“Huh? Aya-chan…?”

The Aya-chan who had been right in front of me just moments ago was gone.

But it wasn’t just that—when I looked around, it didn’t seem like the same forest we were in earlier.

…Where am I?

I started looking around, scanning my surroundings to gather any information that might help.

At that moment, I noticed something glowing, extending from my chest.

“…What’s this?”

It looked like Silveit, but not quite. The end of it was so faint it was almost invisible.

This strange thread extended straight out from my heart.

Could this be what Shirayuki-sensei was talking about?

She mentioned that Resonance connects people through threads.

So… does that mean I’ve resonated with Aya-chan?

But Aya-chan was supposed to be rejecting it. Well, not Aya-chan herself, but something inside her… though that’s not the main issue here.

“…Guess I’ll follow it.”

I muttered to myself and started walking through the forest, following the thread.

Though this was unexpected, if I really had resonated with Aya-chan, it might work in my favor. If I can find her, I might be able to free her from whatever’s holding her.

And on top of that, I could get a better grasp of Resonance, improving my skills. Win-win, right?

With that hopeful thought, I kept walking through the forest, and in less than ten minutes, I came to a clearing.

Beyond the trees was a gentle basin, like a large spoon had scooped out the earth. Small houses were clustered together in the dip.

It was a typical rural landscape.

I’ve seen scenes like this on TV, and since I’d just seen something similar when I entered Aya-chan’s mind earlier, it didn’t shock me much.

But… something about this place felt off.

“…?”

All the buildings… were old.

And I mean really old.

Not decaying, exactly. Just… outdated.

Take the roofs, for example. When I think of old houses, I picture something like my own, with traditional Japanese architecture. But these houses weren’t nearly as fancy.

The roofs were thatched—if that’s the right term. The kind of roofs you’d see in history textbooks, though not as pristine. They were covered in moss, and some parts were moldy or rotting. A few dilapidated houses stood scattered across the area.

And there were people around.

Not just one or two, but several.

They were all wearing clothes that looked… really old-fashioned.

Clothes that wouldn’t look out of place in the Edo period, if I had to put it into words.

It felt as if I had time-traveled, like I’d been thrown back into the past.

“…What?”

I muttered to myself, feeling as though I was seeing a mirage. But considering that this was the mental world, it might not be too strange.

…Or is it?

If I had to guess, maybe Aya-chan saw something about the Edo period on TV and was fascinated by it?

I didn’t know for sure, but I made a mental note to ask Shirayuki-sensei about this later. For now, I focused on the thread in front of me and followed it.

The thread led me straight into the village.

As I descended toward the village, I made eye contact with an old man nearby.

“Um… hello,” I greeted him with a bow.

The old man blinked in surprise before exclaiming, “A holy monk!? A holy monk, here in our humble village!?”

“Holy monk…?”

Puzzled, I tilted my head, but the old man just continued, now bowing deeply in reverence.

“How blessed we are, to see the holy monk twice before we pass away!”

“Uh, excuse me… What do you mean by ‘holy monk’?”

“What are you saying? Just looking at your attire, anyone would know you’re a holy monk. You’ve come to exorcise the demons and spirits that plague our village, haven’t you?”

“…Are you talking about exorcists?”

“Exorcists…? No, no, you’re a holy monk, no doubt about it.”

Our conversation seemed to be slightly out of sync, but it sounded like what he called “holy monks” were what we know as exorcists.

I wasn’t sure how he knew I was an exorcist, but being worshipped like a god by a complete stranger was a little unnerving.

Still, with how earnestly he was bowing, it didn’t feel right to ask him to stop. Maybe I could find a way to gently deflect his reverence.

“Um… I’m still a child. I’m not experienced enough to be worshipped like this.”

“I’ve heard some holy monks use rejuvenation techniques to stay young and live long lives. Perhaps that’s the case with you.”

…Rejuvenation techniques?

“In the capital, they say the Crimson Monk has lived for hundreds of years using such techniques.”

I had no idea what he was talking about.

Even if there were such magic, I’d never heard of it.

But then again, this was the mental world. Maybe I shouldn’t take everything at face value.

After experiencing the strange sensation of being worshipped for no reason, I turned my back on the old man and continued deeper into the village.

It wasn’t long before I found the person connected by the thread.

She looked about the same age as me. Dressed in old-fashioned clothes, she was carrying a baby on her back and hanging out laundry.

Her profile… looked a lot like Aya-chan’s.

“Aya-chan. Let’s go home.”

The moment I spoke, the girl turned to face me.

But as we locked eyes, an indescribable sense of wrongness washed over me.

Her face resembled Aya-chan’s. She looked so much like her, it could have been her.

But… it wasn’t her.

The expression on this girl’s face was one Aya-chan would never make.

“Holy monk…? But you’re not Aya-chan.”

The girl muttered softly. And in that moment, a booming voice echoed from the sky.

“Arrogance.”

Suddenly, my consciousness was thrown backward.

Again. I was being pushed away again.

If this kept happening, we’d never get anywhere. So in desperation, I shot my Silveit into the ground.

For a brief moment, my consciousness held on.

.net

“To trespass into a person’s mind and presume to stay there. The arrogance of exorcists knows no bounds.”

My awareness was faint, like the feeling of dozing off during an afternoon class, but it was still there—just barely connected.

“…Who… Who are you? Who’s inside Aya-chan?!”

In the fleeting time I had, I demanded answers. And finally, the voice responded.

“…The Ice Princess.”

With that final word, my consciousness was forcefully expelled again.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep