It's Not a Life Simulator! Section 6

Xi Wang thought this, and in his daze, fell asleep… Even in his dreams, he couldn't escape, but at least… it would be a little more comfortable.

However…

"Knock, knock~"

It sounded like someone was knocking on the wooden window frame again.

"Hello~"

It sounded like someone was greeting him.

"Knock, knock~ Please pay attention to me~ Knock, knock~"

This time, he could hear clearly. It wasn't someone knocking on the wooden frame, but someone deliberately imitating the sound of knocking.

Xi Wang knew who it was, but he didn't want to deal with her.

"Knock, knock~ Please, please~ Talk to me? After all, I just arrived here, and I might need a reliable guide~"

"Knock, knock~ There's a cute girl knocking on your window~ Knock, knock~"

"Speaking of which, have you really been locked up here all this time? You don't look like a bad kid."

"Knock, knock~ Does what I'm doing annoy you? If you don't say anything, I'll take it as your tacit consent~"

Even though he didn't respond, she kept talking incessantly. She didn't seem bored or annoyed by Xi Wang's silence, and her topics stayed at a subtle distance, not making him feel bothered.

"Where were you before? I heard from others that the children here were all brought back by the Priest, and it seems like I'm the only one who found my way here… Looking at it that way, I'm quite special!"

"You found your way here yourself?"

Xi Wang spoke for the first time.

"Oh, oh! You're finally paying attention to me! I knew it~ How could a cute girl like me be disliked~"

She seemed very confident.

Xi Wang looked up slightly, gazing at her through the only remaining gap.

The brilliant sunlight outside illuminated the tips of her pink hair, and her bright blue eyes held a hint of peculiar pink. Even glimpsing just a corner, he could tell she must be a cute and lively girl, just as she had said. She was indeed a very cute girl.

He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but Xi Wang felt like she was glowing, making him instinctively want to retreat… Perhaps it was just the bright sunlight outside.

But there was also a sense of longing. After all, she was so eye-catching, so radiant… Perhaps it was just the bright sunlight outside.

Xi Wang comforted himself, dispelling the subconscious fantasies and returning to the cold reality before him.

"Hmm?"

The girl, sensing his gaze, seemed surprised and then a little confused, partly by his question and partly by him.

Especially his eyes, as calm as water. She seemed to see a faint golden shimmer appearing in his dark pupils, like stars twinkling in the deep night, giving her the illusion of having "found a kindred spirit." But it all vanished in an instant, like an illusion.

However, she still remembered this vague feeling and strengthened her conviction that "he needed help."

So she spoke:

"What's wrong? Is something wrong?"

"...You'd best leave here soon."

In the end, that's all Xi Wang said.

"Leave here, go somewhere farther away."

"But I just came from a very far place… Isn't it a bit rude to kick me out like this?"

"…………"

"Cough, cough… I know you didn't mean it. I was just joking just now, only a joke~"

"I know."

Xi Wang's voice remained calm.

"But I wasn't joking."

He genuinely wanted this girl to leave this place.

"This is not a good place to stay. Don't go to the police station here either. Leave here, find a safe place far away. If you can, find someone you know or can trust, and tell them that children here need help."

He hadn't spoken so much in a long time, and his words came out a bit disjointed.

"...Um, actually, I'm alone?"

"I know."

Because children who are being looked after wouldn't come here.

"Actually, I'm very capable too?"

"Mm."

Because ordinary children couldn't travel very far on their own.

"So you actually believe that I came all the way here by myself, right!"

She suddenly became very excited.

Xi Wang found the abrupt change in topic a little confusing.

"You know, the other children don't believe me when I say I came here alone. I told them in detail about the scenery elsewhere and the things I encountered, but they just wouldn't believe me. Those nuns were like that too, so perfunctory. The priest was the same, clearly not paying attention, as if he was thinking about something else the entire time."

"Did you know? I once crossed a winter forest all by myself! The white snowflakes covered the ground like a pure white carpet, and the snow-covered forest seemed to glow under the sunlight! Heh heh... Although I almost got lost in the middle, I eventually met a kind person who led me out! His daughter was very cute! Just a little bit less than me~"

"And another time, I found a huuuuge flower field, it was really, really big. At the time, I thought no one was there, so I played there for a long time by myself. Turns out, I was caught by someone... Although they didn't really mind in the end, I still helped them tend to the flower field for a few days before leaving... It's definitely not like I wanted to stay there longer!"

"There was also this time I passed by a small town by a lake. The lake water there was like a mirror. At night, it could reflect the starry sky, and you could even count the stars by looking at the lake surface! It's just that I fell asleep halfway through counting... The people there were also very nice! Everyone was very enthusiastic and even treated me to a special little pastry. It was a bit like a small biscuit with cream and jam on top, sweet with a hint of salt, but it was delicious! However, when I arrived, the town mayor was discussing something with someone. It seemed like they were planning to renovate the town..."

"And also..."

She spoke incessantly, recounting the many sights she had seen, the people, events, and things she had encountered, vividly describing her journey.

She was like a favored child of heaven, encountering only beautiful people, events, and things. Even when she faced difficulties, they were always resolved in the end.

To be honest, telling a child who was [confined] here about the outside world felt inexplicably like showing off, like a [See, I can play outside while you're stuck here~] kind of feeling, as if deliberately picking at someone's wounds.

However, Xi Wang felt that she probably hadn't thought that far ahead. She simply wanted to share her experiences along the way, sharing everything she had seen and heard with a [child who was trapped and had never been out], just as she had told everything she had seen and heard to [children who had never left the church].

So, Xi Wang didn't interrupt her. He only emphasized again during her break:

"You should go."

Whether it was to escape directly or to rest at the church for a night, it was time for her to leave. She had already stayed with him long enough, and he figured she must have said enough.

"Eh~ You're kicking me out after hearing my stories? That's so mean~"

"But come to think of it, it really is time to go... Mhmm, I'll come again next time~"

"I hope when we meet again, I'll see you're not alone."

"..."

Outside the window, she blinked her eyes, then curved them like crescent moons, revealing obvious joy.

"As expected, you're not a [bad child]~"

Honestly, Xi Wang couldn't quite keep up with her train of thought.

"Oh, right, right! Since we're saying goodbye, can you tell me your name? Please, please~ That way I can find you next time~"

"..."

"Knock knock~ Please, please~ I'll tell you my name too~ After all, we're friends now~"

She deliberately imitated the sound of knocking on wood again, saying it in a cheerful, joking tone.

No, we're not quite at the [friend] stage yet, are we? We've only talked for a while, and most of the time, you were just talking to yourself.

However, Xi Wang didn't care anymore. He just wanted her to leave quickly. Whether she escaped or stayed to rest for the night was fine. Otherwise, if the priest came, it would be difficult to handle, as the [free activity] time was about to end.

"Xi Wang, my name."

He said softly, then urged her again.

"You should go."

"['Hope']... What an interesting name~"

She seemed to have thought of something amusing, her tone unconsciously rising. Clearly, she also realized that the [Xi Wang] he mentioned and the [Hope] she had spoken were not the same words.

However, when she realized his situation again, she couldn't smile anymore.

"As for me~ My name is Elysia, just call me Elysia~ Don't forget me, okay~"

Her voice gradually faded. Judging by her position, she probably intended to rest here for the night.

That's fine too.

Xi Wang thought this, closed his eyes, and began to rest.

Night was about to fall, and... it would likely be as long as before.

Chapter Six: Only That Sweetness Permeates the Dream

[You have met a new friend, a cute girl named Elysia]

[You earnestly advised this cute girl to stay away from here, and the girl took your advice... probably?]

[As a child capable of long-distance travel alone, Elysia clearly possessed abilities beyond her apparent age and strong independence. The priest's attempts to manipulate her were skillfully deflected by her adept handling of situations, turning this church into merely an ordinary resting place for her]

[This greatly troubled the priest, especially after someone higher up took notice of Elysia. The priest became even more agitated—how do you know this? Naturally, from the extra wounds that appeared each night and the priest's whispered words while applying medicine]

[What troubles you is that Elysia seems to have no intention of leaving for now. Although she goes out every morning to some unknown place, she returns in the afternoon and comes to chat with you. While most of it is her talking to herself, she talks so much and for so long that you have to respond a few times, whether out of politeness or a genuine desire to persuade her to leave]

[Every time she receives a response from you, she seems very happy, then she leaps to another topic to continue talking, which leaves you feeling helpless, forcing you to persuade her to leave again and again]

[Sometimes you even feel like getting angry and emphasizing your words in a stern and serious tone. After all, if this continues, you can't guarantee that Elysia won't fall into the priest's trap, just like you did in the past]