Chapter 232: The Queen Dowager is a High School Girl
Having solved a simple riddle and opened the box, Rest suddenly found himself at a bus stop in some rural town in Japan.
Sitting on the bench was a high school girl in a sailor uniform, sipping on a juice through a straw while gazing at him intently.
“You are… no, more importantly, where is this place…?!”
“Don’t be so surprised! Here, want to sit?”
The mysterious high school girl patted the space beside her on the bench.
“If you don’t mind having a half-finished drink, I can share this with you. It’s strawberry milk!”
“Uh, that’s fine, but… wait? Are you telling me I’ve returned to Japan?”
“Well, not exactly… It’s a long story, so you should really sit down. It’s hard for me to talk when you’re just standing there.”
“……..”
Rest, though perplexed, observed the girl on the bench. She was a girl in a short-sleeved sailor uniform, likely around high school age. Her hair was dyed brown and styled in waves, and she held a carton of strawberry milk in her right hand.
(I can’t use magic…!)
As he attempted to investigate the girl with magic, Rest realized that his magical power had vanished. The presence of infinite magical power, the endless source he was accustomed to, was nowhere to be felt. He was unable to use magic.
(This might be a pretty bad situation… but I have no other options.)
“……..”
For now, he sensed no hostility from the girl. Cautiously, Rest sat down beside her.
“Alright, that’s good! Can you tell me your name?”
“……..”
“Oh, are you going to be all samurai and insist I introduce myself first? That’s fine by me!”
When Rest remained silent, the girl burst into laughter, as if she found something amusing.
“My name is Shoko Sanada. As you can see, I’m a fresh and lively high school girl!”
“High school girls don’t refer to themselves as ‘fresh and lively.'”
As he retorted, he suddenly realized something.
Sanada Shoko. Wasn’t that the alias the Queen Dowager had used in this land?
“Oh, you can talk! I thought you might be one of those types who can’t speak since you were so quiet.”
“You just spoke a moment ago… But more importantly, where exactly is this place?”
“Before you ask that, don’t you have something you need to tell me?”
“……..”
The girl, now identifying herself as Shoko Sanada, leaned in closer to Rest’s face, her expression suggestive. He opened his mouth to ask what she meant but hesitated. He hadn’t introduced himself yet. Since she had given her name, it would be rude not to reciprocate.
“I am… Rest.”
As the name slipped from his lips, he widened his eyes in shock.
“I was supposed to say ‘Rest,’ but what came out was the name I had in Japan.”
“Oh, so you’re ‘Rest,’ huh? Can I call you Uppy instead?”
“…….. No.”
“Then it’s Uppy from now on! Anyway, about this place…”
Ignoring Rest’s protest, Shoko Sanada continued to speak.
“This is… my… Frederica Aiwood’s memory.”
“Memory…?”
“They call it Zanryushinen. I don’t know much about it, though.”
Zanryushinen. Residual thoughts, perhaps. So, the girl before him, claiming to be Shoko Sanada, was actually the memory and personality of Queen Dowager Frederica Aiwood.
“I suspected the Queen Dowager was a reincarnator from Japan, but this isn’t what I imagined.”
In the Aiwood Kingdom, the Queen Dowager was, for better or worse, a historical figure. She had united many nobles to overthrow a tyrant and skillfully rebuilt the Aiwood Kingdom, while also being the one who raised the foolish prince, Rodel. He had envisioned her as a wise woman full of charisma or perhaps as a nefarious mastermind plotting evil schemes.
“I thought she would be someone like Hojo Masako or Queen Elizabeth…”
“I was created based on Frederica’s past life memories. The real me is much cooler and more mature, you know?”
“…….. I see.”
“So, what about you? Why are you here? Since you made it to my place, you must have opened the box in the villa, right?”
Shoko gazed at Rest with keen interest. The limited space on the bench brought her closer, revealing a glimpse of her pink bra and a deep neckline.
“Uh… could you not get so close?”
“Tell me about yourself, and then I’ll share more about me!”
Shoko wore a mischievous smile as she made her request.