Chapter 127: Paths Split and Life Continues, or The morning of the beginning ?Celica’s POV
Chapter 127: Paths Split and Life Continues, or The morning of the beginning ※Celica’s POV
Author Note: It will be the POV of Celica for a while.
In terms of timing, it is around chapter 118. And then, a flashback of the morning of the very transfer day.
——
I was watching the video of my brother standing still there after separating from Rifreya-san.
I can’t read anything from the face of my brother.
Is what’s there the future or despair?
I have no choice but to believe the words of my brother who said ‘I will live’.
And I have no choice but to do what I can.
I call Izuna-san from my smartphone.
“It is Celica. Yeah…that’s right. Please do as planned… Yes. Later.” (Celica)
With this, we can put an end to that man for now.
If things go well, I myself will need to go back to Japan.
“Celican, what will we do from now on?” (Karen)
“For the Viewer Count Race…I am sure there will be a 2nd one coming sometime, but right now we have to prioritize maintaining the mental state of Onii-chan. Let’s keep the streams at only the times when there’s movement.” (Celica)
Honestly speaking, Karen and I pushed ourselves too hard in the Viewer Count Race.
Good work comes from good sleep.
A situation where he has more than a hundred million watching him must be rough for my brother too. If that were me…no, I probably would be fine. I am not delicate like my brother after all.
I most likely would only see the viewers as just numbers. I also wouldn’t be hurt by every message.
Us siblings are comprised of my delicate brother and little sister, and the crude one that’s me.
I don’t mind what others think about me.
I am often ridiculed in the bulletin boards, saying ‘I act cute for the looks’, but it can’t be helped that they see me like that.
The time when I enjoyed my faint love for my brother, who I am only half-related by blood just like Karen, has passed a long time ago.
My brother is my life itself.
If it is for the sake of this love, I am willing to become a monster or a demon.
Our house was burned, sis was killed, and my brother is gone; they all informed us twins that our childhood has ended.
“Celican, has the police properly announced that that guy is the true culprit?” (Karen)
“Well, it should be okay. We have a whole lot of evidence, and I even provided data of the person himself confessing. What’s left is to get the public to our side, and if we donate a bit to a bigshot, it should happen quickly.” (Celica)
“Feels contrived-nii~. Wouldn’t it have been better to go for a bit more simple approach?” (Karen)
“…Can’t deny it. I was a bit…no, quite in a weird state of mind after all.” (Celica)
“We suddenly lost both Onee-chan and the one we love after all…” (Karen)
“We haven’t lost them yet!” (Celica)
It went well in terms of result, but I can’t deny that we are walking on a tightrope here.
Brother still being alive is more the existence of Rifreya-san than our little schemes after all…
The one I was talking to on the phone just a moment ago was Izuna-san; a subordinate of my grandfather and the person that’s moving in our stead.
We had Izuna-san free the culprit that killed Nanami-neesan and her family from the confinement room, and asked her to throw him at the police station.
With the murder weapon in hand, changed to the clothes of the time he committed the crime, with the data of the time when he confessed, and on top of that, even added the video of the hidden camera that shows him escaping from the house of Nee-san.
Regarding him being confined, we have threatened him that we would kill his parents if he were to speak about it. He might talk about it despite that, but when that happens that happens.
That day, by deciding to use the underground people, I stepped into a path of no return. I have no regrets.
The world has been thrown into disarray from the appearance of God anyways.
In a world gone mad where brother isn’t present, there’s no point in living it decently.
“Ah, Onii has moved.” (Karen)
When I looked at the screen from what Karen said, Brother had finally turned around and began walking.
From an expression of grief to a wry smile; a man walking on with the setting sun on his back.
Those steps showed certain strength facing the future.
He must have been unbound by something after one thing had finished.
…It might just be me who wishes that is the case though.
Whichever the case, it should be fine to consider this as him having rid himself of the dangerous thing encroaching his heart.
I originally intended to do this sooner. Clear the name of our brother by having the culprit be arrested the moment he had escaped the forest.
The reason we couldn’t do that was because of bad luck…or because we were targeted by the ill-will of God.
To think the message function would be added the very moment he exited the forest. Even I would want to curse that God and call him the devil.
They can investigate about what has happened with Ozawa from the incident to now to a certain degree, but whichever the case, the death penalty judgment will be given soon.
He may be underage, but having killed 3 people, death penalty is obviously settled. Seeing the precedents of this, there’s no doubt about it.
Anyways, with this, my relations with that country are over.
Enclosed, malicious, conservative, exclusive; It wasn’t a country that was that good for Karen and me.
If not for our brother, Karen and I would have long rotted in that country.
Now, below this dry sky, I even feel as if it is a far parallel world.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this world is currently revolving around topics of the parallel world.
I am the person with the most rights in terms of isekai content personally, and I am completely treated as a VIP in America.
We flew off to America practically as if defecting, but I was surprised by the fact that they had the documentation for all of our family ready in 2 days.
Well, our parents and I are probably just extras and the one they really want is most likely only Karen though. But that’s fine. Whichever the case, that girl can’t operate perfectly unless I am around.
Anyways, if I were to just say I won’t be sharing the craft of Japan, they would be cornered into a pretty disadvantageous position.
There’s obviously the self-learning AI translation software, there’s also the edited video content, and things outside of my company as well. My company has obtained a decent amount of stocks, and my words have enough power to shut out Japan.
It is not like…I am getting back at them for the bulletin board having been stormy.
I was also partly involved in that scenario, and had intentionally made it stormy.
Even so, there was no need for them to go that far, right? Of course I would want to put a word in about that.
So I say…but I don’t intend to do something so mean.
I don’t, but…
Self-disgust.
Even though it was something I set up myself, even when I understand it by logic, I can’t do anything about this disgust in me.
I am a person that doesn’t have a compass.
I can do anything to a decent degree.
No matter what I do, I am sure I will be able to do it decently.
Because of that, I can’t decide for sure what path to take.
I don’t like myself.
The only one who illuminated my path was my brother.
I must recover that light.
If I don’t, I will stay lost, unable to advance anywhere.
◇◆◆◆◇
The time is the 1st day of the 1st month.
The people that have been chosen by God will finally be transferred to a parallel world.
We will be going back to that day.
“Rain on New Year is rare-nii~. It has apparently been 25 years since that happened.” (Karen)
Karen said while typing on the keyboard in a hurry.
It is true that it is normally clear on New Year. At the very least, in my memories, they have all been clear.
“And so, Karen, do you think you will make it in time?” (Celica)
“A foolish question posed to this prodigy~. No problems at all!” (Karen)
“I see, good work. It was unexpected that we would be earning money like this, but well, we have to use anything we can use. With our plan now in disarray, having as much money as possible would be nice.” (Celica)
“We are one step closer to an island in the south~?.” (Karen)
The chaos of the isekai transfer has provided us a chance.
First, the translation of the isekai language.
This is the specialized field of me and Karen, and we have created a research team one step faster.
There’s way too little information right now, so we will be giving instructions in full from tomorrow on, but at any rate, we are completely prepared. An advanced AI for language translation has been readied, and we have arranged for a supercomputer.
I may say isekai to generalize it, but there must be several different languages, so the problem is also what language to choose. If possible, it would be better for it to be a language that has a lot of speakers but, in the beginning, we will have to be doing this blind.
Anyways, the first one to succeed in the translation will become the standard.
There’s few rivals, and it is not like we are translating lithographs of ancient languages, so it is not a mission with that high of a difficulty. Otherworlders will be there too after all.
The one other thing is the streams.
All otherworlders will have their each and every action broadcasted, but modern people don’t have so much free time as to watch that the whole time.
In that case, there will be demand for edited videos.
The big streaming services have already announced that they will be entering this market, but there’s 1,000 Chosen. Of course, even the big guys won’t be able to distribute their resources equally for all Chosen.
Karen and I are advancing the needed preparations, and we will be concentrating mainly on the Japanese people…especially Nanami-neesan for edited videos.
The big guys of the streaming services are mostly European and American enterprises.
If we can secure the asian side centrally, we should be able to put up a good fight.
“…It is almost time. Wonder if Onii-chan finished his farewells with Nanami-neesan.” (Celica)
“Did it turn into something lewd, maybe?” (Karen)
“We are talking about Nee-san here, so who knows.” (Celica)
I pity Nanami-neesan.
She will be sent to something nonsensical like an isekai.
Moreover, unable to bring almost anything with her.
“It is almost time-nii~.” (Karen)
At the big monitor on the wall, there was a broadcast of the ceremony with the Chosen from around the world.
They are apparently going to be sent to the parallel world at the same time. For Japan, that would be 9 in the morning. It is great that it wasn’t in the dead of the night, but I would have liked a later time.
There’s around half of the Chosen who have gathered for the Japan broadcast.
They are going to be leaving this world after all.
They will be abandoning everything they have built up in this society, and basically migrating to a different savage planet close to naked. This shouldn’t be the time to be leisurely performing on TV.
You should be passing your last moments with your loved ones like Nanami-neesan.
People who want to enjoy the food they like as much as they can before they leave.
Ones who are drowning their fears with alcohol.
A lot of types.
The countdown begins on the TV.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
The Chosen on the TV screen disappear all at the same time.
I thought it would be the pattern where their bodies alone would be empty husks, but it looks like that wasn’t the case.
*Zazaza*
The sound of the rain grows stronger.
“…Eh?” (Karen)
Karen, who was using the computer, had her face gone pale as if she had seen a ghost.