I’m Reincarnated In Otome Game?

"Seriously, what are you doing?"

Ellie, looking exasperated, glared at Randy. He scratched his head with an awkward laugh. The reason Randy couldn't argue back was, of course, because of the cursed staff in his right hand.

If Ellie hadn't come to his rescue, he probably wouldn't have been able to leave the clock tower at all.

——————-

A Little While Earlier

After defeating the lich, Randy carried the staff while going back to the exit path, only to realize something crucial upon reaching the clock tower's exit.

…He couldn't leave.

To be precise, he could exit through the door in front of him, but not while carrying a staff with such an enormous rock attached. If he stepped outside like this, he would be the very definition of a suspicious individual.

After all, this was a public space, a spot where citizens gathered for relaxation. Except for the dark hours of the night and early morning, the plaza was always under watchful eyes.

Normally, it wouldn't have been a problem even if the people are watching. Randy had assumed that if he boldly walked out through the door, no one would care much.

It was like a burglar calmly strolling out the front door.

But now, his arm was attached to the staff, and the not-so small base stuck out conspicuously.

(I stand out… I totally stand out.)

Carrying such a bizarre item outside would undoubtedly make him a target. He would immediately be reported to the guards, questioned, and possibly arrested. After that, he'd likely face charges of trespassing, vandalism, and theft.

"It's dungeon loot, so it's fine, right?"—that was what he thought, but the circumstances didn't allow for such excuses. If the barrier guarding the dungeon was managed by the church or the nation, then the dungeon itself would likely be their property.

If it was discovered that he had entered without permission and taken things, there was no doubt it would be considered a crime.

"Damn it, this rock base is blocking the door—"

Randy compared the door to the oversized base. After a moment, he sighed in defeat, his voice echoing through the room. By this point, it was clear that the door would have to be destroyed.

Standing out or not was no longer the issue. He was about to commit vandalism, and worse, destruction to a historical building.

(I'll do it at night.)

While waiting, Randy thought it would be bad if the custodian caught him. So he lugged the staff back to the hidden door leading to the underground. With his right hand occupied, there wasn't much he could do. Feeling restless, he decided to kill time by taking a nap until nightfall.

Having stayed up late the previous night and risen early that morning, it wasn't long before Randy succumbed to sleep.

Randy didn't know how long he had been asleep when he woke up to a sharp pain in his head.

"Ow!"

Rubbing his head, he opened his eyes to find Ellie standing over him, her temple twitching with a visible vein of anger.

"What are you doing?"

"That's what I should be asking you."

Ellie, arms crossed, glared at him with a clearly irritated expression. Apparently, it was already late afternoon, a time when most people were hurrying home.

"Who said he'll be back by early afternoon?"

"Can't help it! I can't get out of here!"

Pouting, Randy gestured to the staff stuck to his right hand. Ellie sighed deeply and shot him a disapproving glare.

"Good grief. What are you doing?"

Thus, the story looped back to the beginning.

　――――――――

　Ellie let out an exaggerated sigh as she glanced once more at the cursed staff Randy held.

"You know, I thought you were just a fool. But it seems you're a complete and utter idiot."

"Guh…"

The sharp jab hit Randy hard, especially since he had completely forgotten the warning she'd given him before he set out. He had no room for a rebuttal.

"Do you have the memory span of a bird? Forgotten in three seconds?"

Ellie's exasperated expression didn't show any signs of calming down, and her verbal attacks continued. Knowing the conversation was heading nowhere good, Randy tried to shift the topic. "By the way…" he began, asking why Ellie had come here in the first place.

"Your late return worried that little girl, so she asked me to check on you."

Ellie explained that she'd used the magical energy she'd embedded in the mqgic crystal as coordinates to teleport here.

"That's… my bad."

He had caused trouble not only for Ellie but for Liz as well. 

His apology was sincere, but she was showing mocking smile in front of his eyes.

Hesitant, Randy asked cautiously, "Um… are you mad?"

"Furious," Ellie replied curtly.

Her mischievous grin deepened, and Randy groaned in frustration, covering his face with his left hand.

He couldn't exactly blame her for being angry.

After confidently declaring he'd be fine on his own, Randy had gone into the dungeon, only to fail to return by the promised time. When Liz who was worried sick, asked Ellie to teleport and check on him, they found him snoozing without a care in the world.

At this point, there was no choice but to sincerely apologize. Thanks to Ellie's mediation, Randy was forgiven—albeit grudgingly—a few minutes later.

"So, Randy, what's that you're holding?"

Liz tilted her head curiously as she looked at the staff. Randy began recounting what had happened in the dungeon.

"What about my holy water?" Ellie asked, poking her head into view.

"Oh, that," Randy replied, explaining how he'd used it to fight the lich. It had been a desperate measure since he couldn't channel magic through the cursed staff.

"You idiot! Why didn't you pour it on the staff?"

"Huh? Would that have lifted the curse?"

"Of course it would have!"

Ellie examined the staff seriously, then turned to Liz and said, "Step back for a moment." 

Without hesitation, her hair turned black and her eyes crimson—signs that Ellie had fully taken control of Liz's body.

In this state, Ellie reached for the cursed staff Randy was holding.

"Wait, what are you—"

Ignoring Randy's attempt to stop her, Ellie grabbed the staff. Purple-black mist swirled around her, but she remained unfazed.

"Hey! Let go of it!" Randy yelled, panicking.

Ellie, unfazed, smirked. "It's just lingering remnants," she said. The mist seemed to be drawn into Ellie's body and vanished without a trace. What remained was a pristine staff and a now freed Randy.

"My hand's… free!"

"You… what did you just do?" Randy asked, stunned.

"Hmph. If you can't even lift a curse of this level, what are you worth—"

"Are you insane?! That stuff looked toxic! Spit it out! Get rid of it!"

Randy rubbed her back frantically, causing Ellie to blush faintly and leap back in irritation. "Enough! Stop that!"

"I'll be fine."

"Really?"

"I won't say it twice."

Randy met Ellie's stern gaze and finally sighed heavily.

"If you feel even the slightest bit off, tell me."

"You worry too much. I'll know if anything's wrong."

P

"Not Liz—you. I'm worried about you."

Ellie paused, her expression softening briefly before returning to its usual composure.

"What a strange brat."

"You're worse than me," Randy shot back.

Grumbling, Randy picked up the staff that had fallen to the ground. As he worked to separate the staff from its oversized base, Liz and Ellie exchanged a quiet conversation behind him.

"The curse… it really just vanished."

"You can't beat stupidity."

Their comments were drowned out by Randy's triumphant shout: "It came out!"

Liz approached to inspect the staff. "It doesn't seem particularly special," she remarked.

"Yeah, looks pretty normal to me," Randy agreed, staring at it.

After a moment of silence, he brightened. "I've got an idea! Let's disassemble it."

It was a spur-of-the-moment suggestion—if the staff couldn't be used as a weapon, maybe it could be broken down for parts. 

However, Liz hesitated, pointing out that while the cursed staff might lack combat utility, its historical and academic value could be immense.

Randy seemed to agree at first, but to his surprise, Ellie sided with the idea of dismantling it. Having no chance, Liz reluctantly laid out a cloth and began the process.

When the faint glow of magic faded, the staff had been broken down into various components: an ordinary wooden rod, pieces of metal, a mineral resembling a magic crystal, some kind of powder, and even a small amount of red-black liquid.

"Uh… what is all this?" Randy asked, brows furrowing.

"It's a mess of… unidentifiable stuff," Liz replied, equally perplexed.

The two stared at the scattered remains in bewilderment, while Ellie, watching from the side, let out a dismissive snort.

(If only I had an appraisal skill… huh?)

Remembering that, while he lacked an appraisal skill, he had obtained an item box, Randy hurriedly pulled a scroll out of the burlap sack. If the item box functioned like it did in games, it might display the names of stored items.

He quickly handed the scroll to Liz, who was still trying to catch up to the situation. Ellie, taking the lead, said, "It's worth a try," and channeled her magic into the scroll.

"How's it looking?"

"Hold on a moment."

Peeking at the status window from the side, Randy saw Ellie smile. "We got it," she said.

Displayed before them was the item box tab, listing the materials from the dismantled staff:

- Orichalcum

- Branch of the World Tree

- Earth Crystal

- Tears of the Sea

- Star Fragment

- ■■■'s Blood

Although some of the text was unidentified, the materials were undeniably extraordinary.

"What do you think would happen if we remade the staff with these?" Randy asked, excitement brimming in his voice.

Ellie pointed out that they were short on the most important catalyst: blood. 

Apparently, some of it had seeped into the cloth beneath when the staff was dismantled, leaving an insufficient amount for use as a catalyst.

"Then… what about my blood?"

"No need. Normally, it uses the wielder's blood," Ellie said, picking up a sharp stone nearby.

She cut the pad of her thumb, allowing a few drops of blood to fall into the item box before healing the wound with a satisfied nod. "That'll do for today."

"Blood has to be collcected gradually over a few days," she added.

"So, we'll have to wait until later to remake the staff," Randy sighed.

"Exactly. But… weren't you here for something else?" Ellie asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, right!" Randy exclaimed, pulling out the spoils of their latest adventure from the burlap sack. Most of it was loot taken from an orc settlement:

"Mystery meat, horns, seeds, and oil, huh?"

"Let's toss everything into the item box and head back. I want to take a bath asap," Randy suggested.

"Yes," Liz agreed with a wry smile. "It's so dusty here."

When Liz murmured, "Ellie, please," a light enveloped the group, teleporting them away. Left behind in the now-dark space was the ominously darkened blood that had soaked into the ground.

☆☆☆

Meanwhile, as Randy and the others wrestled with the cursed staff…

Catherine and her group were making their way back to the royal capital, the setting sun at their backs. They had just finished hunting in a nearby E-rank dungeon and were satisfied with the results of their efforts, walking with a confident swagger.

Their conversation centered on grumbling about their romantic partners. Some complained about noisy fiancées, while others lamented being in an engagement that only led to more trouble. Whether they were trying to impress Catherine or simply being stupid was unclear.

Men openly bad-mouthing their lovers.

Women finding charm in such behavior.

It was a scene that Randy would've laughed at, likely calling it a "perfect match." But the five members of the group, engrossed in their own little world, remained oblivious to how ridiculous they appeared.

Catherine, however, was focused on something else entirely:

(We'll meet soon…)

She was waiting for a specific event to unfold—an encounter between Dario and Cecilia. 

According to her knowledge, this event occurred around sunset, when Dario, returning from the dungeon, he would run into Cecilia, who had come into town to buy books for her studies.

(There she is! Bingo!)

As expected, Catherine's gaze landed on Cecilia, who was just leaving a store and preparing to board her carriage. Dario, also returning, noticed her at the same time.

Their voices overlapped:

"Ah."

"Ah."

"Wait, Lady Cecilia, this isn't what it looks like!"

"Good evening, Lord Dario. I'm in a bit of a hurry, so if you'll excuse me."

Ignoring Catherine entirely, Cecilia curtsied gracefully and boarded her carriage without hesitation.

"Huh?"

"Lady Cecilia…"

Catherine and Dario were left dumbfounded as Cecilia's carriage, began moving smoothly down the street.

(What? Why? Is this that woman's influence?)

Catherine's confusion was palpable. While it was true that Liz had spent the day with Cecilia, there was no conspiracy. All Liz had done was answer Cecilia's questions about Randy and share, somewhat bashfully, stories of their time together.

Those conversations, filled with the happiness of a friend in love, were enough to cool Cecilia's feelings for her arranged fiancé.

Though Cecilia understood the necessity of the engagement for the sake of her family, she couldn't help but wish for a partner who truly saw her as a person.

Unbeknownst to Catherine, Cecilia's heart had completely cooled, setting the stage for unforeseen events to unfold—events Catherine could never have anticipated.