The Darkness Was Comfortable for Me

Chapter 132: Overcoming Nature or the Whereabouts of the Truth ※Celica POV

I take the smartphone from Kenji-san at a place further away from the building.

It is the one used for the timing of the release and to order the methods used.

The one I am contacting is Izuna-san, and she properly knows the reasons for this time’s confinement, and she understands it. It shouldn’t turn into something weird.

Even overseas, you can use IP phones, and it can only be used through Wi-Fi, so there’s no problem.

“…For now, this is a wrap.” (Celica)

“Good work~. Sorry, I am not of use at times like these.” (Karen)

Karen, who barely spoke since entering the house of Grandfather, looked apologetic as she said this, but it is the opposite.

It is because I am only useful on stuff like this that I have to be the one doing this or there would be no point.

“I will have you work to death with the burning scheme… Well, I will also have to quickly go to the translation side too.” (Celica)

You could say that I will also be busy from here on.

Karen has already finished the translation AI after all.

However, the actual translation work begins from here on. Moreover, we are already a few hours late compared to other research teams.

In the Brother burning plan, we have to go around setting fires in countries around the world. It won’t only be Karen, I will have to help out too, and I will also have to show up the face of a brave little sister with tears in my eyes to the mass media in order to heat things up too.

I use my own smartphone to contact my own team.

The first language we are going to translate has been decided after all.

The Ringpill Continent that Brother has been sent to. We will begin translation from that official language.

◇◆◆◆◇

Brother was flamed to an amusing extent just as planned.

Especially in Japan, the flames were far beyond imagination. I didn’t expect that there would even be an idiot who would set our house on fire, but that instead became a good excuse to have our parents resolve on moving.

There were actually a lot of dangerous moments before Brother could get out from the forest.

But even with that, maybe because of the fires, Brother became the top in viewership, and along came the benefits of it. He managed to get more crystals than any Chosen. It is roundabout, but my contribution must have served big in him managing to get out of the forest.

Of course, Brother was the one who worked the hardest.

The synergy of the Dark Spirit Abilities and the Affection of Spirits, and most of all, the indomitable strength of mind of Brother, were what allowed him to escape from that long long forest.

That’s why he could escape the forest.

He managed to survive.

I had lowered my guard.

Because I was on my nerves the whole time.

I thought that we would be okay for now.

Now, all that’s left is to clean things up. He wouldn’t be facing any immediate life threatening dangers, and with the Spirit Abilities he nurtured in the forest, he should even be able to solidify his lifestyle…

That’s what I thought.

[Pin Pon Pan! It is time to announce the rankings for the total viewers of the Chosen!]

Those words resonate on the screen.

The announcement from God alone was for some reason not in isekai language, but in a weird God language that allowed everyone to understand no matter who hears it.

By the way, it sounded like japanese to me.

[Congratulations, Chosen Number 1,000, Kurose Hikaru, you shone as the number 1 in the 1st Total Viewers Ranking! As a prize for winning, you have been awarded 3 Points!]

I was listening to that announcement in a daze.

I was drinking mariage freres tea.

Guess I will enjoy a long nice sleep in a while after I watch what happens here for a bit.

I even thought that.

“Onii-chan is first place, huh. If he had gotten those points sooner, it would have been a bit easier.” (Celica)

“Right-nii~. God really has bad timing.” (Karen)

“Right?” (Celica)

Honestly speaking, I even felt a sense of achievement.

That was most likely the same for Brother.

Even though he should be tired, he has an incredibly refreshed face.

He has a bit of tears falling down from the happiness of getting out from the forest.

After that, he even leaked out a smile he hasn’t shown in a while, and Karen and I were truly relieved by this.

Until the moment God announced the addition of a new function.

[And! From here on, you can get messages from the viewers on Earth! A mailbox has been added to the Status Board, so please confirm it.]

The sudden announcement made me do a spit-take with my tea.

“Cough cough! You are kidding, right?! Why this timing?! Karen!” (Celica)

I instruct my little sister who is sitting in front of the computer.

If it is Karen who can easily go over 10 characters in one second, she should be able to send Brother a message faster than anyone.

I figured the ability to send messages would be added at some point in time.

But to think it would be with this timing!

I knew it. God is our enemy.

I thought that maybe Brother had been transferred by coincidence.

But why in this very moment when he has finally gotten out of the forest?

“Karen, did you send it?! It is fine to send hundreds, so hurry—” (Celica)

But what I saw was Karen with a red face in front of the computer.

“C-Celican…what should I send Onii…? Do your best…?” (Karen)

“Y-You idiot! When it comes to Onii-chan, this girl really turns into an airhead…” (Celica)

I forcefully move my little sister aside, and send a message to Brother.

But on the TV screen on the wall, there’s Brother who has opened the messages, and is standing there, spaced out.

There’s not even the need to confirm what kind of insults he must have received from the messages he saw.

“…We didn’t make it in time…huh… Onii-chan…” (Celica)

“C-Celica… I am sorry… I…” (Karen)

“It can’t be helped. It is the fault of God…” (Celica)

I obviously had already accounted for the possibility that the message function would be implemented without any previous notice.

That’s why the ‘setting fire onto Brother’ in itself was a gamble of sorts.

The chances of him dying in the forest without being able to get viewers.

The chances of the message function being added before he got out from the forest.

But if it is messages, if it is me or Karen, I had the confidence that we could send a message first.

It was a gamble with plenty enough chances of winning.

—We are purposely setting the fire only to obtain viewers, so don’t worry.

—Our family is all doing well, so it is okay.

—Live.

That’s what I intended to tell him.

Even though I understood plenty well that this would happen if I were to fail.

That’s why, it is not Karen or God who are at fault here…

The sight of Brother on the screen in tears trying to explain was stabbing my heart.

I am the one who orchestrated this situation.

It is what I chose in order to save Brother.

“Onii-chan…did I make a mistake…?” (Celica)

That figure of Brother with an ashen face dyed in despair, walking unsteadily, ended with me being unable to send him my words of apology.

“Celican…at this rate, Onii is going to die… What should we do…? What would be the best thing to do? I am sending him messages, but…he is not opening them… What do we…do…?” (Karen)

“It is okay. That’s our Onii-chan there, you know. He won’t be dying so easily.” (Celica)

I didn’t feel like blaming my little sister.

One part because there’s no point in doing so, but most of all, I myself had been caught completely off-guard. Even if I had sent the message, there’s a high chance I would have been one step too late.

“Onii-chan…” (Celica)

I could only watch Brother staggering on his feet.

I really am happy that Brother has managed to barely keep himself alive.

But I didn’t want to break his heart.

How can I save the heart of Brother?

…We still have things we can do.

“Karen, we are moving. Let’s prepare ourselves to back up Onii-chan, in a way that we can support him no matter the situation.” (Celica)

“Yeah, that’s my intention too, but…what do we do with that guy?” (Karen)

I intended to release ‘that guy’ -Ozawa- and have him be arrested by the police once Brother had reached a safe place.

But the situation has changed.

The message system is made in a way that you have to open the old ones first and go up from there. The message box of Brother must be filled with unread foul insults. The chance of Brother opening those is low.

In other words, even if we were to release Ozawa here and messages turning their hand were to reach Brother, the chances of him opening those are unbelievably low.

—Then there’s little meaning in letting those viewers go.

I don’t know if God has evil intent. There’s the chance that it was bad timing. But with the fact that ‘Brother was coincidentally chosen’, I have been feeling like that chance is low.

I will keep Ozawa for a bit more as an insurance to go against the ill-intent.

“Let’s leave Ozawa for a bit more.” (Celica)

“Got it.” (karen)

By orchestrating the biggest fire of this century, we managed to make Brother the most viewed Chosen.

Thinking about the number of crystals he used to escape, even when he was 1st place, it was still a really close call, so the decision itself wasn’t a mistake.

But not clearing his name in the turning point that was the 10th day was a clear blunder.

We ourselves had almost all of our emotional bar taken away in the time when Brother was risking his life, and we couldn’t make a composed decision in time.

Even though…I could have released Ozawa at a sooner timing, have him arrested, and make them all turn around…

“I made a mistake… Hey, scold me…Onii-chan…” (Celica)

My words couldn’t reach Brother.