Eternally Regressing in Another World

"Hey, tomato mister, ...isn’t this..."

Behind me at the reins, Shiran was probably wearing a scared expression. Her voice, trembling badly, told me that much even without looking. My driving probably wasn’t helping, but the real reason had to be the school.

"You figured it out...?"

"I’m not going! ...No way."

Her classmates all thought she was a murderer. She’d probably been through a rough time over it.

"It’s fine. I’m the only one with business at the school. You can wait in the carriage."

"...Really?"

"Really. I swear it."

At that, the tremble left Shiran’s voice.

"Okay, ...I’ll wait."

By the time we finished talking, we’d already arrived at the school. This time, I parked the carriage carefully, making sure not to crash it.

"Hey, what’s your business at the school?"

"Bringing along an ally. Watch the fort for me."

Leaving her with that, I stepped onto the school grounds. I’d come here to pull out a brave young knight-in-training who could be a source of strength for Shiran, but...

"Come to think of it, I don’t even know his class or grade. Not like an outsider can just look at a student roster."

There wasn’t even any guarantee this world’s school system worked the same as back home, to begin with.

"Should’ve thought this through a bit more before coming."

"Thought what through?"

The voice from behind sounded oddly familiar. I stopped and turned around, and there stood a small, familiar figure.

"Flaut!!"

There he was, Flaut Beyonetta. In the previous timeline, he’d ended up in such a horrific state. Seeing him alive and well like this was a genuine relief.

"...Why do you know my name?"

Right, this was still our first meeting this time around.

"Ah, well, ...come to think of it, why are you here? Still class time, isn’t it?"

"Eh, skipped. Everyone’s in a weird mood."

That weird mood was almost certainly about Shiran. Being close with her, it must not have felt good for Flaut either.

"Forget that, more importantly, my name! Why do you know it, mister?"

Suspicion was growing thicker on Flaut’s face. Pushing this further would probably just get me flagged as some creep. Better to get straight to the point.

"I’m hiding Shiran right now."

"Huh!? ...What’s that supposed to mean!"

I could feel real hostility coming off Flaut. Before he could lunge at me, I quickly raised a hand to stop him.

"Wait, I’m on your side. I want to stop whatever Shiran’s father and Duke Vade are plotting. I need your help."

At my words, Flaut froze.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Simple. I’m hiding Shiran somewhere no one can find her. While I’m away, I want you to protect her."

Leaving a girl alone underground was genuinely worrying, even for me. If Flaut was there with her, Shiran should feel a lot safer.

"There’s a carriage parked outside with Shiran in it. We’re about to head there, will you come?"

Before I even finished, Flaut was already nodding.

"I’m coming! Take me there."

"Ah, welcome back, tomato mist..., Flaut?"

Shiran peeked her head out of the carriage window, blinking in confusion.

"Wait, was the ally the tomato mister mentioned, you, Flaut?"

"Yeah, that’s right. Pretty reliable, right?"

At Shiran’s nod, Flaut, standing beside her, turned bright red and looked down. Completely obvious.

"Alright, so I’ll head to the hideout I set up..."

Before I could finish, Flaut spoke up with a dissatisfied tone.

"Wait a sec, I’ve got a really great hideout too. Let’s use that instead!"

Flaut’s expression brimmed with confidence, but I already knew exactly how that story ended. Furniture in disarray, countless footprints, they’d find her there.

"That hideout, that’s the stable attic, isn’t it?"

"Huh!?"

Flaut looked at me like he’d just been outfoxed completely.

"Even I managed to figure that place out. Something tells me they’d find her there too."

More like I’d just cheated with foreknowledge, but this was the fastest way to get him to drop it.

"Sorry about that."

"...No, it’s fine. Let’s go to the place you set up."

Something in the slightly frustrated way he said it left a small pang of guilt in me.

"Flaut, come over here, let’s eat together."

"Huh? Y-yeah, ...yeah."

Getting dejected one second, blushing the next, this kid keeps busy. Still, glad the frustration seemed to fade a bit.

"Alright, let’s get moving. Shiran probably doesn’t know the full situation, so let Flaut fill you in on the details. I need to focus on driving."

I focused everything I had, clenching my sweaty palms a couple of times before gripping the reins.

"Be careful. Tomato mister’s driving is really bad."

"...Try not to get us in an accident, alright?"

Getting called out by a kid, fair as it was, stung a little. Trying not to let my already-negative trust rating drop any further, I slowed down and drove carefully toward the clock tower.

Looking up from the carriage, an old brick building came into view.

"This must be the place."

The location, the appearance, everything matched what Selva had told me. No mistake, this was it.

"Is this really the hideout?"

"...There’s moss growing on it."

Having gotten a bit more used to driving, I eased the carriage to a stop along the roadside. For security, I left a phone playing music inside again, same as before. Leading the two kids to the entrance, I inserted the key Elizabeth had lent me. But it was stiff, maybe from rust.

"Ngh... stuck... nghaaah!"

With a small click, the lock gave way. Covering my mouth against the dust billowing out from beyond the door, I pushed it open.

"That was pretty uncool, tomato mister."

"Quiet."

We stepped through the doorway, but there was no light inside. The sunlight filtering in only went so far. I pulled out my Zippo lighter and lit it.

"What’s that? Never seen a magic tool like that before..."

"Uh, well, think of it as an old tool. Like an antique."

Not really having a good explanation, I fudged it with something plausible-sounding. Even so, it seemed like no one had come through here in a long while, dust piled thick on the stairs. Every step kicked up dust, making my nose itch.

"Hey, tomato mister, is it still further down?"

"Should be close, I think..."

Just as I said that, we reached the bottom, but it was too dark to see much.

"What now... should I go buy a lantern or something?"

"Why?"

"Why, you as—"

Before I could finish, light suddenly filled the whole room. Looking up, jewel-like stones glowed brightly.

"You just light up the crystals, obviously."

"...O-oh, right."

Said so casually, like flipping a light switch. Guess I’ll never quite get used to this magic-based world. ...Also, would’ve been nice if she’d done that on the stairs too.

"Wow, this place is huge, way bigger than I expected."

The scale reminded me of a school gymnasium. One entire wall was lined with bookshelves, and the space opened up into a two-story atrium. A few ladders were visible, probably for getting up and down.

"So, should we start cleaning? There’s a broom over there."

I wanted to agree with Shiran’s suggestion, but I still had things to take care of.

"Right, but I’ve got some business to handle. Mind starting without me? I’ll be back in two or three hours."

"You’re just trying to run off, aren’t you? Not fair, mister~"

Flaut sounded annoyed, but there was something enjoyable in his tone too. Probably because it meant time alone with her. Since it worked out, might as well make myself scarce quickly.

"Well, that’s the situation, so, later!"

I raised a hand, said my farewell with a light air, and jogged up the stairs. Locking the outer door securely just in case, I climbed into the carriage.

"Oh, right."

I hurried to shut off the phone I’d left playing. Taking a breath, I shifted back into focus mode and set the carriage moving again.