I Play the Role of (Villain/Heroine) in a Japanese-style Otome Game Chapter 18.1

Man, chapter 18 is really long Q-Q. Only in the latter half but my favourite part of any novel (unless they are walls of text), world building!

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Wafū Otome Gē de (Akuyaku/Hiroin) Yattemasu

I Play the Role of a Heroine
 – Attaining Everything 2 [Part 1]

Translated by nakimus.h.i.tl
Support the translations by reading at the translator's site.

　When I return to Chako and Yuusei-kun while carrying the tea pastries, they seem to be talking about games rather excitedly.
Looking at their situation, I recall what I told Yuusei-kun before.
『You know, Chako has high communication skills. She'll definitely get along well with you."』
Back then, Yuusei-kun groaned "Oh" with a frown though.

　See, sure enough you became friends.

　A giggle leaks out when I look at the two conversing happily.
Then, wanting to join them, I softly sit next to Chako.

　Tomoyuki-san brings black tea over while the three of us are conversing.
Filling my mouth with the Darjeeling black tea, a slightly peculiar aroma spreads out.
The cookie with coconut in it, that Tomoyuki-san brought to the living room table and handed over, is crunchy and has a good food texture.
Isn't it yummy? when I smile at Chako. It's yummy, she smiles back.

"Um, we intruded today because we wanted to learn about matters like phantoms and the school."

　I glance at Tomoyuki-san after a while.
Tomoyuki-san's light blue eyes narrow gently and he gives a slow nod.
Translated by nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
"Aah, I don't mind. Let's see, where should I start…"

　Tomoyuki-san mutters as he returns the cup to the saucer.
Then, those light blue eyes of his look towards Chako.

"… Do you know about the Priestess of Ominous Clouds?"

　Gently, in a voice that doesn't seem to have a motive.

　… It's strange, the people here.
Everyone except Chako knows that Chako is Tomotaksenpai's familiar, and that she will disappear.
However, Chako doesn't think that anyone, including me, knows about her and she probably wants to hide it.

　I wonder how Chako will react.
Looking at Chako with a sidelong glance, her expression hasn't particularly changed. She merely tilts her head curiously.

"Priestess of Ominous Clouds?"

　As though they're words she heard for the first time, there are no hidden purposes in those eyes.
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　Chako definitely knows that I'm the Priestess of Ominous Clouds.
She should've been ordered by Tomotaksenpai to approach me so she should've been told why.
However, Chako's expression and atmosphere is such that one wouldn't know for sure whether she'd been told or not… I unconsciously let out a small breath.

　Chako is quick to hide her feelings.

　It'd be good if she's more disturbed or anxious.
It'd be good if she's obviously confused and expresses her feelings.

　… However, well, this is Chako after all.

"You know what, I'm the Priestess of Ominous Clouds. I have a great power."

　Placing a cover on the suffocation running through my chest, I laugh boldly.
Chako's expression is one of shock, looking at such a me. Then she goes Yup, yup, nodding continuously.

"I see. I don't know what's a Priestess of Ominous Clouds but Yui-chan is amazing, huh?"

　What's with that?
That's too random, Chako.

　When I chuckle, finding such a Chako strange, Chako laughs, "Ehehe" too.

"That's right. The Priestess of Ominous Clouds is amazing, you know?"

　Granting power, or suppressing it. She can even turn back time.
That's why, no matter how much you try to hide it, Chako.

　――I won't give up.

"The Priestess of Ominous Clouds can grant power to phantoms or onmyouji."
"Just by loitering in town for a bit, tons of phantoms will come, drawn to the Priestess of Ominous Clouds' power."

　Yuusei-kun and Tomoyuki-san give supplements about the Priestess of Ominous Clouds while Chako and I laugh together.
Yuusei-kun's eyes shine like he's having fun as he points at me with his thumb.

"Yuusei-kun… You're thinking How envious that phantoms will come or the like, right?"
"Yeah. For the other party to come on their own, that's too entertaining."
"Eh. Yui-chan, weren't you scared when you were small?"

　Chako looks at me, worried.
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"Yes. Nevertheless, because there were people who protected me… I've been protected by Yuusei-kun or onmyoujis so far. However, I'm thinking to stand properly with my own power from now on."
"Ooh."
"That's why, Yuusei-kun's a friend but also a master."
"Master?"
"Yes. From today on, I'll be concentrating on training everyday in order to use the Priestess of Ominous Clouds' power well."
"Isn't that tough?"
"Un, even then, I will work hard. Also, this isn't all, I'm thinking of joining a club and the Student Council too."
"EHH!? That's too tough."
"Un. Even then, I will work hard."

　When I chuckle, Chako goes "Mu, muu" with a frown.
Translated by nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
"Ah, let's do lots of fun things."
"… Un. But I'm worried that Yui-chan will be tired."
"Thank you. When I'm tired, I can probably persist if Chako pats my head[1]."
"Understood! That much is a piece of cake."

　Leave it to me, Chako nods exaggeratedly. Finding it funny, I laugh.
Chako looks at such a me gently.

"Nevertheless, pushing yourself too much is a no-no, okay?"
"… Un."

　… It's for the sake of standing next to Chako.
I, will work hard.

"Besides, I've Tomoyuki-san too."
"Director?"
"Yes, he's amazing you know? He's a half between a phantom and a human, the previous Priestess of Ominous Clouds' child, an onmyouji from the Kamo family and is over 200 years old."
"Ehh… what's with that."

　Chako's eyes blink in surprise at the amazing enumeration of attributes, and look at Tomoyuki-san. Tomoyuki-san listens with amus.e.m.e.nt, to such a conversation between Chako and I.

"An amazing person like that is my ally… no. Is everyone's ally."
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　In the previous round, Tomoyuki-san said he was my ally.
However, it's surely not me alone.
Kousuke-kun and Tomotaksenpai too. Kuo-sensei and Yuusei-kun too… and Chako.
Surely, he's everyone's ally.

　Isn't that right? I look at Tomoyuki-san and he laughs joyfully.

"Wah, one will be invincible if such an amazing person is their ally!"

　Laughing "Ehihi", Chako looks at Tomoyuki-san.

"We'll see… you can come here when you feel tired."

　Tomoyuki-san's light blue eyes narrow at Chako, who laughed playfully, and he smiles gently.
His milk tecoloured hair sways smoothly.
It's an extremely pretty smile.
However, Chako groans "Wuu", swiftly covering her eyes with both hands.
Translated by nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
"My eyes, my eyeees~!"
"The destruction spell came, didn't it."
"It did."

　Removing only her left hand from her eyes and, not looking at Tomoyuki-san, she exchanges nods with Yuusei-kun.
What a waste of Tomoyuki-san's precious, gentle smile.
Chako purposefully blinks her eyes and gets riled up about something with Yuusei-kun.

　What a troubling pair.
Chako and Yuusei-kun look like mischievous kids when they talk…
Looking at such a pair, Tomoyuki-san goes "Goodness me", letting out a breath.

"I didn't think Yuusei-kun was so childlike."
"Perhaps these two become like this when they are together…"

　Tomoyuki-san and I exchange glances.
A chuckle then escapes from each of us.

　Un.
This isn't too bad.

"Now, you wanted to know about phantoms and the school, right?"
"Yes, please."

　Yuusei-kun and Chako are still joking around but Tomoyuki-san revises the topic.

"Leaving aside the school for now… How much do you know about phantoms?"
"Hmm, I know only the basics… What about Chako?"

　I glance towards Chako at Tomoyuki-san's words.
After Chako goes "Nn" as she thinks, she shakes her head.

"Um… Even though I'm a phantom, well, I barely know anything about phantoms…"
Translated by nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
　An expression like that of a bitter smile surfaces on Chako. Reaching a hand towards the table, she fills her mouth with a mouthful of black tea.
Tomoyuki-san looks at such a Chako with gentle eyes.

"I see, you don't know anything."
"Um… because somehow, I became a phantom before I knew it."

　Laughing "Ehe", Chako returns the cup to the saucer.

"I see… you don't have parents, do you."

　Tomoyuki-san weaves words that I once heard.

　Not having parents. Kuo-sensei said that too.
Apparently, there are cases where phantoms have parents, and cases where they don't.
And Chako's a phantom without parents.
That's why she receives bursaries from the director and probably why she doesn't know much about other things.
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"Um, I did have a parent-like person who brought me up… Only, he taught me but a little about phantoms."

　Chako makes an extremely complicated face.

"We lived in the mountain together. I merely ran around while playing and he roughly told me about things that occurred each day. That was it."

　It seems that, born as a phantom, Chako had always been living in the mountain.
… Did she meet Tomotaksenpai at that time, and became a familiar?

"Was the person who brought you up also at the mountain?"
"Yes. We lived together."

　Chako nods like it's natural. Tomoyuki-san places a hand by his mouth, going "Fumu" as he ponders for a while.
Translated by nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
"I see… That phantom had an ego too. Even then, he lived in the mountain… You didn't know that but, that's something extremely rare."

　Chako goes "Hm?", tilting her head, at Tomoyuki-san's words.
As though to say "I don't get what's so rare about it".

"This world can't survive without humans. Phantoms, you see, live while relying on human civilization."
"… Does that mean there are no phantoms that live in mountains?"

"Aah… There used to be many in the past. When I was born, it just happened to be the intersecting period. The world that was the phantom's, changed into the humans' world."

　A colour like that of pathos filled Tomoyuki-san's eyes.
As though he's yearning for the past, yet is evading it… a strange color.

"The number of humans increased and nature disappeared. Inversely proportional to the development of civilization, spiritual energy disappeared."
"Spiritual energy disappears?"
"Aah. In the past, spiritual energy drifts about everywhere, cats that live long may turn into nekomatas and treasured objects may gain an ego. Things like that happened often… There aren't such happenings now."

"Eh? In that case, will phantoms not be born anymore?"

　Chako looks at Tomoyuki-san with widened eyes.

"Low grade phantoms without egos spring forth even now. Only, I suppose it's impossible for strong phantoms with egos to spring forth from nature."
"… I see."
"That's why, it's been about 100 years since a phantom like you, without parents and with an ego, sprung forth from nature."

　Chako nods meekly at Tomoyuki-san's words.
The Chako without parents.
That's something amazing.
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"The strong phantoms with egos currently in this school, all have parents. A phantom with an ego can be born if 2 phantoms with egos reproduce after all."
"I seeー… Phantoms with egos live while blending in the human world. Meanwhile, low grade phantoms that spring forth from nature…"
".. Phantoms without egos harm humans. They are then destroyed by onmyoujis."
Translated by nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
　His light blue eyes looking at somewhere faraway, Tomoyuki-san continues to speak.

"The phantoms are probably a dying species. The hegemony had moved to humans long ago. This academy was created in hopes that they will survive somehow."

　My heart squeezed reflexively at Tomoyuki-san's words.
This school was created for the phantoms' survival.
The director of this school is Tomoyuki-san.

"… Um, the academy was created by."

　In this case, only 1 answer surfaces.
Tomoyuki-san looks towards me, at the words I slowly weaved.

"My mother, the previous Priestess of Ominous Clouds and my father, a phantom."

　The thumping of my heart is noisy.

　I don't know the previous Priestess.
Not what she had done, nor what kind of person she is.
However… I understand the wish of the previous Priestess of Ominous Clouds.
Translated by nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
　Surely, the times had begun to change when the previous Priestess of Ominous Clouds was born.
Tomoyuki-san said he's over 200 years old so… from the Edo period to the Meiji period?
Unable to go against the flow of the period.
The disappearing spiritual energy and nature.

　Surely, even with the power of the Priestess of Ominous Clouds, she wasn't able to take back the phantoms' world from the humans.
Therefore, she wished.
Even in the humans' world, phantoms… her loved ones to have a place to live.

"I inherited that from my parents, and watched over it until it could function. I suppose that's about it."

　As my thoughts of the Priestess of Ominous Clouds ran, light blue eyes smile gently at me.

　Aah… Tomoyuki-san had always been working hard, in order to protect that wish.
That's why I'm here, everyone's here… and Chako is here.
Translated by nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com

[1] Yui actually used "yoshi yoshi" which is kinda like "there there" or "you've done well" that is often(?) said when stroking/patting someone's head.