﻿\setgamedatatitle("Minerva_07")

\text
The dungeon's underground prison.
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\text("Goblin Child")
Ah... she didn't eat again.
\endtext

\text
A young goblin child pulled out an old plate of food and
muttered to himself.
\endtext

\text
―A few days ago, on Risbell's orders, he became an
apprentice jailer and was put in charge of this cell.

\endtext

\text
Even though it's a prison, the food isn't bad. It depends on
the prisoner, but for this cell in particular, they were
instructed to serve the same menu as the soldiers.
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\text("Goblin Child")
What a waste... But, is she really okay not eating anything?

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\text
Just then, the cell's occupant―who he thought was
asleep―glared at him with a sharp, piercing gaze.

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\text("Goblin Child")
Eek! S-sorry...!
\endtext

\text
He hurriedly swapped out the food for a fresh plate and made
a quick exit.
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\text("Goblin Child")
Huff, huff... She's really scary after all. Spacchio-san
said a lot of our friends got killed by her, too.

\endtext

\text
That cell wasn't just special because of the food; it also
had double and triple measures in place to seal magic.

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\text
He'd heard over and over from Noro, Spacchio, and the other
monster soldiers that she was no ordinary person.

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\text("Goblin Child")
...But, she's always awake like that whenever I come. She
never sleeps.
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\text("Goblin Child")
And she doesn't eat either... What's going to happen to her?

\endtext

\text
Worried, the goblin child hugged the old plate and left the
cell―
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\text("Minerva")
...A new meal, huh.
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\text
A delicious aroma wafted from the still-warm plate, tickling
her nose.

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\text
Her stomach growled loudly.
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\text
Eat it. Take in the nourishment.


\endtext

\text("Minerva")
(...Shut up. Settle down, you lowly flesh.)
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\text
With sheer willpower, she suppressed the urge. ...But then
her head swayed, and she nearly drifted off to sleep.

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\text("Minerva")
(Sleep...?! As if! To entrust my mind to this body...!)

\endtext

\text
Hugging her knees, she forced her eyes wide open, fighting
off the Mare―
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\text
When she first incarnated, she must have still had Structa's
power. She didn't need food or sleep.

\endtext

\text
Her first meal was out of curiosity about her body's
functions. ...She was quite taken aback by what came after,
though.
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\text
But now it's different. If she doesn't get nourishment from
food and rest from sleep, it's hard to maintain her body.

\endtext

\text
Little by little... her very existence is becoming more like
a human of this world.
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\text
That's why she's been refusing to give in to her body's
urges to eat and sleep.

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\text("Minerva")
I am... Structa. A higher... spirit.

\endtext

\text("Minerva")
I'm not like these creatures here―mere slaves to their
flesh...
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\text
She was so weak, she even thought she wouldn't mind just
dying like this.
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\text
Her spirit, freed from her body, would be called back to
that pure world of Structa―
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\text
Even though she knew it wasn't possible, that fantasy kept
running through her mind.
\endtext

\text
At that moment, Minerva noticed the familiar sound of
footsteps approaching down the hallway.

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\text("Minerva")
―Caym, is it?
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\text("Caym")
Just like I promised, I came to check on you. Looks like
you're... not doing so well.
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\text
Caym looked down at Minerva, who was curled up on the simple
bed with a pale face, and sighed through the bars.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
Stubborn as always. ...I heard from the kid I passed
earlier, you know? You haven't eaten or slept at all.

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\text("Minerva")
That's none of your concern. ...More importantly, you must
have come here for a reason, right?

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\text("Caym")
Hmph... I can't exactly sleep with you in that state. But
you can at least talk, can't you?
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\text("Minerva")
Of course... My consciousness isn't swayed by the state of
my body.
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\text("Caym")
There you go again... Well, whatever.
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\text
Caym sat down in the jailer's chair.
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\text("Caym")
I already asked what I needed to last time... but there's
still something I'm curious about.
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\text("Caym")
Why were you chosen for this mission? Was it an order, or
did you volunteer?
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\text("Minerva")
...That's your question?
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\text("Caym")
Yeah. Depending on which it is, it changes a lot... in many
ways.
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\text
Minerva let out a huff.
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\text("Minerva")
I volunteered. ...When I saw the scenery of this world, I
thought it was beautiful. That's why I raised my hand
myself.
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\text("Minerva")
The wind blowing across the plains, the chirping of birds,
the colors of light and water―
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\text
Minerva closed her eyes, as if recalling those memories.

\endtext

\text("Minerva")
Even if it was a mission I couldn't return from, I thought
it was worth protecting... Ah, ugh!? U-uh...

\endtext

\text
Suddenly, Minerva clutched her head with both hands and
began to writhe in pain.
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\text("Caym")
Hey, what's wrong?
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\text("Minerva")
Th-that was how it was supposed to be... but why, why...?

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\text
Minerva's eyes widened, seeing not this place, but a scene
from her memories.

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\text("Minerva")
Yes, blood, screams... a mountain of corpses... Why,
why...!?
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\text("Minerva")
I... to protect the order of this world... its beauty... Ah,
ah!
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\text("Caym")
Calm down! ...Take a deep breath or something.
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\text("Minerva")
Ah... ha, haaa...
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\text("Caym")
Good grief. ...Looks like it was still too soon to talk.

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\text("Caym")
For now, eat something. Trying to think on an empty stomach
never leads to anything good.

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\text("Caym")
And get some sleep. Your mind needs rest too... no matter
what you think about it.

\endtext

\text("Minerva")
Ugh, ngh...
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\text("Caym")
...I'll come back.
\endtext

\text
Caym stood up, turned his coat, and walked away.

\endtext

\text
Minerva, grinding her teeth, was left alone.

\endtext