There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 169

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“Phil! We’re here!”

“Over here!”

“Philomel! Are you safe?”

Philomel’s eyes lit up at the sudden voices.

“Lexion! Cardin! Jeremiah!”

The three brothers were running from the direction of the relic vault. They jumped up and down, calling Philomel’s name.

A chuckle escaped Philomel’s lips. The three of them looked a mess, as if they had been in a fierce battle with monsters.

“You’ve all done well.”

She couldn’t have done it alone.

Philomel looked at the spot where the ‘Stem’ had been and asked Belleron,

“Is it over now?”

“I wish I could say yes… but unfortunately, no. The rift hasn’t closed yet.”

Indeed. The sky above was still black.

“Why?”

“The soul of the stranger is struggling not to return to its world. Its obsession is quite remarkable.”

The fake Elencia?

Philomel stared at the sky for a moment before opening her mouth.

“If it’s alright with you, could you lift me up there?”

“Hmm? There’s no need to bother. It won’t last long anyway.”

“I see. But…”

Philomel shook her head.

“I personally want to see its end.”

She felt like she had to.

However, Philomel realized one thing.

“Ah, never mind. I can’t burden Your Majesty any further…”

“I’ll lift you up.”

“Pardon?”

“That little bit won’t even use up a few minutes of my time. And the body’s owner wants me to let you do as you wish.”

At the same time, Philomel’s body soared into the sky.

“Ugh!”

Once the ascent stopped, Philomel calmed her startled heart and glared at Belleron beside her.

‘This god, really…!’

Couldn’t he have given her a warning?

And she left Nasar behind again.

Belleron asked with a sly smile.

“Anything you want to say to me?”

“…No.”

“Huh?” There was something odd.

“You could have floated me up here by myself, so why did you hold me when you came up to the sky back then?”

When he told Philomel the truth about Mi and God.

“That’s because the body’s owner wanted to… Wait, I’m not supposed to say this.”

“Ah, yes.”

She could guess without hearing it.

‘Well, that’s not what’s important now.’

-Aaaaaagh! I don’t want to!

Just then, a desperate scream was heard.

Philomel turned her head towards the sound.

The only pitch-black part of the sunset-reddened sky. Someone was shouting from within.

-I don’t want to! Save me!

It wasn’t a sound coming from a mouth. But it echoed clearly in Philomel’s head.

Blink. After blinking once, Philomel was right in front of the rift.

When she looked back at Belleron, the god nodded as if to say, do as you please.

Philomel peered into the swirling darkness of the rift.

-Is anyone there? Please get me out of here!

The intruder, swimming in the rift, shouted as if it had heard her.

Philomel asked calmly.

“What will you do when you get out?”

-Phi, Philomel!

“You have no body to return to even if you get out. Just go back to your world.”

-I’ll die if I go back! No, I’m already dead there in the first place!

“That’s none of my business.”

The person had already gone too far to be pitied.

-It’s too much! What did I do so wrong!

“You killed the nanny, tried to spread the epidemic, and even cooperated in the world’s destruction. Should I list a few more things besides this?”

-….

If it had a body, the intruder would be biting its lip right now.

-…It’s not that big of a crime!

“What’s wrong with killing some NPCs [Non-Player Characters]! They’re not real humans anyway!”

“Are you still going to insist? You should be feeling it too. The fact that this isn’t just a world in a game.”

The fake Elencia was silent for a moment before opening her mouth.

-I, I….

“You are a murderer.”

-You killed people too!

It seemed like she was talking about the priest who died inside the ‘Stem’.

Philomel readily admitted it.

“That’s right. I killed him.”

At that time, she fully expected the priest to die and pushed him in the back.

“If that’s a sin, I’ll gladly pay for my sins.”

She didn’t regret it. She would make the same choice again.

-Don’t act so high and mighty! You killed him because you knew it wouldn’t be a sin!

That was true. People in the world would have rewarded Philomel, not charged her with murder.

“No, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a sin or not. Thanks to that, I was able to save my world.”

-Don’t spout nonsense like an evil character! Why isn’t an evil character like you being punished!

“I’m not an evil character.”

That didn’t mean she was the protagonist.

The word protagonist that Belleron used to refer to her was very attractive, but it felt uncomfortable, like ill-fitting clothes.

“I’m Philomel.”

Not an evil character, not a protagonist. Just Philomel.

Not a character in a novel or game, but an ordinary person living in this world.

That was the answer Philomel ultimately came up with.

However, her sincerity did not reach the intruder’s ears.

-…Die!

The intruder shouted as if it was wronged.

-Don’t talk nonsense and die miserably like an evil character!

Philomel looked down indifferently at the struggling soul and thought.

‘In fact, that person knows their faults very well.’, The intruder’s self-written novel written in the notebook that Emily gave her.

It was still unfinished and frankly not very interesting, but Philomel found one surprising thing in the novel. There were no commonplace villains.

Of course, there were people who could be called villains. However, they had their own reasons, beliefs, or even good sides.

The intruder knew it well. The fact that there are no completely evil people in the world.

Even the priest Philomel killed today must have had other sides to him.

‘This person too.’

Philomel carefully examined the stranger’s appearance.

-I’m human, but you’re not! I’m not the one who should die! Get me out of here quickly!

What made that person like that? Blocking their eyes and ears and believing only what they wanted to believe.

‘Perhaps they don’t want to admit that they have committed an irreversible sin.’

The person had already committed too many sins. Even if they accepted the truth now, all that would be left was sin.

‘That might be why they came here.’

There was no way to know even if she thought about it. As long as the person bolted the door and lived in their own world.

Philomel turned around.

“Belleron, let’s go back.”

“Is it over?”

“Yes, I’m satisfied. Thank you for granting my request.”

Before descending to the ground, Philomel glanced back.

-Where are you going? You have to get me out! Come back! Come back, Philomel!

The pale spirit gradually sank into the darkness.

-I, I don’t want to die!

The area of the rift shrinks.

-I was wrong! Save me!

The intruder struggled, but it was a futile struggle. Soon, a voice filled with resignation was heard.

-…Mom, Dad, Sister…. I miss you….

That’s how she found her real family and disappeared into the crack of the rift. It was the end of the one who remained a ‘fake’ in this world until the end.

“When you go to that world, you will have a chance to see your family for a short time before your soul moves to the underworld. It’s only a very short gap, though.”

A meddling god said.

“I didn’t really think I wanted that to happen….”

When Philomel spoke in a sulky voice, Belleron pretended not to know.

“Never mind then.”

“But what if Mi and God create stories again?”

She was worried that the resurrection of the evil god would be hastened if Mi’s power flowed into this world excessively.

Moreover, Philomel was now sick of being swayed by other people’s intentions. Even if it was the creator god.

“Didn’t I tell you? Mi dreams of this place. It will vaguely recognize that this mess happened because of itself.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

All she could do was hope that Mi would create her own stories, not dream stories.

Ah. Another question came to mind.

“Belleron, do you know how the book came into my hands?”

Originally, everything should have flowed according to the game story written by Mi. But that wasn’t the case.

Because Philomel picked up the book in the garden when she was nine years old. After that, Philomel’s actions changed.

“That is….”

It seemed like Belleron knew.

“Please tell me!”

It might not be a very important fact now, but Philomel was more curious than anything else.

“That’s….”

Belleron, who had been stalling for a long time, whispered softly.

“It’s a secret.”

“What!”

“It’s no fun if I tell you in advance.”

“In advance? Does that mean I’ll find out someday?”

“You’re quite clever.”

“Don’t change the subject.”

The human and god continued to argue as they slowly descended to the ground.

Belleron’s playful gaze turned to Philomel.

“If you really want to know, call me Daddy once.”

“Daddy…?”

What kind of absurd sound was this?

“It’s not that strange, is it? You always call me Belleron Father when you pray.”

“That’s just how the prayer is set.”

“Come on, just close your eyes and call me once.”

Not Father, but Daddy.

It was a title she had never called even when she knew Justice as her biological father.

Honestly, it was embarrassing. But more than that, she wanted to know the truth.

Philomel hesitated for a long time and barely opened her mouth when she arrived on the ground.

“Ah….”

Her tongue felt like a ton.

“Da… ddy!”

Belleron only blinked at Philomel’s shout. He seemed surprised that she would really call him that.

Philomel, who was embarrassed for no reason, urged him.

“I called you as promised, so tell me now.”

“No, that’s….”

“Quickly!”

“…I don’t know either.”

Philomel doubted her ears.

“You don’t know!”

It was absurd. She had endured the urge to go into a mouse hole and called him Daddy, but.

She was so angry that she unknowingly shook the god’s body.

“Is it fun to play with people? Isn’t it too much, even if you’re a god?”

“Philomel, calm down.”

“Why do you pretend to know when you don’t!”

“It’s not me.”

“Yes?”

“The god has left.”

Philomel now looked closely at the man’s face. She could tell from his expression.

It was the Emperor.