I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Sui**de

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While the apostles were arguing and having a meeting, the girl was exploring the room she was guided into, looking around here and there.

To put it simply, the interior exuded a sense of vintage elegance.

It felt like she had stepped into a medieval castle.

It was definitely better than the hideout inside the gate where she used to stay, but the atmosphere felt rather unwelcoming. Of course, it might just be that she was a newcomer, and she hoped it would get better with time.

If nothing else, the one thing she couldn’t deny was that it was much more spacious than the room she had lived in before.

The girl sat on the large bed, enjoying its softness, while looking into the mirror in front of her.

She stood up and slowly approached the mirror.

“······.”

Her gaze met the girl in the mirror.

Cream-colored, soft hair. Pure, innocent eyes.

It was an adorable appearance that stirred a protective instinct.

It was her own face.

Even though she saw it all the time, it never felt familiar.

She furrowed her brows slightly, as if something was off.

She carefully reached out her hand, as if trying to grasp the girl in the mirror.

But of course, all she felt was the cold surface of the mirror.

Why was that?

This strange feeling was difficult to express.

It felt as if she were looking at someone else rather than herself.

As if she had forcibly taken over someone else’s body.

It felt like she was forgetting something important that she absolutely shouldn’t forget.

No matter how hard she tried to remember, it only frustrated her further.

Eventually, the girl turned away from the mirror as she always did.

She tried to run forward, determined not to look back, even though doing so meant she couldn’t see the path she had taken.

She wanted to explore the room more, but there was really nothing around.

Just a few essential pieces of furniture needed for living. Even the vintage decorative items scattered around were more something to avoid breaking than to ignite curiosity.

The teacher had told her not to leave the room carelessly, as they needed to discuss something important.

So until then, she would have to remain quietly in this dull room.

Lying on the bed for a while, the girl eventually got up and opened the window to enjoy the view outside.

What she saw was an endless ocean. No matter where she looked, all she could see was the horizon.

Well, that was to be expected.

The apostles’ temple was built on an uninhabited island where no one lived.

In fact, it was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, so the nearest land was thousands of kilometers away.

She stared blankly at the shimmering blue sea.

The waves splashing onto the shore looked refreshing just by watching them. Fluffy clouds floated in the sky.

Seagulls flying in flocks and dolphins jumping far off in the distance.

It looked like a peaceful scene, as if it were a resort.

This was not the kind of setting she had imagined coming here.

She had anticipated a much darker and gloomier space.

Something akin to how she felt about the teacher.

As for the temple, she had imagined it would be much more sinister and frightening.

Like in the clichés of a tower where a demon lord resides.

But seeing it now, it looked like a pretty and elegant European-style castle.

Putting aside the fact that it was different from what she expected, it was quite remarkable to find a castle on such a tiny uninhabited island.

They had definitely captured the essence of romance and emotion here.

Even if it was a remote location, it was so conspicuous that she couldn’t help but voice her concerns.

Wasn’t there a significant risk of being spotted from satellite images or by people?

She was told that everything was well-prepared to ensure safety. Exactly what measures had been taken, she didn’t know.

Lost in thought, she heard a knock on the door.

Knock, knock.

“Yes. Just a moment.”

The girl stopped her musings and stepped outside the room.

She expected it to be the teacher, but the visitor was someone entirely different.

She was momentarily taken aback by the unfamiliar face.

The stature was similar, so their eye level was approximately aligned.

In other words, it was highly probable that this person was of the same gender as the girl.

On the person’s face was a bizarre animal mask, similar to the teacher’s.

It was a bird of some sort… an eagle? A hawk? It was likely a raptor mask.

A woman draped in a pink cloak bowed her head slightly and greeted her first.

“Hello. I am the Pink Hawk.”

“…Hello.”

“May I come in for a moment to talk?”

“Oh, yes. Please come in.”

In a daze, the girl let the Pink Hawk into the room.

Even though it hadn’t even been an hour since she entered this room herself.

They sat awkwardly facing each other at the table.

There was a teapot and teacups before them, but since she had never actually brewed tea, she decided not to take the initiative.

“Are you a companion of the teacher?”

“You call the captain ‘teacher’.”

So they called the teacher ‘captain’, huh?

She had heard that he was the leader of the group known as the Apostles, but she didn’t really know anything beyond that.

After all, the teacher had such a quiet personality that they hardly ever had conversations.

“First, let me ask, are you willing to join the Apostles?”

The answer to that question was simple.

“Yes. I want to join.”

“I see. But to join, you will need to take a test. After all, you are human, not a Maiin.”

She understood that the Apostles were a group of Maiins.

And she also recognized that she was human and not a Maiin.

She already knew the basic common knowledge that humans and Maiins are adversaries and hate each other so much that they would try to kill each other on sight.

“I understand. So what does this test involve?”

“You will need to carry out a mission with me. We will depart tomorrow, so I will explain the details of the mission then.”

*

Generally, the Apostles live in the temple unless they are out for special missions.

Of course, it wasn’t a strict rule, so the Black Goat did not interfere at all.

After all, they had been living with the savior and staying in the temple for about half a year.

Given the nature of the group, which had strong personalities and valued freedom, it was not easy for everyone to gather in one place.

One could tell from the fact that four Apostles were absent even at the Black Goat’s summons.

Amidst this, there was one individual who never left the temple and always took meticulous care of it—he was the Red Dragon.

Originally, the Red Dragon had been responsible for the brainwork of the Apostles, and he adhered scrupulously to the duties entrusted to him while the Black Goat was away.

Even to the extent that it made the other apostles shudder.

“Blue Shark. What are you doing right now?”

“Huh? Why are you suddenly starting a fight?”

“Look at the mess you’re making.”

Blue Shark, completely confused, examined her own appearance.

“I saw it. So what’s the problem?”

“Don’t you have crumbs falling from the food you’re eating?”

“······.”

She stared in disbelief at the food in her hands.

In other words, the bag of snacks.

“Making a big fuss over eating one potato chip. What? Are you saying I shouldn’t eat anything here?”

“Of course, you can eat freely. The important thing is that if you eat like you do, dirty crumbs will fall on the floor.”

Immediately, the atmosphere in the room grew tense as Blue Shark muttered softly.

Their gazes clashed sharply, lighting sparks in the air.

“…What? Dirty? Are you done talking?”

“Behave appropriately inside the temple. Refrain from actions that lack decorum.”

“Shut up. No matter how dirty it gets, that fancy magic can clean it up. Whatever. I’m not eating anymore. Spit. Spit.”

She spat on the floor, dumping the potato chips on the ground, and fled the scene.

The expression of the Red Dragon hardened into a cold glare, and he sighed as he used his powers.

“This won’t do. If I don’t provide proper education soon…”

After all, there would be more individuals staying in the temple once their activities began in earnest.

If things went on like this, the temple—a place that should always be dignified—would soon be tainted.

Eventually, he moved to do what he had to do.

He headed towards the office, a space solely used by the Black Goat.

“Black Goat. May I come in?”

“Yeah. Come in.”

As soon as he stepped inside and saw the Black Goat sitting in the chair, the Red Dragon bowed deeply and greeted him courteously.

“What brings you here?”

“I came because I wanted to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.”

“When will the ceremony be conducted?”

“Hmm.”

At his question, the Black Goat pondered for a moment before answering.

Then he countered with a question of his own.

“Why are you asking that so soon?”

“Now that the savior is in our hands, I just wish for it to be implemented as quickly as possible without any delays.”

“You’re quite audacious, aren’t you? How dare you rush me?”

“…That wasn’t my intention. I apologize.”

The Black Goat’s eyes gleamed.

Under that overwhelming pressure, the Red Dragon nearly bowed down his head to apologize.

“I’ll tell you this. There’s a problem.”

“A problem, you say…?”

“The savior’s abilities are incomplete.”

This was not something to be taken lightly.

The Red Dragon realized the seriousness of the situation.

“Was there an issue with the resurrection?”

“No. The resurrection was perfect. The savior died and resurrected three days later, as foretold, and awakened.”

“Then why…?”

“Well, perhaps it might be related to the loss of memory.”

If that was the case, what should they do now?

“What do you plan to do?”

In response to the dragon’s question, the Black Goat replied.

“We’ll find the Holy Grail.”