Reincarnated in a depressing erotic world but living a normal life (right?)

Vulnerability

"Ugh..."Shija's awakening was not greeted by the splendor of victory, but by a dull moan that was choked by the dry velvet.

(Where am I...?)

Consciousness returned to him like an icy stab of pain running through his ribs and limbs.

"Argh!"

He tried to sit up, but the movement was treacherous.

(Bandages?)

He paused midway, noticing the network of fresh, white bandages that tightly bound his torso, legs, and head, a silent testament to the fury of the battle.

(Is this... The carriage...?)

Looking around him, he immediately recognized the interior of one of the caravan's carriages he was supposed to protect, which now looked like an improvised medical camp.

"What... what is that? It smells like hay and... and sewing needle?"

"My head... Oh, gods, my leg. Why does it feel like a pillow is stitching me up? Is this the ascension?"

"Cold... so cold..."

Analyzing the surrounding scene, Shija blinked, adjusting his eyes to the dim light filtering through the curtains.

"....."

Around him, the scene was a tapestry, where several mercenaries lay inert on the floor or leaned against the padded walls, all covered in bandages similar to his own, like mummies in uniform.

"... This scene"

And then he saw her...

"She is familiar..."

... Among the prone bodies, a small straw doll moved diligently, wearing a small makeshift nurse's costume —a piece of white cloth with a crudely stitched red cross— that contrasted strangely with its woven body.

(Stitch. After. Stitch. Healed.)

(Heal!)

(I give you a hug!)

In front of Shija, working with a patience fueled by a genuine desire to help and a disturbing dexterity, were the tiny figures of multiple straw dolls, knotting and bandaging around the wounded.

"It's them..."

Seeing them, a cold and heavy recognition settled in Shija's chest as he murmured to himself.

(It's like that time)

Shija then recalled the "inn" incident, some time ago, where these same figures had briefly appeared under the orders of Mireya and shortly after Melioris. They were the group of beings that both "entities" were capable of "invoking" from their perception.

(Hydration!)

But at that moment, while he was thinking, one of the straw dolls approached Shija's head.

"?"

She held a small glass of water in her tiny woven "hands," stopping abruptly next to the immobile Shija, energetically offering him the water.

"Thank you..."

In that way, Shija took the glass and drank the water.

(Now that I think about it... They don't use any kind of language or means of communication...)

But at that moment, he realized why interactions with these creatures were always so frustrating to understand.

(The same applies to Silver or Goldie... But in their case it is more... Fluid...)

He immediately began his comparison, for unlike Silver, the small silver armor that communicated concisely and disciplinedly through the same "medium," or Goldie, the golden straw doll that possessed a much more defined and clear intention and language.

(Is it some kind of telepathy?)

However, like both entities, the straw dolls did not speak in the human sense; instead, they transmitted their intentions.

(Perhaps there are ranks...)

Their communication was faint, concise, and simple, as if it were the pure, emotionless logic of a very small child. Their "words" were not phrases, but isolated concepts, barely dressed with the sound of words.

"Haaah~..."

But despite the limitation in verbal language, Shija realized that these servants were perfectly capable of expressing themselves. Their intentions did not lie in the complexity of phrases, but in the clarity of their actions.

(Fever gone~)

If a doll knelt down and applied an ointment, the intention was "Healing."

(Make it look pretty.)

If it offered a bandage, it was "Protection."

(Sleep tight!)

This action-based communication was so direct that it allowed Shija to easily understand their intentions, without the need for cumbersome dialogue.

And it was thanks to that efficiency, combined with their childlike behavior —quick yet organized movements, a superficial curiosity about the surroundings, and their unwavering focus on simple tasks— that led Shija to a conclusion regarding the lack of "danger" posed by the straw dolls as a whole.

(Essentially, they must be powerful yet harmless tools, dedicated to the service of their creator, with no malice of their own)

In the end, Shija came to a hasty conclusion without truly understanding the danger they represented, feeling that he could lower his guard, at least around them, concentrating his attention on the situation.

"Glug-Glug... Haaah..."

Thus, once the tension was released from his shoulders and the hydration took effect, Shija felt stable enough to take inventory of the situation.

(Boudica... She doesn't seem to be here...)

He immediately noticed Boudica's absence.

"Hssshhh..."

So, Shija sighed lightly upon not seeing her among the wounded mercenaries.

(Concentrate)

His mind focused, and he closed his eyes to concentrate his Ki sense, the internal energy that allowed him to feel the vital presence of other beings.

(FOCUS)

It was a process that required calm and precision, and he used it to "scan" the immediate environment beyond the wooden walls.

(I found her!)

The result of his mental probing was revealing...

(And she's not alone!)

... For he detected Boudica's presence in the adjacent carriage, a carriage moving parallel to his own. But Boudica was not alone. Next to her, he detected the presences of the "bandits," the powerful female warriors they had previously fought.

(They seem to still be in a coma...)

But Shija felt that they were still unconscious or in a state of deep sedation, restoring his calm.

(But... This flow... Are they being treated...?)

However, Shija also noticed that they were receiving treatment, a detail that the Ki revealed by perceiving the healing energy around them.

(Kssh-Kssh)

At that moment, the mere idea that the enemy was so close, vulnerable, and yet in the hands of Melioris, made Shija unconsciously grip the pommel of his sheathed sword tighter.

(No... I must stay calm...)

However, that alert reflex dissolved as quickly as it arose.

For the Ki scan confirmed that the presences of Silver and Goldie were also in that same neighboring carriage, along with that of the Fairy Flora.

(Judging by the rhythmic fluctuation of their energy, they seem to be playing calmly.)

It was thus that upon noticing that behavior, Shija relaxed, letting go of the pommel of his weapon.

"!?! "

But then, when his perception extended a little further, he noticed an extremely faint presence outside the carriage.

"The Baron!"

And thus, upon noticing that Glutt's Ki was like a bundle of terror, relief, and total exhaustion, Shija resumed his guard.

"What could have happened?!"

Alarmed by those erratic emotions transmitted by the man and the possible implications of these, Shija, gathering the remaining strength in his body and ignoring the pangs of pain and the bandages, stood up with a tremendous effort, determined to leave the relative safety of his carriage.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

And with a monumental effort, he reached the carriage door and pushed it open, letting the cool outdoor air and the daylight hit him.

"!?! "

But as soon as he set foot outside, he stood incredulous at the scene that greeted him.

"Haaah! I'm free! Finally! Free!"

Right at his feet, lying on the dirt and gravel ground, was Baron Glutt.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! No more! It's over! Peace! PEACE!"

The Baron, his face covered in dust and tears, was rejoicing with a lunatic smile that could only come from the total destruction of his will. It was the hysterical joy of someone who has given up their soul to escape endless torture.

"....."

But Shija, not knowing what had happened, could only stand there open-mouthed, witnessing the scene where a man succumbed to madness.

"You..."

However, just as Shija was painstakingly articulating the beginning of a sentence, trying to ask what had driven such a proud man to that state, he stopped abruptly.

"WHAT?!"

An icy chill, completely unrelated to Glutt's madness, ran down Shija's spine.

(This is impossible!!)

His Ki sense, which had been focused on the surface, had involuntarily expanded, catching a presence that left him even more shocked than the strange scene in front of him.

"!?! "

The presence he had perceived through the Ki was so unexpected and impossible that his mind refused to process it.

(What does this mean?!)

Unable to comprehend how such a thing could be possible, Shija reacted purely by instinct.

(SHUNN!)

Abandoning the carriage and, without worrying about the Baron's madness or the stabbing pain of his wounds, he ran in the direction of the energy source.

"Huff... Haaah... Haa!!"

He thus ran through the trees as fast as his badly wounded state allowed, limping and panting, feeling the bandages tighten with every stride.

(It can't be!?)

Finally, the dense foliage gave way, and Shija reached the shore where he found himself at the edge of a steep cliff that overlooked the open sea, where waves crashed against the rocks.

"....."

There, standing at the edge of the drop...

"...."

... Was Melioris.

"...."

She was not laughing, nor was she playing with dolls or flames.

"...."

She was simply staring at the distant horizon with an unusual stillness.

"How is it possible..."

But what shocked Shija, causing his breath to catch, was not her power, but her face.

"... That she has an expression?"

The entity of cosmic power and playful cruelty displayed a sad and empty gaze. Her usual beauty, which was typically vibrant and electrifying, now seemed dampened by a profound melancholy.

"...."

But it was not just sadness; it was a vulnerability so palpable that it felt almost violent. One of her small hands was clutching her chest right where her heart should be, a surprisingly human gesture of anguish.

"I..."

Her facial expression was so devoid of her usual mocking smile that it was unrecognizable, so fragile as if she were on the verge of collapsing.

"... I must do it."

She seemed to be experiencing such overwhelming grief that she was barely containing it, fighting against an invisible weight that threatened to bring her down.

"I really... I hate you... Dad..."

That was the image of a powerful and solitary child, facing the pain that her own existence imposed upon her.