Chapter 20 – J-just take it easy, okay? (ほ、ほどほどにね？)

....Ughhhhhhhhh.....

I planned on confessing everything in due time, but I see you've gone and blabbed on me, Mammon-sama.

As a result, the big reveal came out much sooner than expected.

And the so-called result is....

"So you're telling me that in your past life, you, Isabella, thinking it was all a game, defeated dragons and the like, conquered dungeons, and plundered them of all their treasures. Then upon reincarnating here, you were able to take along the Status you acquired and your past memories—does that sound about right?"

Um... that's not quite right? I didn't slay dragons while thinking it was all a game, it was a game. Also, although they were called dungeons, they mainly acted as minigames with the traps serving as puzzles, and the treasures were merely a reward for completing them. I didn't actually plunder anything."

"Treating dungeon traps as mere minigames to clear, your ability must have been remarkable~ Isabella, what was your Job in your previous life? An Adventurer?"

"You're wrong~!! It wasn't like that~!! It really was just a minigame!! Also, as I said before, my occupation was like a receptionist of sorts, and the game was just a hobby, not a Job or Profession!!"

"Hmm... You did say that, but... 'A receptionist who can interact with people all over the country, performing your duties using only your voice without even needing to show yourself' was your real job. While on breaks from said job, you'd defeat dragons as a hobby..... No matter how you think it, in terms of compensation or effort needed, aren't the primary and secondary jobs reversed?"

Like. I. Said.... it's not like that———!!

What kind of receptionist goes around dragon hunting during her breaks like some kind of game?!

Someone help me!!

With my lack of vocabulary and pathetic explanations, I can't describe anything about my past life properly!!

And there's an especially huge misunderstanding about the minigames I played to earn game points!!

It may partially be due to my ridiculously high HP and MP in this life, but he thinks I actually hunted dragons and other huge monsters in my past life!!

Even if I say it was just a game, he thinks I mean it as 'a game of sports or a wager', and it's not getting through to him quite right!!

Someone!! Is there anyone in the audience who is capable of explaining 20XX Japan's news and situation, along with Japan’s isekai subculture to an otherworlder———?!

"U~m.... it seems I'm not getting it at all, huh..."

"No, that's not.... it's my fault for not being able to explain it better. If only it was regarding car insurances, I wouldn't have a problem explaining the quotations...."

But in this world, where cars don't exist, let alone driving licenses... I can't think of many opportunities where car insurance would be useful.

"It doesn't look like the meaning would get across even if I continued on blindly making explanations, so instead, how about if you asked questions about anything in my explanation that bothered you, and I'll answer those? I feel this would help you understand it better, but what do you think?"

"Sounds good to me~ Let's go with that. Then~ Isabella, you said that in your past life, you saw the several patterns of events that would happen in this life. Shall we start with that?"

The Otome Game routes, yes?

That helps since it would be the most important issue in this life for myself as well.

I don't have the confidence to face my destruction route alone, so nothing would be more reassuring than knowing that Ursch-kun is here for me.

After spending a few hours answering Ursch-kun with all his questions, he managed to organise all the information both smoothly and efficiently.

....Even though I was around my thirties in my past life, I'm losing to a 6-year-old boy in terms of intelligence.

"There are still a lot of things I don't understand, but Isabella, what you fear most right now is the compelling force that would realise your future vision, right?"

'Yes, that's right. Even if I deviated from the events of my future vision, what if this world had a will of its own at work, and my wish to get married to you goes unfulfilled? It's what I'm most worried about."

Yes, that right there is the problem.

What I'd hate the most, without a doubt, is being unable to marry Ursch-kun.

"I see~ ....Hehehe. It'll be fine, y'know? Because I definitely won't let something like that happen. I too absolutely hate the idea of having to let you go, Isabella."

"Thank you, Ursch-kun. I humbly request your cooperation in ensuring that I safely get married to you."

"By the way, I have one last question for you, would that be all right?"

After saying so, Ursch-kun approached the chair I was sitting in. He knelt down before me, both hands firmly holding my head in place as he stared up at me.

Ursch-kun!! You're so close!! Your face is so close!!

I'm so happy!! What a treat!! I want him to go on and kiss me!!

But somehow, the aura around him is terrifying!! Is he mad about something?!

"W-w-w-what is it?"

"Isabella, between the future me you saw in your past life and the me here right now, who do you like more?"

"Huh? .......H~m. I guess the Ursch-kun right now?"

It's true that I started liking him because of my past memories, but now I like the flesh-and-blood Ursch-kun, even including his dark personality that pops out every so often... I guess?

I feel like my affection and further understanding of him gained from this life is simply being piled unto the affection I had from my past life, but I can say with certainty that the me now likes the person known as Ursch-kun.

Not as the game character, but as the real Ursch-kun.

"I see, thank goodness~. Also, I had a feeling that you were seeing someone else through me, Isabella. I'm glad I finally cleared up on who it was. So you were looking at the future me.... But for my future self to be a rival in both love and alchemy... I feel complicated. In the end, it's a battle against myself~."

"About the alchemy part... I've brought some things that future Ursch-kun had created with alchemy in my past life, would you like to see them for reference?"

I'm scared to think of the further modifications he might make with magic, but they look like they'd make good learning tools.

"That's another thing I don't quite understand. Why were you able to buy my merchandise from this life, moreover from my future self, during your past life? No matter how much I think about it, I can't wrap my head around it."

"I don't know much about that either.... Incidentally, the lemonade I had offered before was also a creation of Ursch-kun."

It's actually pretty weird to hear the past Ursch-kun drinking something made by a future Ursch-kun, huh.

''It looks like I'll have to force myself to come to terms with it on account that your 【Closet】 is a Space-Time Magic, which transcends time itself, Isabella..... Space-Time Magic, huh. How nice... I should learn it at all costs."

If it's Ursch-kun, then he'd probably actually learn it somehow.

He owns that cheating Accelerated Skill Acquisition Rate skill of his after all.

"Also, while I don't like the fact that it looks like I'm begging my rival, a.k.a my future self to provide me knowledge, since you already have them, would you mind showing me what the future me created?"

Without further ado, I take out the "S-Rare" and "Rare" masterpieces that future Ursch-kun created.

In addition, I presented him with the many duplicates I had.

In order to thoroughly examine and study them, one would need to have a few extras free for dismantling and the like.

Not to mention, these items would bring about confusion if I were to ever be seen with them, so I can't use any of them.

But if the present Ursch-kun were able to recreate it, it wouldn't be strange for me to be in possession of them, so I might even be able to use them out in public!

Ursch-kun closely examined the magic items that I took out of the 【Closet】, one after another.

He was left speechless by just the "Rare Items".

"Hey, Isabella...... Did I really make all of this in the future?"

"That's what I've been saying, haven't I? There were multiples of each item, so I don't think you would be able to own or sell that many unless you made them yourself."

"I see.......... Heh..... Heh heh heh. I'll definitely surpass him. That man my Isabella liked, I'll definitely surpass him.”

No no, Ursch-kun, "that man" is you from an alternate universe, you know?

"J-just take it easy, okay? At present, I like the current you much more, so you don't have to push yourself too hard, all right?"

Envy-san: I'm here too, you know...　←A bigger cheat than the Accelerated Skill Acquisition Rate.