Madman in a Fantasy World

132. How to Overcome Trauma

An office in a luxurious room.

There was a man scribbling a quill on the table.

-smart.

Then, someone knocked on the office door.

“Come in.”

After the man gave permission, the door to the office opened, and a butler in a black suit entered.

“My lord. A letter has arrived from the Journal Academy.”

“Are you crazy?”

“If so, wouldn’t the dean have come to visit you instead of a letter?”

“That’s right.”

The man received a letter from the butler. As long as the issue was an issue, I stopped what I was doing for a while and immediately opened the letter and focused on the contents. The content of the letter itself was not very much. To the point where you can understand everything just by looking at it with your eyes. However, the man clicked his tongue after seeing that brief content.

“Tsk.”

In response, Josin raised his hands and the butler, who was waiting in front of the door, responded.

“If it’s not rude, may I ask about it?”

“The third dropped out.”

“···Yes?”

The man’s words made the butler, who boasted that he was used to quite a few things, bewildered and asked back.

“What do you think?”

“…are you saying what I think?”

“Yes. Do you think the third will drop out and return to the manor?”

“To state my conviction… I don’t think so. Even considering the period for the letter to arrive, if you had planned to return, you would have arrived a long time ago.”

“That’s very fortunate.”

Even though his daughter dropped out of the academy and her whereabouts were unknown, the man was rather relieved saying that it was fortunate. The man folded the letter again and put it on the side of the table, staring at the butler again.

“So. Is this the only thing?”

“There is one more.”

The butler once again took out a letter from his bosom. This time, the envelope was different. A golden pattern was engraved on the rim of the envelope, and in the middle was a seal representing the imperial family.

“…the imperial family.”

What the butler handed over was an invitation to a social gathering hosted by the imperial family once a year. Of course, since he was also the head of a ducal family in charge of one axis of the empire, the invitation came.

“Is it already then?”

The still expressionless man’s brow narrowed slightly. It’s because the family that wants to look good to the duchy is kicked out by the empire. Guys who even bring presents and fart in an attempt to make connections somehow. It was hard work for the man because they had to deal with them one by one as nobles in terms of fodder.

“Then, how about not attending this time?”

There was a reason why the noble emperor personally held a social gathering every year and invited nobles. The current emperor was a sage that everyone acknowledged. He listened to the complaints of the nobles, gave grace in a reasonable way, and tried to understand them.

Some greedy nobles took advantage of this to commit corruption, but the emperor punished them with a quick investigation.

But it’s not just the nobility. The imperial law reformed by the emperor did not discriminate between commoners and nobles. That is why there has never been a quarrel between nobles or a commoner who rebelled against the empire.

Some aristocrats were still mired in chauvinism and looked down on the commoners, but even then the emperor couldn’t care about them, so the commoners seemed to understand.

“No. I will participate this time too, so call the first and second.”

“all right.”

***

I was in a bad mood after leaving the smithy after being told by the uncle that it was impossible. In the end, he said that he had to go to the place where the dwarves were to make weapons, but the problem was that he didn’t know where it was.

Dwarves appearing in the distant future. It was the first time to come out and make weapons for Arthur just before the all-out war between the demons and the human union began. Even then, since they come all the way to the empire, only the name of the country where the dwarves live is mentioned, and no whereabouts are mentioned.

‘It would be nice if the elf came and guided me like this time.’

And even if we go looking for it, it’s something we and the high-ranking dwarves might make it beautiful. But it wasn’t just me who was upset.

“Luke.”

“Why.”

“Why are you doing that, Mr. Richie?”

“It must be because of this.”

I took out the invitation I had received from Adela earlier from my inventory and shook it. Anyone could see that it was a letter from the imperial family— and the envelope decorated in glittering gold. Richie seemed to mind the upcoming social gathering.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen him so downcast.”

“Because each person has their own trauma.”

Just as Luna’s family was massacred by humans and Yui’s personality disappeared due to blood vampirism and she was almost half-blown, Liche’s biggest trauma is also related to her family.

In the original work, Liche naturally avoids all social churches. There must be a family there. Getting over that trauma is quite a later thing. Richie overcame her trauma while being saved by Arthur, who was drinking alcohol from Gerald, who came to the event observation class in the second semester.

However, I asked if it was okay not to go, and the time came forward. You may not be ready yet, but you will be disturbed in many ways. But what do I know?

“I don’t think Luke-sama has anything like that.”

“What do you see me as? I have trauma too.”

“Are you Luke…?”

That happened in my previous life… The trauma of almost opening my eyes when the broth splashed in my eyes while I was making noodles with ramen. After that, when I ate ramen, I ate carefully so that the soup wouldn’t splash.

“So, are there any good ways to overcome trauma?”

“Each person is different.”

In the case of Luna, the subject of the trauma can’t do anything about it, so you just have to control your mind, and in the case of Yui, it’s already over, so it won’t be a trauma anymore.

In the case of me, I naturally disappeared because I couldn’t stop eating ramen, but in the case of Richie, the subject of trauma is still alive and moving and tormenting herself.

“Rice is a victim of school violence, if you compare it.”

“School width…?”

“A commoner being trampled on by a nobleman at the academy.”

“ah···.”

Luna seemed to understand. Victims of school violence do not end when the perpetrator is taken away. When something related comes up, the first thing to get scared is the victim. Even if it happens once in a while, the moment you meet the perpetrator, you will naturally break out in a cold sweat and have an earthquake in your pupils.

Even now, Richie will be more disturbed because she has to go to the perpetrator on her own feet.

“How did you solve this situation in the novel?”

“Comfort me and it’s over.”

“Just with that…?”

“Don’t underestimate the main character’s snout.”

The original Arthur tries to solve other people’s family history with his snout. He constantly gave instructions to his father-in-law, such as saying that it was wrong and not blaming Riche.

Then it leads to a knife fight, where Arthur throws a rehabilitation punch at his father-in-law. The result is, of course, Arthur’s victory. Can you beat the main character if you know how to use a sword? Of course, there was no way they would be rehabilitated like that, and after that, it’s the end of the relationship.

***

Richie had been distraught since leaving the adventurer’s guild. No, to be precise, from when Luke received the invitation and expressed his intention to participate in the social gathering.

If you follow Luke to a social church, meeting your family is inevitable. If it was the father he knew, he had a position, so he attended social gatherings unconditionally even if he didn’t like it. This time, it is obvious that she will take her brother and sister to the social club.

If Hex was the object of revenge for her, the family is the object of trauma for her. I didn’t say I was abused or bullied.

However, there is a saying that the scariest thing is not bullying but indifference. Her family paid surprisingly little attention to herself. It’s like becoming an invisible person.

Once, out of a sense of rebellion, he left the territory and ran into the forest. However, no matter how much time passed, the family did not come looking for her. It was past midnight, and there was only her brother and butler who came late to find her.

Fortunately, it wasn’t that she didn’t have anyone on her side. The butler who served the older brother she had and her mother, the former hostess. Both of them took her side. That’s why I was able to survive. Otherwise, she couldn’t stand it and would have committed suicide long ago.

However, it is her father, the head of the house, who has the highest authority in the Winchester family.

As long as he, the head of the family, is neglecting Riche, other people have no choice but to notice the head of the household. Even her brother, who has the second highest position after the family head. That’s why Richie voluntarily entered the academy. So that the servants and my beloved older brother do not have to pay attention to my father.

‘I thought I wouldn’t be involved in social gatherings for the rest of my life…’

As she was walking alone with a disturbed heart, Luna came to her side.

“Mr. Richie, are you okay?”

“Yes···?”

“You look bad.”

“Ah… it’s nothing special.”

It’s not a big deal, but the complexion of the liche that Luna saw was tinged with a complexion that seemed like it would vomit at any moment. If the other person doesn’t want to talk about it, I don’t bother asking. Since they had already heard of it, Luna and Yui knew everything about Riche’s circumstances.

“I know everything about Mr. Riche’s family because I heard from Mr. Luke.”

“That’s right… that’s right. Luke probably knows everything.”

“Why don’t you ask Luke-sama instead?”

“What?”

“How did Mr. Riche in the novel overcome the trauma?”

In fact, Richie had thought of Luna’s method as well. If the novel Luke read had a happy ending, he would have overcome his trauma in the novel. I wondered if I could easily overcome the trauma if I asked Luke how to do that, but after thinking about it for a while, I came to the conclusion that I was involved with Arthur and quit.

Judging from the current situation, you will never be able to overcome your trauma alone. If so, it must mean that he was helped by someone in the novel, and that would most likely be Arthur. Now that he has dumped Arthur and is traveling with Luke, the method he used in the novel cannot work.

“Unfortunately, that seems difficult.”

“is that so······.”

The time when the two of them put their heads together but couldn’t come up with a way to do this. This time, Luke sneaked up and hinted.

“Can I teach you how to overcome trauma easily?”

“…Is there such a thing?”

“It depends on the situation, but in your case, there is one sure way.”

“what is that?”

just kill them all

Strangely enough, the answer was clear.

“···uh?”