A Distant Reverie

Chapter 112

Suisei instinctively took a step back. Marine and Vesper immediately dropped into a fighting stance. Lady Ouro's serpent gaze remained fixated on Suisei as her body snapped back into regular posture. Her movements were unnatural—her limbs and joints moving with a jerky motion as though she was a marionette.

"I'm very fond of those who pay attention, you know? It shows that you care." The ecstasy in her eyes seemed to fade as she realized the tension in the air for the first time. "Ah, it seems I might have frightened you. I tend to forget the limitations of the human vessel when I get excited."

Suisei swallowed nervously as Lady Ouro turned back towards the front. With the weight of her gaze finally removed, she let out an exhausted breath of air.

I thought she was going to kill me.

It was hard to get a read on this godlike entity who sometimes behaved like a human and sometimes acted arbitrarily. It was probably a mistake on Suisei's end to try and understand Lady Ouro from a human perspective. She couldn't help it though. It was nearly impossible not to associate her as a person when she took on the appearance of a beauty.

"Indeed, what you said does suggest a discrepancy, doesn't it?" Lady Ouro exclaimed, "But are you sure you want to know the answer?"

"Why not? Is the answer going to break us?" Marine replied, bold as usual.

"Perhaps. The mortal mind has strange limitations. Sometimes your resolve burns brighter than the most powerful stars. Other times, you're weak and feeble as a newborn baby. Highest of highs, lowest of lows. The volatility is astounding. Never a dull moment."

Suisei raised her head. The top of the stairwell was suddenly in the view. Were they nearing the apex of the spire already? It didn't seem to make sense. It didn't feel like they had been climbing for that long.

"Tell us," she said.

At those words, Lady Ouro stopped and turned back around. She was leaning back on her heels, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

She wants to see our reactions.

"Very well. You can choose to believe what I'm about to say or you can simply dismiss it as the ramblings of a godlike entity. It matters not to me. But since this is what you asked for, I shall try my best to answer," Lady Ouro prefaced, "The worlds that you have been transported to are simulations. They are fabricated realities programmed to recreate events that have occurred in the past. Like Marine said, the purpose of your journeys was to provide me with a front-row seat to observe the main characters of each of those adventures."

...Simulations?

Suisei dropped to her knees, suddenly overwhelmed by nausea.

"D-Does that mean that everyone who we've met are—" Vesper trailed off, his voice shaking as he seemed to process the implications.

"They're real. They're very much real. The Argent Knight, Noel Shirogane, truly existed. As did Princess Kobo Kanaeru and Amelia Watson and her friends. The events that you've experienced over the course of your journey truly did happen. Noel Shirogane discovered the secret cadre of elves and later died while trying to buy time against the unleashed horde. Princess Kobo eradicated Eden and then sacrificed her life to defend against Mount Iya's prophesized eruption. Amelia Watson triggered the world transition to save everyone and Gura. The only differences between the simulations and what occurred in reality were your involvements."

"Oh fuck off..." Marine cursed in disbelief.

"I don't get it. If these were simulations of what unfolded, why was our involvement even necessary? Couldn't you have just observed Noel, Kobo, and Ame yourself?" Suisei asked.