The Strongest Knight
―Gigigii…
An unnatural sound echoed.
It wasn’t the creaking of joints. It was the sound of stuffing and fabric rubbing together, the seams letting out a strained cry.
Right in front of me, the giant teddy bear’s head slowly lifted.
The morning sunlight from the window reflected off its glassy eyes, making them gleam.
Gulp.
The sound of my throat swallowing echoed absurdly loud.
… W-wait.
Hold on a second!
Only now, cold sweat ran down my spine.
Yeah, let’s calm down and think this through, Alice-chan.
Who’s inside that thing again?
Nagaku Einbel. A swordsman who ranked among the top in this country’s underworld.
And one important detail.
I’m the one who killed him yesterday.
Isn’t this bad?
Think about it normally, would someone swear loyalty to the person who killed them? No way. Absolutely not.
If I were in his position, I’d be confident I’d grab the nearest blunt object and start swinging the moment I revived.
A player kill is repaid with a player kill. That’s the unwritten code of gamers.
So then, why did he press “Accept”?
The answer is simple.
To kill me… maybe!?
Pretend to go along with it, get close, and then slit my throat in my sleep.
Or maybe go on a rampage in this room and destroy my position as a duke’s daughter…!?
No, before that, there’s something else I need to think about.
Which “version” of him is about to wake up…?
The people in this world don’t realize they’re inside a game. Their memories are sealed, and they believe this fantasy world is reality.
If Nagaku was revived in that state, then he’d probably think, “I somehow turned into a bear, but that girl in front of me is my enemy!” right?
But if…
If dying once made him log out and regain his memories as a player?
“Don’t screw with me! You turned me into a bear!? I’m reporting this to the admins!”
If he starts yelling something like that, that’s a whole different kind of headache!
No matter which way it goes, this is nothing but a landmine!
I slowly backed away, reaching for the dagger hidden beneath my skirt.
I can draw it anytime.
At the end of the day, it’s just a lump of cloth and stuffing.
If it attacks me, I’ll tear it to shreds this time and turn it back into a crafting material.
―Zuzu…
The bear moved.
But it wasn’t the comical movement you’d expect from a stuffed toy.
It kept its center of gravity low, eliminating all unnecessary motion, a warrior’s bearing. Using its short limbs skillfully, it stood up on the bed without making a sound.
That pressure.
Even with its round, adorable form, the presence it emitted was exactly that same “sword demon” I had faced in the warehouse last night.
It’s coming…!
I braced myself.
I held my breath, tensed my muscles. Strike first, win first. The instant it lunges, I counter and slice open the seam at its neck…!
The bear slowly turned toward me.
Its beady eyes looked down at me.
And then…
―Saah
With a smooth motion, the bear stepped down from the bed and knelt at my feet.
It placed its short right hand over its chest and bowed deeply, respectfully. It was the highest form of fealty a knight would show to royalty.
… Huh?
While I stood there dumbfounded, the stitched mouth of the bear seemed to twist slightly.
Then, a deep, resonant baritone voice echoed out, like it came from the depths of its belly.
“... It is an honor to make your acquaintance, My Lord.”
Whaaaaaaaaaat!?
That voice is so deep!!
It looks like a fancy teddy bear, but its voice is that of a battle-hardened general!?
“U-um… N-Nagaku-san… right?”
When I hesitantly asked, the teddy bear, Nagaku, gave a solemn nod.
“Yes. That was indeed what I was once called.”
The teddy bear answered respectfully.
“However, you may call me whatever you wish now. The only truth that matters is that this soul exists as your loyal blade… that alone is certain.”
No hostility…? I don’t sense any killing intent. Just steel-like loyalty.
I relaxed my guard a little and sat back down on the edge of the bed.
“Then… Nagaku-san.”
I voiced the thing I was most curious about.
“Don’t you… resent me? For killing you?”
Nagaku fell silent for a few seconds.
His glass eyes stared straight at me.
“… Resentment, you say. Perish the thought.”
He gently shook his head.
“The me of that time and the me now are distinctly different. The me now understands. That this world is an artificial ‘—’.”
―Zzzzt.
An unpleasant noise cut off his words.
“… Hm?”
“… Ah.”
Nagaku and I looked at each other at the same time.
That noise just now, it was the same as when I tried to say it before killing Dogorgon Oniisama.
The word “game.”
It was being forcibly censored by the system of this world. Apparently, Nagaku could hear the noise too.
“… I see. It seems I have touched upon a ‘forbidden term.’”
Nagaku made a gesture as if stroking his chin with his short hand and nodded in understanding.
“Then allow me to rephrase.”
He straightened his posture and faced me again.
“I am aware that you are the chosen ‘Savior.’”
“Eh…”
I reacted slightly to that word.
Savior. That was the “role” given to me by that annoying AI, Pyupure. Something the residents of this world shouldn’t be able to know.
“… Hey, Nagaku-san. How do you know I’m the ‘Savior’? Did someone tell you?”
Nagaku nodded, skillfully tilting his stuffed head.
“Yes. That was when I was once… in the afterlife.”
The afterlife.
For me, who knows this is a ‘game,’ that would be the real world…
“It was precisely when I was asked whether or not I would be revived as a subordinate.”
Nagaku turned his glass eyes somewhere distant, as if recalling the scene.
“A strange… somewhat noisy being that shone in rainbow colors appeared. That one called itself ‘Pyupure.’”
“… Ah.”
I couldn’t help but look up at the ceiling. I could vividly picture Pyupure smugly explaining things with that self-satisfied look.
“When I hesitated to accept, that being called Pyupure interrupted from the side. ‘The one who killed you is a Savior who willingly dirtied herself to save the world!’ it said. ‘So rather than resent her, you should be grateful and work like a beast of burden!’… or so it claimed.”
“…………”
Yeah, that sounds exactly like something it would say.
Well, in this case, thanks to Pyupure, Nagaku-san became my subordinate like this… so maybe I should be grateful for once.
I let out a small sigh and relaxed my shoulders.
“I see… Yeah, that’s right. Just like it said.”
I smiled sweetly.
I’m not lying. I am the Savior, and it’s true that I plan to defeat the final boss and save the world.
The part where I was thinking “leveling is fun!”, well, that can go with me to the grave.
Nagaku nodded deeply.
“Then there is no reason for me to withhold my cooperation… I too have no falsehood in my desire to save my comrades trapped in this unreasonable world. For that sake, I am prepared to offer myself to you, no matter what becomes of me.”
Placing his short hand over his chest, Nagaku declared firmly.
Oh wow…
What a noble mindset.
Meanwhile, I’m over here thinking “leveling is fun!” and “I got an SSR-tier rare material!”, this guy is a genuine saint.
Alice-chan, you should be ashamed.
Even in the form of a teddy bear, his noble spirit remains intact. I couldn’t help but feel moved.
“Leave it to me, My Lord.”
Nagaku nodded powerfully and spoke with full confidence.
His voice was as dashing as ever, practically vibrating my eardrums.
“Though I have died once, the martial skill engraved into this soul has not diminished in the slightest. In my hands, scattering the rabble that gather around you would be a trivial matter.”
He raised his right hand smoothly, staring into empty space with his glass eyes.
“If I but grasp a sword, no matter the enemy, I shall cut them down…”
He suddenly froze mid-sentence.
Tilting his head in confusion, “Hm?”, Nagaku looked at his right hand. What was there was a brown, round, clawless lump of fabric.
“… M-my fingers… are gone!?”
Ah, so he just realized he’s a teddy bear…
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