Title: Red String Part 2

Summary: Read the translated epilogue of Anoseka Vol 3.

Leon

Oof, Marie was giving me the cold shoulder. I should have expected as much, given Olivia's constant presence. Even when I explained the situation to Marie, she found my reasons wanting.

I needed to establish a publicly friendly relationship with the protagonist to ensure people would stop bothering her? Irrelevant. Olivia's light magic was no longer needed what with the flutes neutralized. (How cruel Marie was.)

Giving Olivia a charm to maximize her parameters? Bully to that. That was romance flag if she ever seen one. (Yeah, I get how that looked, but it was the most practical solution. Plus, I really wanted that War Charm.)

Praying for Olivia's marriage (How did Marie even know that?)? How else was Marie supposed to take it other than me trying to get hitched with the protagonist. (Honestly, while I wasn't tempted, I couldn't help but feel like it was some karmic retribution.)

I called bullshit on the last one. She knew as well as I did that Olivia not getting a royal dicking could spell the apocalypse. Even if we neutralized Fanoss's god monsters, we really had no idea what else could pop up. For crying out loud, Olivia was supposed to make an appearance in the third game of this stupid world. Perhaps the royal ship was needed to subdue its secret boss because games always had secret bosses.

When I mentioned that, Marie backed off a little as she reluctantly admitted that her memories of the game after the second one were iffy at best.

She was still wary of Olivia, which I both understood and felt was silly. In any case, my surefire engagement was at risk. Marie didn't feel she could trust me enough and was now prodding my friends regarding their availability status. I wasn't too sure how serious she was about that.

Outside the inconvenience of having to go marriage hunting again, it bothered me little... Okay, it would hurt a little to be rejected, but all rejections hurt. But it really meant little to me as our engagement had been one of convenience and for Marie's benefit.

Now if only my friends could understand that Marie and I really had just been friends simply dealing with the lot in our lives the way we saw fit. Parents too.

"Augh, why is Marie allowed to attend Nick's wedding, but I was told to stay behind and reflect?"

"That would be because Master ruined a perfectly good marriage opportunity with his philandering," Luxion said sulkily. I could only roll my eyes. He had been insistent that I breed with Marie to bring back Old Humanity. A sort of Adam and Eve scenario. He was even insistent enough to push the idea of inbreeding since he could correct our kids' kids genes to prevent any deleterious side effects.

It was fairly sick.

"I get why it would be awkward to have both Marie and me considering we are fighting, but why was I left behind?"

"Because Master had been deemed a misfortune for marriage due to his philandering."

Ugh. Same answer as before. Honestly, it was really Marie's fault in my opinion. I explained the situation to her and she even agreed with me for some things. Reluctantly.

Whatever, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. After all, Nick's wedding was more to appease Dorothea's eccentricities. Seriously, a public dog collaring? Yeah, as amusing as it would be, it was probably more traumatizing.

In any case, I was left at the academy alone. It was rather boring, especially since a lot of the rural nobles sided with Marie. She was their benefactor.

Again, bullshit. Those guys had been so gungho in punishing Dally, Donna, their slaves, and their supporters during the night at the casino. So much for loyalty.

It was incredibly boring being alone.

... Might as well explore the dungeon. I even had the War Fortune Charm, which supposedly would maximize my physical gains. Even if I would never admit it to Luxion, I was curious if it was real. We did live in a world of magic, so who's to say it couldn't?

Actually, now that I think about it, it might be the perfect opportunity to deal with the grudge in the Saintess's Bracelet. Ugh, I was not looking forward to that.

I walked calmly through the familiar route to the bracelet. It was eery how empty the corridors were. While I logically knew that many of the boys roamed these floors and culled the monsters to earn money, it felt far too devoid of monsters. It was as if the world was compelling me to do this today.

With all the talks about destiny, grudges, reincarnation, etc., it was unsettling.

After an hour or two, I heard a scuffle ahead. Looks like there were some students up ahead. While it served to break me out of my funk, it was a tad bit inconvenient for me. The sound was coming from the path leading to the chute that would take me to the bracelet directly.

I drew my shortsword. Might as well expedite the process.

"Please, Sir Leon! Help me!" I heard a girl cry out.

Olivia!

Olivia

As I desperately struggled, I could see and hear the cruel laughter of the nobles. Not a single one saw their actions as cruel. They truly felt no remorse. They didn't see me as human.

It was frightening beyond belief.

Sir Leon! Please, help me! It was scary! It was too scary!

"Hoh? What a sinful woman! Crying out for another man so easily!" I heard one of the girls cackle.

"This is surely a sign that we were right! Such a classless slut! Just leading our poor prince on!"

"Well, let me tell you something, worm. That upstart isn't going to come save you! I heard from a reliable source that his ship left the harbor for the break. He's to attend a wedding after all."

I felt my heart sink. Oddly enough, it wasn't because Sir Leon wouldn't be able to save me. It was a longshot to begin with. It was the fact that Sir Leon was getting married that hurt me the most. Even though I knew he was engaged, hust hearing that he was to be wed broke me.

I felt my energy drain upon hearing her words.

That's when I heard a carnal roar.

"Let her go!"

It cannot be! Looking at the source, I saw a figure dashing in from the darkness.

Sir Leon!

Rather than be offput, the girl gave a malicious smirk.

"As you wish."

I soon felt gravity take hold of me.

"Olivia!"

In the few moments before I dropped out of view, I saw Sir Leon slice through some of the nobles. Despite the horror I witnessed, I still felt elated to know that Sir Leon cared so much about me.

As I fell, I felt something creep up from the darkness below. It was far more frightening than mere monsters. While I felt fear over being torn apart by the creatures lurking about, this fear was far worse. It felt as if my very being was at stake. A primordial evil beyond the physical. Its tendrils digging deep into my soul. A violation of my very existence.

Everything felt so cold... so numb...

Leon

"You! You won't get away with this! Do you even realize what you've done?!" the leader said as she was flat on her back.

Rather than respond, I stepped forward. My boots squelched as I trudged forward. I drove my blade through her heart. Just another casualty of the dungeon.

I didn't have time to process the slaughter. I had to save Olivia. Turning my gaze to the hole where they threw her, I lept in. Despite it being the most foolish thing I could do, I had little choice. If there was even a chance of rescuing Olivia, I had to take it.

When I landed, I saw no body. Scanning the area, there was also a distinct lack of blood. Okay, that was a good sign. Olivia must have landed safely and hadn't been mauled by monsters. She was probably still alive.

The problem was that she was not here...

Wait... this was the chamber where the bracelet was found...

Oh shit...

On a hunch, I called out into the darkness.

"Ann? Are you here?"

The room became washed with a radiant light. Squinting my eyes towards the source, I saw a female figure. Just my luck, Olivia got possessed.

The figure approached me.

"Lea? Is it you? Truly?"

"Hey," I weakly said as my eyes darted to her hands. I needed to locate the bracelet. While I didn't know if removing the object would end the possession, it certainly wouldn't help the grudge.

"But how? Mary told me you had died... No wait... how long hvae I been here?" Ann said while grasping my face. She was trying to ground the fact that 'Lea' was alive and in the flesh. But she would piece together something was wrong soon.

Placing one hand on her right, I felt the bracelet was not there. I leaned into her hand to play on her feelings.

"With how the bracelet's ability to trap your soul, do you find it that far fetched that my soul was able to find its way to you?"

Olivia

I stared listlessly from the dark pit I was trapped in. Sir Leon had abandoned me. Of course he would. I was just the commoner Olivia. A nobody.

Why settle for me when the Saintess was in front of him. More so considering he was the Saintess's lover. A love that transcended death.

I wept as my heart shattered from the revelation. I was a cursed existence. What small happiness I had found in knowing Sir Leon had tried to protect me was lost. I was never meant for happiness. The very least I could do was allow these two lovers to be reunited.

Yet, a part of me couldn't help but hold out hope. It was foolish, but a part of me couldn't stop having faith in Sir Leon. Perhaps it was some contamination from Ann's love for Lea, but I want... knew Sir Leon... Lea would save me.

He promised.

"Ann, was Mary the one who did this to you?" Sir Leon... Lea said softly.

I could feel Ann's soul erupt in rage. Visions of a girl who looked quite like me flashed before my eyes. Her grudge seeped deeper into me.

My... Ann's arm rose to show her the cursed bracelet.

"That wretched sister of mine promised me my revenge. I should have known better. The harlot was always the crafty one. However, I had thought she at least cared about me enough not to trap me to eternal damnation."

Lea took on a look of pity. He gingerly brushed his fingers on the artifact.

"So she trapped you soul in this vessel. To think she..."

I felt as if every sensation came under fire. My soul ached as the deep rooted tendrils of Ann's soul was ripped out harshly. Every part of my body hurt. It felt it was being torn to shred. I felt my skin and bones burn as if someone set me alight, yet a chill settled in every fiber of my being.

It hurt. It hurt. It hurt! It hurt! It hurt so much!

"Olivia, come on. You gotta hang on," Sir Leon frantically said as he did everything he could to help me.

Then magically, the pain dropped immensely.

"Master, the grudge has been contained," an inhuman voiced sounded.

"What about Olivia? Is she going to be okay?"

"Her vitals have stabilized. Recommendation, hold position in this room. I shall acquire the necessary means to secure and transport her to the surface."

I felt my consciousness fade soon after. But I had nothing to fear. I was in my knight's arms.

Marie

I stared as Olivia nuzzled into Leon's arm affectionately. All sense of boundary and propriety had been shot out of a cannon.

And judging by Leon's lack of concern and his mindless headpats, this was a thing for them.

I've been cuckqueaned. Was this my punishment for trying to take the protagonist's role?

"Well fine! So that's how it is!" I screamed at him. Rather than respond, he just looked at me tiredly.

Luxion floated towards me.

"Please excuse Master. An incident occurred during the break. If you will please follow me, I shall explain the situation."

I gave him a put out look. What could have possibly happened to be able to justify this?

Just great. Olvia was traumatized and potentially be half possessed, given how much of the grudge leaked into her soul. Leon was traumatized and heavily sedated over having slaughtered so many noble children and their servants. The royal entourage were frothing over getting cucked by some random rural noble. Nobles were absolutely terrified of Leon as he had marched out of the dungeon covered in blood after an absurd number of nobles had been cutdown. The royal court was in an absolute uproar as they were trying to execute Leon but couldn't because the nobles' remains were to torn apart to be thought to have been done by a human.

Honestly, the only positive in all of this was that Angelica wasn't out for blood since several of the nobles that died had been from her faction. She wisely kept her head out of all of this bullshit since she likely didn't want to garner Julius's ire. After all, it wouldn't be a stretch to say Olivia's closeness to Leon was partly her fault by association. Bit bullshit, but Angelica had some responsibility for not reeling in her followers better.

I did find it odd how her family didn't make much of a stink regarding the matter. Angelica was one thing, but surely the Redgrave family couldn't afford to anger so many members of their faction by not demanding Leon's head.

Whatever. I'll take whatever reprieve there was.

AN:

1) I read the epilogue and decided to pair it with an alternative outcome using my previous part as a basis.

2) Obviously a fairly drastic take on Red String. Originally, I imagined it being slower by having Leon learning more about Olivia during the trip, get annoyed with the five for not being considerate, lecture them, get needled by the five heirs, make Olivia fall further in love leading to further complications, and Angelica shipping Olivia with Leon to prevent herself from getting cucked. This plot is starting o sound like Marie-less.

3) Leon being drastic in his approach feels fairly reasonable in this situation. Leon does have the ability to kill after all, but only does so when mercy is not an option. Given the circumstances, those jobles probably had to die.

Review Response:

Randomguy2178: I think I've somewhat wrote about that a few times. The Unlocked Secret Route (8) and The Sixth Route (36) come to mind as more overtly stated/implied. A few of my other chapters could also have that backstory.

PCHeintz72: The protagonist is left deliberately vague so that anyone who decides to use it as a basis can insert the names as necessary with minimal issues. Development of the story would vastly change depending on the girl obviously. Kinda want to make a third chapter, but I'm semi-stumped on what to write while still avoiding the plot.

Pembaca Sampah: Dealer's choice. Drop out of school and toil away to payoff her debts, captured by pirates and all associated repercussions like in An Accurate Appraisal Part 2, or just a lonely school experience as everyone eventually gets to busy dog piling on Marie or Angelica.

guest09: As previously states, protagonist role is left unmentioned so that writers who may decide to use this plot have the flexibility of choice.

Qriiz: I wouldn't really call it psychopathy. When the characters are in fact the exact same as in the game, it would not be difficult to just default to your initial impressions. In addition, any mention to the game is usually jusy commentary of the oddity in the changes to roles, acknowledgement of capabilities, and acknowledgement of Olivia's importance/potential. The only potentially psychopathoc element is using Olivia for her light magic, but that hardly qualifies when extinction is on the line. Plus, it's not as if Leon whipped her to learn her magic, forced her into a relationship with the five to ensure survival, or forced himself on her.