nhp | (Sutamai) 'Placed Under a Spell of Popularity', Part 5

31.

-Archdemon’s Chamber-

Rei: (So this person is the Archdemon…… He’s a million—no, a billion—times more curious-looking than I had thought.)

(How should I put it. It’s all well and fine that his face is just like everyone else’s...... but that in turn means that he’s polished up on his frightfulness……)

YOU: Surely you didn’t shamelessly come all this way only to have no business with me?

Rei: …… Hngh, err…… Ummm……

Purplish deep red hair and aqua grey eyes.

His features were as beautiful as he was terrifying. But despite speaking casually through-and-through……

Rei: (What’s with this pressure where it’s like he’s thinking, “Is there actually someone in this world who dares to defy me?”!!???)

IMAOJI: Are you okay?

Rei: I-I’m fine!

(That’s right. I can’t just stand around being all intimidated. I have to tell it to him straight! Right here, right now!)

I gathered my resolve and sternly faced the Archdemon, I mean, YOU-san.

Rei: Ummm!! It seems like you happened to overhear the careless joke of a wish in my head!

YOU: I certainly did overhear it. And what of it?

Rei: (Even if you did do it on some pretext of granting wishes, suddenly placing spells on people, like, what’s your problem!?)

(It’s not like I want to be saying such things as this in regards to your act of “kindness”, but you’re really causing me a whole heap of trouble here!)

(Please release me from this spell at once!)

YOU: ……

IMAOJI: …… Rei-san.

YOU: Goodness, Alice. I can practically tell what it is that you want to say from just looking at your face~

Why don’t you go on and say it out loud for me now?

Rei: ……

(Could you please perhaps first rein in that aura of yours that seems to turn people into dust in two seconds……)

(If only I could say something like that……)

YOU: Well, if all you’re looking to do is to stand around being silent, then jump out of that window there and be on your way.

Rei: I’ll speak!? I’ll say it!! I’ll talk quickly and all!!!

YOU: Go on~

Rei: U-Ummm…… It’s really kind of causing me trouble, so……

It would help me out big time if you could undo the spell and turn me back to normal……

YOU: ……

What “spell”?

Rei: (H-He’s playing dumb!?)

33.

-Archdemon’s Chamber-

Rei: The spell, you know, the spell!!

The p-popularity spell that you cast on me……

YOU: What’s that~?

Rei: THAT’S WHAT I’D LIKE TO ASK!

(Oh darn it. I retorted back in the heat of the moment!)

(This won’t do at all. I need to calmly, and prudently……)

Y-You’ve cast an un-perfected and incomplete spell of popularity on me.

And you’re the one who graciously invited me to this Land of the Popular.

Or so that’s what I hear from SUGANO-san……

YOU: Right…… By “spell”, you mean the good luck charm.

Come to think of it, SUGANO did go ahead and call it something odd.

Rei: (Er, yeah, they’re both weird names either way…… Ugh, whatever. That part isn’t a big deal.)

A-Anyways!

Thanks to that, having “enchanting earlobes”...

… Or the “ideal head size” or be it my “running form”...

I’m popular over reasons that make no sense whatsoever and it’s causing me a lot of trouble!

(Oh lord, after having to explain it all over again, nothing really does make sense anymore!!)

YOU: Aren’t you glad that you got your wish?

You wanted to become so popular that nothing made sense anymore after all.

Rei: I-I’ll admit that it was a thoughtless want on my part, but……

It’s not what I had in mind when it came to how I would be popular.

This is a complete one-eighty of it, or like, it’s different on at least two other levels!

YOU: You’re a selfish one.

Well, I’ve got nothing to do right now anyway, so if it’s just once more then I won’t mind granting you your wish as you so desire.

Rei: !

(Score! Finally, I’ll be safely free from the spell……)

YOU: And of course, I assume that you’re prepared to pay the price for it?

Rei: …… Huh?

YOU: If you were thinking that you could ask a favor of the “Archdemon” for free, and many times over at that, then that was foolish of you.

Rei: !!??

Sensing incomparable waves of danger, I drew back.

Rei: U-Um, I…… I just remembered that there’s something I have to be doing so I’ll be on my way now!

I’ll rethink the matter of my wish to have the spell lift off of me. Let’s get going, IMAOJI-san!

IMAOJI: ……

Rei: (My life is my highest priority, more so than undoing the spell……)

Well then, sorry to have bothered you!

Thinking that, I turned to walk in the direction of the exit.

YOU: IMAOJI.

IMAOJI: Understood.

Rei: Huh!?

That was when IMAOJI-san, who was supposed to have been silently watching it all go down……

... Went to stand in front of the door with a smile on his face as if he were there to block my path.

Rei: …… What… are you doing...... may I ask?

IMAOJI: My apologies, Rei-san.

It would seem that you are not allowed to pass through here.

Rei: N-No, oh my god, what, no! What’s the meaning of this……

YOU: I don’t know what you were thinking…

But this white rabbit here is another one of my familiars.

Rei: !!?

35.

-Archdemon’s Chamber-

Rei: IMAOJI-san……

W-Were you deceiving me!?

IMAOJI: Consequently, that does seem to be the case. I’m sorry.

In the first place, I went to that other world to collect you under YOU-san’s orders.

Rei: Then, the reason for why you came here together with me was……

IMAOJI: I was told by YOU-san to “guide Alice when she has decided for herself to meet me”.

Oh, but it’s not like I stole your handkerchief or anything.

You really did drop it.

YOU: By the way, IMAOJI was also the person to open up the hole that you fell through~

Rei: WHAT!?

IMAOJI: I didn’t think that YOU-san’s spells would work on me, his familiar, as well.

My plans went a little out of order.

I humbly apologize that the invitation ended up being so rudely handed to you.

Rei: !!

(This person was responsible for exposing my butt to the danger of being wiped out…… Wait, at this point, that doesn’t matter anymore.)

(So this is what is meant by “it’s hard to see what’s right under your nose”...... Is that right…… Crap, my head’s going crazy from the shock of it all.)

(No, wait, what’s crazy are these people!)

The shocking truth and the danger closing in on me.

My thoughts were scattered and jumbled-up.

But what it came down to was that, as of this moment, I had no ally here in this dimension.

Upon reaching that conclusion, I broke out into a cold sweat.

YOU: Now then, I was looking for a guinea pig for all my other spells.

So let’s test them out one by one~

Rei: Don’t you mean “good luck charms”!?

YOU: First up will be…… Oh, so I had something like that.

In order to grow as a person, every influence around you will increase in strength. I call it “The Lion of the Bottomless Ravine Spell”.

Rei: No way, that’s not going to sell. The title is already a flop, and the details are even more of a bust……

YOU: Then how about the “Rose Spell”?

Rei: (...... Oh, that sounds pretty normal…… I fear for myself for even having thought that……)

YOU: Your body will scatter and wilt like that of rose petals.

Rei: P-Please just spare me…

(Let’s rethink things. There’s no way that there’s any decent spell to be had here.)

IMAOJI: It’ll be okay. Since in the end, you should be able to be released from them all.

Rei: The “should” bit is worrying!

No, even if I could get the spells lift off of me, being placed under any more unknown ones would be……

No laughing joke……

(What should I do? If I’m just going to be scattering into a million pieces, then I’d rather turn to my last resort. Should I just go ahead and jump out of the window?)

YOU: …… You’re free to struggle and run all you want, but it’s useless.

The spell will be placed on you regardless of where you are.

Rei: !!

(...... I can’t escape anymore, even with my last resort.)

(If that’s what it comes down to, then…… ugh……)

I was in a desperate situation with no way out.

Having been cornered, I made up my mind…… to unleash a move that one could refer to as “foul play”.

Rei: …… I’ll be having the last laugh now!

IMAOJI: Huh?

YOU: (That vial is an elixir from the Mysterious Forest……)

…… Goodness, so that’s how it’s going to be then.

37.

-Archdemon’s Chamber-

I gulped down one of the potions that I had received from MAKI-san.

The one that would intensify the effects of the spell.

Rei: …… Mmph!!

(I don’t know whether this plan will work or not.)

(Nor am I sure of what to do afterwards if it does, but……)

(I have nothing else but this up my sleeve!)

Behold, IMAOJI-san!!

[SWOOSH]

IMAOJI: !!

I fully revealed to IMAOJI-san the both of my ears that I had been hiding with my hair.

Rei: If you truly do love my earlobes...

Then please save me from the Archdemon!!

IMAOJI: ……

YOU: ……

Slowly, IMAOJI-san began walking up to me. His expressionless face was terrifying.

Rei: (There are probably cases where someone suddenly starts becoming hateful because of the spell being too effective……)

…… Err, um…… You don’t have to save me, just maybe let me go?

I’ll figure something out for myself afterwards……

IMAOJI: ……

Rei: !!

IMAOJI: My apologies.

…… YOU-san.

Rei: (...... Huh?)

YOU: ……

In the next flash, as if going with the flow, IMAOJI-san pulled out “something” from his pocket.

He took position in front of me, all the while aiming the object in his hand at YOU-san.

IMAOJI: I lost to her unopposable “charm”.

Rei: …… Huh? IMAOJI-san!?

(I-Is that…… an authentic pistol!?)

YOU: …… So you’re going to point that thing towards your Master as if under a spell.

I think I’ll pass on you after all. Rabbits have a poor memory that will only pose a nuisance.

IMAOJI: Nevertheless, this is still the result of succumbing to the power of your spell.

Can this not also be taken as the correct conduct for a familiar to follow?

Rei: (Oh god, what should I do!? It ended up turning out to be a lot more violent than I thought it would……)

YOU: Are you honestly thinking of doing me in with a toy like that?

Rei: (Y-Yeah! That’s right!! It’s not like it’s confirmed to be the real deal yet……)

(No, wait, if I start thinking like that……)

[BANG]

Rei: !!

(See! It definitely was the real thing! I’ve seriously had it with this pattern of events!!)

YOU: ……

YOU-san didn’t so much as stir at the sudden firing of the gun that would have definitely grazed his mantle.

IMAOJI: I’ll be sure to take aim with my next shot.

If you still believe it to be a toy, then please feel free to not move out of the way.

Rei: (I g-guess I wasn’t wrong with my first impression.)

(Okay, so a lot can be said about me using underhanded methods to bring him over as my ally, but the most dangerous person was him all along!!)

39.

-Archdemon’s Chamber-

At the end of the standoff, the first one to make a move was…… YOU-san.

YOU: …… Yaaaa…… awwnnn.

Rei: (You’re letting out a big yawn now of all times!?)

IMAOJI: …… Rei-san, now’s your chance……

YOU: Sigh…… I’ve humored you for long enough.

I’ve killed plenty of time as well, so can we call it a break now?

Rei: Err……

YOU: DOWN.

IMAOJI: !

Rei: Huh?

(“Down”? As in……)

The moment YOU-san had swiftly motioned one of his hands downwards as he had looked into IMAOJI-san’s eyes……

I had understood that the change in IMAOJI-san’s expression was as if a spell had been lifted.

Rei: (...... The situation before wasn’t desirable or anything.)

(But I’m getting a bad feeling about this in its own way.)

H-Hey, IMAOJI-san…… Just checking, but what do you think of my ears?

IMAOJI: …… Let’s see now. There isn’t anything peculiar about them. I think they’re a pair of healthy ears.

Rei: !

(So I was right about the effects of the potion having been erased. But has my popularity actually taken a turn for the worst!?)

YOU: You can leave now, IMAOJI. Your efforts are much appreciated.

IMAOJI: Understood.

Well then, Rei-san. If you’ll excuse me.

Rei: Hey, wait!!

[Creak]

[Slam]

Rei: ……

(...... I’m done for……)

YOU: Alice.

Rei: Please spare my life!!! Also, if possible, anything but the spell where I scatter into a million pieces……

YOU: It’s almost time for me to head to bed.

If you want the spell to be lifted off of you, then I’ll do so now, so could you leave?

Rei: Huh…… WHAAAT!? A-Are you serious? You’re going to release me from it? For free!?

YOU: Sure. Yaaawn…… Having you disturb my sleep is more of a bother.

Rei: (S-Stringing me along this whole time only to let it go over a reason like that……)

(Wait, since I have absolutely no idea why it was that I came here in the first place, let’s just forget about it.)

(If I open my mouth and add in something unnecessary like “Is it okay to end things like that!?”......)

(Then the conversation’s going to get complicated again and that’s just a pain to deal with.)

YOU: Alice.

Rei: EEP!? Y-Yes?

(Could you not call out to me so suddenly……)

YOU: It seems like you didn’t take a fancy to the spell this time around, so I’ll ask.

How exactly were you hoping it would go down?

Rei: Huh?

YOU: What were you hoping for by being popular?

Rei: L-Like I said, it was simply a little joke……

YOU: Goodness, is that so? You were reading a book so worthless that it was putting you to sleep, and all for the sake of a joke?

Rei: That’s……

Well, I-I wasn’t kidding when I was thinking about wanting to be popular, but……

(Huh…… How funny.)

(Maybe it’s because, this whole time, I’ve been in this strange world where everyone behaves like such a complete joke...)

(But for some reason…… I can’t remember why I was so desperately wanting to be popular.)

YOU: ……

40.

-Archdemon’s Chamber-

YOU: …… Have you finally realized it?

That there’s no meaning to being “so popular that nothing makes sense anymore”.

Rei: Huh?

YOU: Even if you do manage to pull in the vast majority, I think it’d be more than you can handle, Alice.

Rei: (...... What’s he going on about now?)

YOU: Well, seeing as you do understand, go on and try calmly recalling it one more time.

Your original “objective”, that is.

Rei: ……

(...... This isn’t going to work. I was trying to listen with a serious face for the time being, but I don’t understand anything.)

(Why am I being subjected to such a deep question all of a sudden?)

(As for recalling my original objective, I was unfairly placed under a joke of a spell and then I was dropped through a hole.)

(And even though I was only supposed to be popular for unknown reasons, here I am being questioned……)

But perhaps there was a bigger picture as to why I came to this world.

Rei: …… Um, YOU-san……

YOU: Yaaawn…… Oh, yes, the spell. I’ll lift it now then.

Rei: Huh? Wait a minute……

YOU: Begone~

[KABOOOM!!]

Rei: AAARRGGGHHHH!!!

(This is outrageous to the bitter end!!)

Within the recedes of my consciousness, I could hear the voice of the unreasonable Archdemon coming from somewhere.

YOU: “Well, if you ever start wanting to be popular again, then you can always wish for it.”

“I’ll call you over if I have time to kill.”

Rei: (Please just give me a break…… I’m not thinking about wanting to be popular anymore……)

YOU: “Goodness, are you done already? Why is that?”

Rei: (That’s because, what I really want…… What do I really want?)

I got the sense that YOU-san had chuckled at the words that had spontaneously come to my mind.

YOU: “...... What do you really want?”

Rei: (...... Oh, I see now. What I really wanted…… was not to be popular.)

…… But to seriously fall in love with someone, and to experience being carried away by it.

So much so that……

Rei: “Nothing makes sense anymore”!!!

???: …… Hey. You’re being loud.

Rei: …… Huh?

-Kagura’s Mansion: Garden-

Upon feeling a slightly cold object touching my cheek, I opened my eyes and was greeted to the sight of—

KYOSUKE: Oh, you’re awake. Good morning, Rei-san.

KYOSUKE-kun’s wide grin.

And KAGURA-san, who was lightly tapping his sketchbook against the side of my face.

He was looking as if he was in a foul mood as per usual.

KAGURA: However you think about it, you’re the one that’s making no sense.

Shouting in your sleep, really? Are you out of your mind?

Rei: …… Huh… Was I…… asleep?

KAGURA: That’s what I’d like to ask.

KYOSUKE: It somehow seemed like you were sleeping rather uneasily, so we tried everything to wake you up.

But you showed no signs of opening your eyes. We got a little worried.

Rei: Huh? O-Oh, sorry about that. Thanks for trying……

KYOSUKE: No problem! But what sort of dream were you having?

Rei: Ummm……

(A dream? I see...... So that was a dream.)

(... “that”? What was “that”?)

41.

-Kagura’s Mansion: Garden-

Rei: ……

…………

…… Hmmm……

KAGURA: Hey, stop that.

What on earth are you thinking about to make such an unpleasant face?

Rei: Yeah, you see, I can’t remember a single thing of what it is.

It’s like I’m glad that I can’t remember. That sort of complicated feeling……

Actually, wait a second. Even if it was true, don’t you think that it’s rude to call a lady’s face unpleasant?

KAGURA: Someone who acknowledges it for themselves has no right to complain.

Rei: Ugh……

KYOSUKE: Now, now. It’s time for the tea party to start, so why don’t we get going?

Oh, this book is yours isn’t it, Rei-san? Here you go!

Rei: Th-Thanks.

KYOSUKE: What kind of book is it?

Rei: It’s a guidebook written by popular people……

KYOSUKE: (...... Popular people……?)

KAGURA: What is it? Don’t just suddenly stop walking.

Rei: No, it’s nothing. It felt like I remembered my dream for a moment there, but it was just my imagination.

…… But.

KYOSUKE: But?

Rei: Somehow…… Compared to before, I’m starting to feel as if being popular isn’t everything?

KYOSUKE: Oh. Really?

KAGURA: …… Haven’t you simply caught a fever from sleeping in a place like this?

Those words don’t sound like yours.

Rei: Yeah, it’s a bit of a mystery to me too……

KYOSUKE: But you know, I have the same opinion~

Rei: Well, if I were to fully put everything that I had into becoming even as popular as you, KYOSUKE-kun…...

Then yeah, that sort of thing wouldn’t mean anything.

KYOSUKE: That’s not what I meant though. Because in the end, if you think about it, you’re only going to fall in love with one person, right?

Rei: Huh? Well…… yeah.

KYOSUKE: If I’m loved by the person that I’m in love with, then that’s all that matters.

KAGURA: ……

KYOSUKE: Oh, but if I need to become popular in order to get there, then I’ll do my best?

Rei: ……

KYOSUKE: Rei-san?

Rei: I think I’m seeing the light at a blinding intensity right now……

KYOSUKE: Ahaha, really?

Rei: Yeah, that’s right! That’s exactly it!! There’s really no point in becoming crazy popular with someone you don’t even love!!

KAGURA: Why are you making it out to be as if you’re only realizing it now? That’s something that everyone’s always been saying.

Rei: Sorry, but my eyes have only been opened now!

Wow, I can’t believe that at some point I forgot something so obvious.

I was becoming obsessed with being popular…… How terrifying!!

KYOSUKE: Almost like you were under a spell~

Rei: A spell! …… A spell of... popularity?

KAGURA: What are you even saying? Or rather, stop with making that face already.

Rei: Yeah, sorry. It’s almost like I genuinely did have a bad dream……

But I understand things clearly now! It’s okay if I’m not popular!

KAGURA: Because in reality, you’ll remain forever unpopular, and that’s not going to change regardless of what you think.

Rei: Aren’t you being quite harsh towards your friend? You know, the one who just picked herself up again after being freed from a lifelong cause of distress??

???: …… Oh, I knew that I heard voices. So you were here in the gardens.

Rei: (...... Huh?)

KAGURA: Oh…… You’ve finally come.

Did you just arrive? It took you long enough.

HATORI?: Sorry, my bad. My previous appointment kind of dragged on.

Rei: …… H-HATORI-san?

HATORI?: Huh?

43.

-Kagura’s Mansion: Garden-

HATORI?: Sorry, but have we met somewhere before?

Rei: H-Huh? No, I’m sorry. I should be saying that it’s nice to meet you……

HATORI?: I would think so. I don’t believe that I would forget coming across a girl like you.

Rei: …… Right……

(I’m positive that this is supposed to be our first time meeting.)

(But this feeling telling me that I shouldn’t trust this person’s radiance… There’s a strange sense of deja vu here……)

KAGURA: You sure there wasn’t a fake name that you went ahead and used on the spot at the time?

HATORI?: You’re as cold-hearted as ever, KAGURA. Can’t you at least introduce us?

KAGURA: There’s really no need seeing as you’ll run your mouth either way.

HATORI?: Well, I guess that’s fine then.

Nice to meet you. I’m KAGURA’s friend, OTANI.

Are you all attending today’s tea party as well?

Rei: Oh, yeah……

(That’s right. There’s going to be a lot of new people to meet at today’s tea party.)

KYOSUKE: Pleased to make your acquaintance~ I’m KYOSUKE.

OTANI: So it’s KYOSUKE-kun, and… You are?

Rei: Oh, I’m Rei. It’s nice to meet you……

KYOSUKE: Are you perhaps the childhood friend that often comes up in KAGURA-kun’s stories, OTANI-san?

KAGURA: That would be KEI-chan and TAKAOMI-kun.

Those two will be coming today as well. OTANI is just someone that I’ve been stuck with since way back.

OTANI: Even though we’ve known each other for about as long as the others~

Don’t you find it cruel?

KAGURA: No, I don’t.

OTANI: I wasn’t asking you, KAGURA.

KAGURA: More importantly…… I’m warning you ahead of time, Rei.

There are a bunch of guests attending today, such as my acquaintances and KYOSUKE’s older brother.

So you better not say anything weird like you do at our usual tea parties.

Rei: When phrased like that, it sounds as if I’m always saying weird things……

KAGURA: You only ever say weird things.

After giving me my warning, KAGURA-san went to walk a little ahead of us all the while quarreling with OTANI-san about something or other.

Rei: (You don’t need to tell me that, since I was going to behave myself anyways……)

KYOSUKE: …… Hey, Rei-san. He may unexpectedly be here amongst the guests at today’s tea party.

Rei: Huh? Who is?

KYOSUKE: Oh, you know.

The person that you’ll seriously fall in love with, and a love that you’re able to get so carried away by that nothing makes sense anymore.

Rei: …… What???

KYOSUKE: Ahaha. You really don’t remember! Well, don’t worry about it then.

Rei: Huh? Wait, now I’m curious……

KYOSUKE: You can just forget about it.

Rei: Um, what, no…… It’s going to bother me! At least give me a hint!! I’ll hit upon something from that!

KAGURA: Hey, what are you doing? You said that you would behave so stop causing a ruckus straight after saying that.

Rei: Please just somehow overlook this! I promise to settle everything by the time that we reach the reception!

OTANI: (...... I see.)

(“Apparently, she’s not like that, so don’t go making a pass at her” was what KEI had gone out of his way to tell me.)

(That being the case, she really must just be a good friend then. But if so, that makes me want to do it even more……)

KAGURA: …… Why are you grinning to yourself?

OTANI: No reason really? It’s been a while since I’ve seen TAKAOMI and everyone else after all.

I was just thinking that there seems to be several things I can look forward to at today’s tea party.

(If I make a pass at her, then things will definitely be interesting.)

Rei: (...... Just now, it felt like there was an evil aura coming from somewhere or something.)

(Let’s just blame it on my imagination……)

They say that the girl ceased in her attempts to become popular.

And enjoyed the tea party with her new friends instead.

* * *

This is a tale of a certain world,

a tale of times passed.

A place nowhere to be found, and yet it exists.

Having been completely forgotten by our heroine,

This curious and unusual land—

With its citizens and their thoughts

of an ‘ideal’ Alice to each of their own.

This happy ending and what lies beyond

is another day just like any other.

For they lived however they wanted,

“Happily Ever After”.