that’s left will be…… the c*rpse of the male Reincarnator who was just reincarnated. However, those whose memories got erased aren’t unharmed. The burden must be very heavy. None of this world’s residents as well as Reincarnators lived 10 years after their memories were erased.]
The drizzling rain was so cold, my body shook as it stood stock still.
The white fruit can’t be found unless it’s evening. We stopped at the place where the cobble was said to come out during the early mornings. We will wait for the night to arrive, then we will look for the white fruit around here.
It’s still a while before night comes. Dole goes to collect ingredients and we prepare the fire. But not much firewood has fallen. There are lots of trees but we couldn’t find dead trees or withered branches. It feels like everything in this forest is alive.
I walk around looking for anything that can be used as firewood. I was only looking at the ground while walking and when I noticed, I got separated from Saine. I can’t see Saine or Olphynn. I stand alone in the forest where rain continues to drizzle. The tepid breeze stirs up fear.
[……ugh]
I was blown away by the fear that suddenly boiled over, and I started running. Saine should be over here or perhaps over there. Thinking that, I started running. I dropped the firewood that I picked up with great trouble, but I continued running without picking it up.
I caught something shining in my field of vision.
Something flashed before my eyes. A golden fang is flying towards me.
[Uwaaaaaaaagh!]
My hips gave in and I fell on my bum. A fang is pierced on the spot where I stood. It was a giant scythe and it was so close that I could touch it if I reached my hand out. The owner of the fang stared at me and smiled broadly. It was a giant monster with many heads.
I’m having difficulty breathing in so only the ‘haa, haa’ sound of me exhaling can be heard. Its appearance is so strange that it’s hard to explain what it resembles. Will I be eaten by this monster and die? I calmly spin that out somewhere in my head.
I got summoned in this place, hated for being a male Reincarnator, then eaten by a monster and died. What was my life all about? I wonder, what meaning did my second life have?
However, another part of me said coldly.
If you die, won’t Sane be happy? He might get frustrated for not being able to get at least 10 ales back, but then, he’ll be able to accept another Reinarnator freely, right?
That’s right. Of course. Saine is nice so he may not get the Ceremony again while I’m troubling him. He may not sell me to other men if I make a fuss.
But you see, I can’t have that. I like Saine, I sincerely like him, that’s why, I want him to be happy.
Male Reincarnators are eliminated after they’re summoned. After that, a female Reincarnator is given.
Olphynn’s voice echoed in my mind.
Oh, right. I’m a mistake. Actually, I was supposed to get k*lled the moment I appeared. If that happened then now, Saine would be with a woman right now.
I have to correct the mistake. I must disappear. I shouldn’t keep thinking about myself. If I like Saine, I have to think about him first and foremost. So……
So don’t run away.
I gave an order to myself, tightly clenched my firsts and closed my eyes.