The Case of Being Reincarnated as a Heretic Mob Character in an Eroge Where Everyone is Extremely Determined - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Victims’ Meeting

I was suffocated by the intense heat and humidity when I woke up.

Reflexively trying to rub my eyes, I was surprised to find that both my hands and feet were intact.

I was alive and well.

A moment of disorientation. It was more a sense of resignation than joy, a feeling that stemmed from thoughts like, ‘She won’t kill me yet?’ or ‘If you’re going to do it, hurry up.’

After stretching my dominant hand, I shifted my attention to my son, who had woken up full of energy in the morning.

This isn’t a dirty joke, but I genuinely believe that you can feel relieved as long as you can get a morning er*ction.

Writhing against Joanne’s thigh, which my spirited son was pressing against, I mustered all my strength to escape from her embrace.

“…Phew.”

Perhaps it was thanks to sleeping in a proper bed, but it seemed I had gotten a pretty good night’s sleep.

My back and shoulders, which had been stiff lately, felt lighter. I wasn’t sleepy, and my thoughts were crystal clear.

Despite not intending to, I owe Joanne for a good night’s sleep.

I’ll at least be grateful for that.

“Excuse me.”

Leaving those words for Joanne, who was sound asleep and breathing peacefully, I unlocked the double locks that had been placed on the room.

As I twisted the doorknob to leave, I was met with a strange resistance, and the door wouldn’t open.

(…A triple lock huh?)

I turned the hidden latch that was out of sight and stepped outside.

A man coming out of Joanne’s room in the early morning is bound to start rumors.

Knowing the layout of the old castle perfectly, I moved silently, making sure no one would find me as I headed for the exit.

Luckily, I didn’t run into the cult leader or any other Executives, so I let out a sigh of relief as I reached for the grand entrance door.

A loud clank echoed. I almost let out a gasp. The sound must have carried quite a bit in the early morning.

After all, the castle’s interior was designed to carry sound well—

As that thought raced through my mind, a dignified female voice pierced through the air and hit me in the back.

“That silhouette… could it be Oakley-kun? What a coincidence to meet here.”

It was Juanquiro. She might be the last person I wanted to encounter.

I immediately turned around and bowed deeply. She stopped about a meter away from me and sniffed curiously.

“You smell like Joanne… Don’t tell me you’ve been staying in her room?”

“…Yes, I was told I should stay.”

“…Hehe. You really are full of contradictions, aren’t you? Try not to lose your way.”

I knew I was harboring contradictions. I suppressed my irritation in my fist.

Not wanting her to see my face twisted with repressed emotions, I kept my head bowed until Juanquiro left.

If you show a rebellious attitude, you will be mercilessly subjected to brainwashing under the guise of re-education.

You must behave as if you barely possess a self…

After she left, I entered a cave at the foot of the mountain.

At the end of the path, which was maintained like a mine shaft, there was an armory.

I had come to maintain my equipment to increase my chances of survival in the upcoming Metashim battle, even if just slightly.

I hid a chainmail stolen from the Orthodox soldiers under my clothes to reduce the chances of my skin being wounded. I sharpened the iron sword thoroughly and checked the crossbow for any malfunctions.

These tools literally hold my life; no matter how many times I check them, I can never be too sure.

While checking my equipment, a new visitor arrived at the armory.

I braced myself, thinking it might be another Executive, but it was just a mob Believer wearing a jet-black robe.

“…”

“…”

I stopped my work and faced the mob Believer across the shelf where the crossbow and leather plates were placed.

It was the early morning in the armory, and no one else was awake; we probably both thought, ‘This guy seems a little suspicious.’

When suspicion creeps in, it poisons your thought processes, and the truth becomes obscured by a mist.

For some reason, we ended up in a tense stalemate, maintaining a certain distance from each other.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

“What brings you here?”

“What were you doing?”

He’s a young man about my age.

However, his eyes shone brighter than the other Believers.

Most of the other Believers either have crazed eyes or the dead eyes of a fish. He’s neither.

“I’m preparing for the battle in Metashim.”

“I see.”

“And you?”

“I’m doing the same. I wanted to secure my armor early.”

“Is that so?”

The young man picked up a plate and tapped it lightly with the second joint of his middle finger to check its strength.

He took his eyes off me and started looking at the crossbow and knife, so I went back to my original work.

…It seems I was too cautious. Even staying at the cult’s base, I couldn’t relax, and now I’ve gotten jumpy around just a regular Believer.

We continue with our tasks. I’m not one for small talk as a rule.

I’m afraid of letting something slip about my knowledge from a previous life during idle conversation, and I don’t want to stand out among the mob.

Well, up until now, by keeping silent, I’ve been able to live as one of the ‘vast majority’ of mob Believers, but recently, I can’t delude myself into thinking I’m just one of the many.

Where would you find a normal Believer who gets to spend a night with an Executive?

At the very least, I’m starting to stand out a bit.

I’ve always been a person who prefers solitude, and I’m fine with having a presence that goes unnoticed by everyone.

Anyway, I don’t think there’s anyone who wants to flock together in a cult like this.

(…So there are people in the cult who want to increase their survival rate. I thought I was the only Believer who was that thoughtful.)

While stealing glances at the young man from earlier, I begin to mix the herbs I gathered in the mountains on a nearby table.

It wouldn’t hurt to prepare some poison for the crossbow bolts, as well as hemostatic agents and healing medicines for emergency treatment.

The knowledge of how to mix usable herbs is repurposed from my knowledge of the original work.

Watching the young man adjusting weapons and armor, it seems he is mixing a different kind of medicine.

Curious about what he’s making, I watch him, and he looks back at my hands in turn.

“…”

“…”

It felt like looking into a mirror. Perhaps it was that ludicrous scene that broke the tension in the armory, as we caught each other’s eyes and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“We seem to get along well, I guess.”

“Haha, rare things do happen.”

The atmosphere shifted from being distant to one where we hit it off completely.

The passion for survival emanating from the young man, his extensive knowledge, and an aura even more inclined to build walls between himself and others than mine… All these elements fostered an indescribable sense of trust.

In essence, the scent of a ‘kindred spirit.’

His gestures carried a scent that was unmistakably similar to mine, impossible to fully conceal.

“How did you come to be a part of this cult, Oakley-san?”

“Well, I’ve been here since I was born.”

“Haha, same here. So you didn’t join the cult of your own free will either.”

From our light introductions, I found out that his name seemed to be Steve.

Like me, he was kidnapped as a young child and somehow managed to survive through gritted teeth and vomiting blood.

Amidst our amiable conversation, we subtly shared our discomfort with the cult and a faint mutual hostility.

We couldn’t expose our thoughts directly, like saying we had doubts about the cult’s policies and objectives—so we expressed ourselves only through allegory.

Apparently, Steve had his doubts about the numerous actions of the cult that didn’t shy away from murder.

He saw Aaros as a leader worthy of respect, but there were parts of his behavior that were hard to accept…. It’s truly remarkable to have such a strong following, so he hoped that they wouldn’t engage in actions that strayed too far from reason. That’s when he met me.

Steve isn’t completely free from brainwashing, but he retains a part of sanity that is commonly understood.

Also, the fact that he uses very indirect expressions suggests that he understands it’s dangerous to speak out within the stronghold.

Like me, he questions the current state of the cult, and it’s likely that he has even considered defecting to the orthodox side.

I think he’s a trustworthy guy.

“…You seem different from the others, like someone I can talk to. I’m glad there’s someone like me.”

“Me too.”

Steve is one of the few within the cult who can perceive the abnormalities that the other Believers are not even aware of the discomfort. Both are victims of Aaros.

Raised from birth as excellent pawns of the Aaros Temple Order, they know nothing else.

The Guru Aarlos is like a god, and everything he does is right.

Everything else is evil. For example, Kenneth Orthodox is a bad organization that interferes with us.

After being indoctrinated with such beliefs for years, even decades, most Believers have stopped questioning…
Meeting a Believer like Steve was almost a miracle.

We shared with each other the methods of concocting medicines, further deepening our bond.

“Let’s survive together, Oakley.”

“Yeah. I’m glad I got to talk to Steve.”

Tomorrow is finally the day of deployment.

…..

In the interrogation room within the base, Juanquiro Legacy was twirling her snow-white hair with her fingertips.

She yawned out of boredom, then began to fix the hair she had been fiddling with so much.

“Ah… this is the worst.”

Waiting for someone, Juanquiro repeatedly sighed and started to maintain the torture tools.

She grew increasingly irritated upon finding blood rust and deformations, and eventually, out of annoyance, she didn’t bother with proper maintenance and settled for a mere status check.

Juanquiro was leaning back in a chair equipped with restraints when finally, the person she had been waiting for arrived.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“You’re late, Pork.”

The figure that appeared in front of the interrogation room door was a stunning beauty in men’s clothing.

Her glossy black hair was cut short and tied back in a single bundle.

Her mysterious grey eyes harmonized with the stagnant air of the interrogation room, and upon spotting Juanquiro, the woman with thin pink lips gently twisted them into a smile.

“It’s unusual, Juanquiro. For you to ask a favor of me.”

Her name was Pork Tedrotus. She had a slender model’s figure that suited men’s suits perfectly.

Upon being addressed by Pork, Juanquiro began to explain the reason she had summoned her.

“I called you here for no other reason. There’s someone I want you to keep an eye on.”

“Surveillance? Who exactly?”

“…Oakley Mercury.”

Pork’s eyes twitched for a moment. She was familiar with the name of that particular Believer.

“Oakley, isn’t he the one who’s been the talk of the recent rumors lately? I’ve heard he’s an excellent Believer, but why the need to monitor him?”

“It’s for personal reasons.”

She simply doesn’t like the fact that such a man has started to be recognized by Aaros-sama. In other words, it’s spitefulness—Juanquiro swallowed her words.

Juanquiro and Pork weren’t the kind of friends who could expose their weaknesses to each other.

That’s why she hated it. The idea of owing Pork anything.

Juanquiro stubbornly refused to give a reason. Pork, quickly sensing this, moved the conversation forward without touching on personal matters.

“Hmm? If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t ask for details.”

“That helps. I don’t care how you do it, just keep an eye on Oakley for a while.”

“I’m not free either, you know. I think you should be doing this kind of thing yourself.”

“…Shut up.”

Pork chuckled behind her white gloves, covering her mouth with a snicker.

Juanquiro fidgeted with her hair, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

“So, when will you start keeping watch?”

“I can’t start right away. As soon as everything is ready, I’ll begin with the autonomous operation type…”

“Ah—so you’re using that. I don’t care about the method, as long as you keep watch, that’s fine by me.”

After their unsettling conversation, the two quickly wrapped up their meeting and parted ways.

“…Pork, if there’s anyone you want to interrogate, let me know, okay? I owe you one, so I’ll give you extra service.”

“Haha, I’ll take you up on that when the time comes. See ya.”

The conversation, aside from the matter of the request, was one of those empty exchanges where they seemed to be gauging each other’s expressions.

However, this was their daily routine.